California Assemblyman Evan Low, a
Democrat, on Friday shelved a bill that sought to limit the selling
or advertising of therapies that attempt to alter the sexual
orientation or gender identity of lesbian, gay, bisexual or
transgender people.
Such therapies go by names such as
“conversion therapy,” “reparative therapy” or “ex-gay
therapy.”
Low's bill, Assembly Bill 2943, sought
to make it clear that such therapies run afoul of state consumer
laws. Low, an openly gay Democrat, has said the practice is
ineffective and harmful. The legislation has cleared both the Senate
and Assembly, thanks to Democratic majorities in both chambers. A
handful of Republicans also supported the measure.
In a statement released Friday, Low
said that he wants to continue a conversation with faith leaders
before proceeding with the legislation.
“I authored Assembly Bill 2943 to
ensure a remedy for those who are deceived by this deceptive
practice,” Low said. “As the bipartisan bill progressed through
the Legislature this year, opposition began to speak out against the
legislation. I knew this was an emotionally charged issue, so I spent
the past few months traveling up and down the state meeting with a
wide variety of faith leaders.”
“I was heartened by the
conversations. A number of religious leaders denounced conversion
therapy and recognized how harmful the practice is while
acknowledging it has been discredited by the medical and
psychological communities. I left those productive conversations
feeling hopeful. I believe every person who attended these meetings
left with a greater understanding for the underlying reason and
intention of this bill to create a loving and inclusive environment
for all. However, I believe there is still more to learn.”
“The best policy is not made in a
vacuum and in order to advance the strongest piece of legislation,
the bill requires additional time to allow for an inclusive process
not hampered by legislative deadlines. With a hopeful eye toward the
future, I share with you that, despite the support the bill received
in the Assembly and Senate, I will not be sending AB 2943 to the
Governor this year. I am committed to continuing to work towards
creating a policy that best protects and celebrates the identities of
LGBT Californians and a model for the nation to look towards,” he
added.
Opponents of the legislation had called
the measure overly broad, questioning whether ministering to people
struggling with their sexuality would lead to lawsuits. Others
claimed it would ban the Bible.
News of Low's decision was praised by
opponents.
“We want to thank Assemblyman Low for
considering the repercussions of this bill and making the decision to
pull it,” Karen England of the Capitol Resource Institute said in a
statement.
“We oppose AB 2943 because it attacks
conscience rights on two fronts: adults seeking to resolve unwanted
feelings of sexuality and gender, and counselors, experts, authors
and even religious leaders trying to help,” she added.
Rick Zbur, executive director of
Equality California, told The
Los Angeles Times that the additional time would allow for
“tinkering with the bill” to make “very clear that these false
assertions the other side is making are not accurate.”
Zbur added that he believes Governor
Jerry Brown, a Democrat, was prepared to sign the bill as written.
California's legislative session ended
on Friday.