LOS ANGELES: California became the first American state to outlaw “reparative” therapy for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth, in what local activists say is a monumental victory for the gay rights community. “This is huge, massively huge,” LGBT activist Will Jackson told Bikyamasr.com in Los Angeles on Sunday. He believes the measure will “show the crazies that this sort of behavior is unacceptable and against human rights.” The historic legislation was inked by Governor Jerry Brown on Saturday and officially outlaws gay “conversion” therapy for minors. According to the bill, it “prohibits children younger than 18 from undergoing sexual orientation change efforts” that have seen conservative groups attempt to “cure” youth from being gay. For Jackson, it is a step in the direction that “respects a gay persons right to live their lives.” It has been praised by many, including Governor Brown, who said in a statement to The San Francisco Chronicle that “This bill bans non-scientific ‘therapies' that have driven young people to depression and suicide. These practices have no basis in science or medicine and they will now be relegated to the dustbin of quackery.” Under the new legislation, any therapist caught attempting to “turn gay youth” straight can lose their medical licenses under the new ban, which will take effect on January 1 next year. However, one aspect that Jackson says should be tackled, is the fact that religious leaders and groups are still able to conduct similar counseling without penalty. “All the LGBT activists I know believe that this is a vital need for the state because religious communities are the largest involved in this sort of thing,” Jackson added. Overall, however, it has been praised across the liberal community as upholding human rights. In a statement released on Sunday, Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin commended Brown for “standing with California's children.” “LGBT youth will now be protected from a practice that has not only been debunked as junk science, but has been proven to have drastically negative effects on their well-being,” said Griffin, adding that HRC will continue to fight against “this kind of child abuse” in other states. In another statement, NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell said Brown had sent a “powerful message of affirmation and support to LGBT youth and their families.” “This law will ensure that state-licensed therapists can no longer abuse their power to harm LGBT youth and propagate the dangerous and deadly lie that sexual orientation is an illness or disorder that can be ‘cured,'” Kendell added.
