A proposed ordinance that would
prohibit therapies that attempt to alter the sexual orientation or
gender identity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth
advanced Tuesday in Delray Beach, Florida.
City leaders passed the ordinance on
first reading. A second vote is needed to get the ban on the books.
Such therapies go by names such as
“conversion therapy,” “reparative therapy” or “ex-gay
therapy.”
According to the Palm Beach County
Human Rights Council (PBCHRC), which backed the measure, clergy
members are exempt under the proposal unless they are also
state-licensed mental health professionals.
“Conversion therapy is usually forced
on minors by parents who find it impossible to accept the fact that
their children identify as gay or lesbian,” PBCHRC President Rand
Hoch said in a statement. “This so-called 'treatment' is extremely
harmful.”
If the ordinance is approved, Delray
would be the fifth city in Palm Beach County with such a prohibition.