Cuomo signs ban on conversion therapy in New York

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a bill Friday banning gay conversion therapy in New York.

“As the most progressive state in the nation and as the home of the modern LGBTQ rights movement, New York has always been on the front lines fighting for full protections for every individual,” the governor said in a statement touting the signing of the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA).

“By signing into law GENDA and a ban on the fraudulent practice of conversion therapy, we are taking another giant step forward in advancing equal justice for every New Yorker – regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation,” he also said in the statement.

“We are once again sending a clear and proud message that there is no place for hate in our state, and anyone who engages in bigotry and discrimination will be held accountable.”

{mosads}The New York state legislature voted last week to ban the debunked practice that tries to change an individual’s sexual orientation through a conversion therapy.

The measure, which prohibits the practice on minors, passed the state Senate by a vote of 57-4 and the State Assembly by a vote of 134-3.

The bill had previously passed the Assembly but had been held up in the Republican-controlled state Senate.

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul also praised the bill for finally providing “protections within our laws to secure equal rights for transgender, gender nonconforming, and non-binary New Yorkers.”

The Human Rights Commission celebrated New York’s move to eliminate the practice.

“Today, with Governor Cuomo’s signature, New York has made bold, historic progress by making GENDA the law of the land and banning the abusive and life-threatening practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy’ on LGBTQ youth,” president Chad Griffin said in a statement.

“These laws will literally save lives, and their passage would not have been possible without the tireless work of advocates and allies across New York over the last decade,” Griffin added.