Bills which would prohibit therapies that attempt to alter the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBT youth advanced Thursday in Colorado and Vermont.

The Vermont Senate gave final approval to such a bill, sending it to the House.

Senate President Pro Tem John Campbell called the practice abhorrent, the AP reported.

In Colorado, a similar bill received preliminary approval in the House, though it faces a steep incline in the GOP-led Senate.

Introduced by Democratic Representative Paul Rosenthal, House Bill 1210 would prohibit so-called “conversion therapy” to minors.

“Colorado families have a right to know that a therapist will not put their child's well-being in danger,” Rosenthal said. “So-called gay conversion therapy is an imposition of a therapist's own view on the child. We heard in committee from several adults who still bear the scars from a therapist who tried to force them to be someone they are not. Let us protect our children from this harmful practice.”

Dave Montez, executive director of LGBT rights advocate One Colorado, said in testifying in favor of the bill that such therapies use “rejection, shame, and psychological abuse to force young people to try to change who they are.”

“These efforts are known to be extremely dangerous and can lead to depression, decreased self-esteem, substance abuse, self-harm and even suicide.”

“Every major professional medical and mental health associations … consider conversion therapy scientifically invalid and incredibly harmful to young people,” he added.

Three years ago, New Jersey became the second state after California to enact such a law. Illinois, Oregon and the District of Columbia have passed similar bans, while New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently issued an executive order that protects youth from such therapies.

(Related: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo takes action to prevent “ex-gay” therapy on minors.)

The Supreme Court has repeatedly declined to hear challenges to such bans, leaving in place lower courts' rulings upholding laws in New Jersey and California.