The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has launched a petition calling on Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and all GOP president candidates to denounce “reparative” therapy.

So-called “pray away the gay” therapy has been discredited as harmful, ineffective and unnecessary by leading mental health experts.

Evidence that the Bachmann & Associates family clinic run by Michele Bachmann's husband, Marcus, practices “ex-gay” therapy surfaced last week from the gay advocacy group Truth Wins Out, which sent its communications and development director, John Becker, an openly gay man, undercover to investigate the allegations that the Christian counseling center attempts to turn gay people straight.

A petition at the HRC website CallItOut.org calls on GOP candidates to reject such counseling.

“I urge you to take a public stand against 'ex-gay' therapy and the insidious anti-gay ideology behind it,” the petition reads. “Join me in sending a message to all Americans that this dangerous practice harms those who undergo it and contributes to dangerous homophobia.”

Bachmann refused to discuss the “ex-gay” allegations during an ABC News interview on Monday.

“I'm running for the presidency of the United States and I'm here today to talk about job creation and also the fact that we do have a business that deals with job creation. We're very proud of the business we've created,” Bachmann said.