Conversion therapy has been knocked down in another state.
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez signed a bill Friday banning the use of therapies aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity on minors, the Human Rights Campaign reports.
“As a survivor of conversion therapy that happened right here in my home state of New Mexico, it’s a very special day to see this barbaric and dangerous practice banned in the place that I grew up and call home,” said Equality New Mexico Executive Director Amber Royster.. “My hope is that parents and families everywhere will think twice before seeking to change their LGBTQ child or loved one, and now we have the legal mechanism to ensure it doesn’t happen at the hands of licensed practitioners in New Mexico.”
The law, sponsored by Democrat Sen. Jacob Candelaria and Democratic Rep. G. Andres Romero, apply to physical and mental health care providers, but not to clergy. It also outlines disciplinary measures state licensing boards can take against offenders. Candelaria called the bill’s signing a “historic action” that transcends partisan divisions to protect all children.
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“In New Mexico, we value and celebrate every child for who they are. I want to thank Governor Martinez for having the courage to stand up for the simple truth that every LGBTQ kid in New Mexico is born perfect,” Candelaira said. “I also want to thank the victims of conversion ‘therapy’ who came forward to support this bill. Their stories did not fall on deaf ears. They turned their suffering into a force for good, and because of them, and for them, we have made history.”
The dangerous and discredited practice of so-called “conversion therapy” has been outlawed in at least six states — California, Vermont, Oregon, New Jersey, New York, and Illinois — and four cities — Seattle, Miami Beach, Cincinnati, and Washington, D.C.
