Bill to Ban Conversion Therapy Finally Passes Senate

Today marks the historic day that House Bill 19-1129: Prohibit Conversion Therapy for Minors finally passed out of the Colorado Senate committee. This is the fifth time the bill was proposed. Every other time, it has died on the senate floor.

“No young person should ever be shamed by a state-licensed mental health professional into thinking who they are is wrong. Unfortunately, as we heard in committee today, too many young LGBTQ Coloradans have sought help from licensed professionals so they can find their truth only to be subjected to dangerous and discredited practices that use rejection, shame, and psychological abuse to force them to change who they are. More and more states are standing with LGBTQ youth by banning the harmful, discredited practice of conversion therapy on minors, and it is time for Colorado to do the same,” said Daniel Ramos, executive director of One Colorado.

Thank you to all our students who came out to testify in support of #HB1129 to #banconversiontherapy. Our future is in good hands. #coleg #copolitics pic.twitter.com/6AmVQlD164

— One Colorado (@One_Colorado) March 18, 2019

“It is my sincere hope that, with this being the fifth time this measure has been introduced in the Colorado legislature, this will be the year Colorado says ‘no more’ and bans a practice on minors that is based on the false claim that being LGBTQ is a mental illness that needs to be cured. We are born perfect, and we deserve our state’s support,” Ramos continued.

Senate Majority Leader Stephen Fenberg commented, “The practice of gay conversion therapy has no scientific basis and has caused long-term developmental and emotional damage to too many young children in Colorado. I’m proud to sponsor this legislation for the third time and am confident this will be the year we finally stop licensed counselors in Colorado from using such harmful tactics on our kids.”

“This bill is about allowing Coloradans to be their authentic selves. This dangerous practice harms children and falsely makes them believe that something is wrong with them through the use of shame, rejection, and psychological abuse,” said Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet. “We need to put an end to a practice that makes these youths six times more likely to have depression and eight times more likely to attempt suicide.”