DENVER — With a unanimous City Council vote Monday night, Denver became Colorado’s first jurisdiction to ban use of conversion therapy to try to change the sexual orientation of minors, governing.com reports.
Psychology’s governing bodies have denounced conversion therapy, which treats being LGBT as a mental illness. Research shows such therapy increases the risk of suicide, drug abuse and depression among teens.
Hancock called passage of the proposal “a very proud moment” and thanked council members for their votes. The ban was recommended by Denver’s LGTBQ Commission and submitted by the Office of Human Rights and Community Partnerships, governing.com reports.
Democratic legislators, who now control both chambers of the state General Assembly, said they’ll try to ban conversion therapy in this legislative session, reports coloradopolitics.com.
House Democrats sent such a bill last year to the Republican-held Senate, where it was struck down for the fourth year in a row.