The city of Denver will consider an
ordinance that seeks to prohibit therapies that attempt to alter the
sexual orientation or gender identity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender youth.
Such therapies go by names such as
“conversion therapy,” “reparative therapy” or “ex-gay
therapy.”
According to The
Denver Post, the proposed ban will be presented to the City
Council committee on Wednesday.
“These terrible practices that target
our youth, simply for being who they are, are dangerous and immoral,”
Mayor Michael Hancock said in a press release. “We're going to
make sure that they never happen within our city.”
The proposed ban from Denver's Office
of Human Rights and Community Partnerships comes following a
recommendation by Denver's LGBTQ Commission.
With the election of Jared Polis in
November, Colorado became the first state in the United States to
elect an openly gay governor.
(Related: Jared
Polis, first elected openly gay governor, hopes to inspire LGBT
youth.)