California Senate Approves Gay Conversion Therapy Ban

The California Senate has passed a bill that would make gay conversion therapy illegal across the whole state.

The bill, called AB 2943, is unique in that it would outlaw conversion therapy as a consumer protection, essentially labelling practitioners who claim to be able to “cure” a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity as fraudulent under California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act.

By doing so, the bill will protect both minors and adults from conversion therapy – which is significant as most US states only ban the practice for minors.

The bill will now return to Assembly for a concurrence vote.

“No one should profit off of this deceptive and harmful practice,” said California Assemblyman Evan Low, who is sponsoring the bill.