Why is New York’s ban on conversion therapy being repealed?
Why is New York’s ban on conversion therapy being repealed?
The New York City Council wants to reverse its ban on conversion therapy
Quick notes
-
In 2017, New York City outlawed “conversion therapy” — the practice of trying to change an individual’s sexual orientation through therapy or intervention
-
Conversion therapy has been widely discredited and is outlawed in many states and countries
-
A Christian legal organization sued the city over the ban, saying it goes against the First Amendment
In September 2019, the New York City Council took steps to reverse an almost-two-year-old ban on “conversion therapy.” The law, passed in December 2017, prohibited consumers from being charged for “services intended to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity,” punishable by a $1,000 fine for each incident. At the time, the ban was widely praised by human rights activists and politicians alike.
Now, the ban is in the process of being repealed. According to the New York Times, Corey Johnson, the speaker of the Council (who is openly gay and HIV positive) introduced the bill. In a statement released to Politico, he referred to proposed repeal as a “painful decision,” yet one that was necessary to neutralize a federal lawsuit filed against the city by a conservative Christian legal organization.
What is conversion therapy?
The NYC ban on conversion therapy
In 2018, New York City passed Local Law 22, making it illegal for any person to offer or provide “conversion therapy” for a fee. The city legislation was far broader than the bans passed in most other places — including a New York state law, which only bans the practice from being used on minors. Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said, “We will ensure all individuals will be able to live without fear of coercion into change into someone they are not.”
Violators of the law faced serious repercussions: A $1,000 civil penalty for the first violation, $5,000 for the second violation, and $10,000 for each subsequent offense. It should be noted that the law did not apply to services which “provide assistance to persons undergoing gender transition or counseling that provides acceptance, support, and understanding of a person’s sexual orientation.” (Moral of the story: Use your powers for good, and you won’t get in trouble!)
Why it’s being repealed
In January 2019, an anti-LGBTQ hate group called Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit challenging the ban, saying it violates free speech. The group, based out of Scottsdale, Arizona, says their mission is to advocate for “religious freedom, sanctity of life, and marriage and family.” The New York City Council fears that if the lawsuit challenging the ban were to reach the Conservative-controlled Supreme Court, the panel could issue a ruling that protected the practice.
“We will ensure all individuals will be able to live without fear of coercion into change into someone they are not.” Melissa Mark-Viverito
Next steps
A deeper dive – Related reading on the 101:
–Australia is on track to end infections with new HIV drug | Living101
A new drug has significantly reduced the incidences of new HIV in Australia
Although it involves substantial paperwork, money and patience, legally changing identity documents offers important advantages