An Ohio legislator is seeking a statewide ban on “conversion therapy” for minors and vulnerable adults. Following a vote by Cuyahoga County Council to ban the therapy, the spotlight is back on Sen. Nickie Antonio's legislation.
CLEVELAND -- As Cuyahoga County banned “conversion therapy” for minors and vulnerable adults this week, an Ohio legislator is moving to enact a similar ban statewide. State Sen. Nickie Antonio has been pushing for the policy for all of Ohio for years, and renewed that fight earlier this year with a bill that aims to ban the practice statewide.
The legislation faces an uphill battle in the Republican-dominated legislative body. But that doesn’t mean she’s giving up the fight. “The Republicans stand in the way of taking this step and making this kind of a policy change in the state of Ohio,” Antonio said. “Sometimes it’s used as a talking point. It’s used to advance and promote bigotry and hate. … But certainly, it’s keeping the practice of people being able to send their children to places where they are told that someone can convert, change their child, from being who their authentic self is into someone else.” Antonio, a Democrat from Lakewood and Senate minority leader, is first openly gay person to serve in the Ohio General Assembly. “People are who they are, and members of the LGBTQ community, myself included, when we live and are allowed to be our authentic selves, that comes through, because that’s who we are,” Antonio said. Programs that seek to change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, known as “conversion therapy,” have been widely condemned, including by all major medical, psychiatric, and psychological organizations.in the state to ban the conversion therapy when the County Council voted unanimously on last week to prohibit the widely discredited practice. The county joined 13 municipalities across the state that have also banned it, five of which are in Northeast Ohio. The practice is rooted in the false claim that a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity is a choice and is therefore changeable — but only for LGBTQ people. Anti-LGBTQ activists who defend the practice often falsely claim that LGBTQ identities are mental disorders that can be “cured” through psychological or religious intervention. Historically, the practice has taken a range of forms, from traditional talk therapy to more extreme and abusive methods, including electric shock therapy and aversion therapy.conversion therapy since 1998, has stated that “efforts to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender expression have been shown to be harmful and potentially deadly.” Afrom the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law also found that individuals who have experienced it were nearly twice as likely to think about or attempt suicide compared to their peers who hadn’t. “When young people are subjected to these practices, it causes so much harm. A young person, almost always, will try very hard to change, and they’re being told by the therapist that they can change, and they know their parents are hoping they’ll be able to change. And then they can’t, because it just doesn’t work,” said Shannon Minter, the legal director of the National Center for LGBTQ Rights. “Instead of recognizing the therapy doesn’t work, the young person tends to blame themselves and to internalize the failure and think that they’re not trying hard enough, or they’re doing something wrong,” Minter continued. “That can just be so dangerous, and can lead to feelings of self-hatred, depression, anxiety, suicidality.”has either banned or restricted the practice for minors, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit research organization that tracks LGBTQ+-related laws and policies. Ohio is among the 18 states that have no statewide ban prohibiting it. Aby the Trevor Project, which aims to prevent suicide among LGBTQ+ youth, found that Ohio ranks in the top five states for conversion therapy, with at least 72 practitioners using the techniques., sponsored by Antonio and state Sen. Beth Liston, would prohibit licensed health care professionals – including physicians, advanced practice nurses, psychologists, professional clinical counselors, social workers and more – from engaging in conversion therapy for minor patients. If an individual failed to comply, a state licensing board could impose sanctions, including suspending, revoking, or refusing to issue or renew the license or certificate. The bill in the SenateLGBTQ advocates say bans on conversion therapy not only prevent individuals from being subjected to harmful practices but also put the public on notice. “We really want to stop the harm before it happens … The goal is not to take away licenses from anybody. It’s to send the message: do not do this. Do not engage in this harmful, unethical, ineffective treatment,” Minter said. Despite the difficult odds in the statehouse, Antonio said that the introduction of this legislation is important to continue conversation with both her colleagues and the public. “It’s very important for us to introduce legislation to keep the conversations going, because not every single member of the Republican caucuses in the House and the Senate are closed minded. And I will tell you, as people pull me aside in private conversations, that there are actually many members who are Republicans, who are open,” Antonio said. “That’s an important part of why we need to keep the conversation in the legislature at the member level. But in a broader sense, we have a responsibility as legislators to have a conversation in the public … and to educate people as much as possible, because this is probably one of those issues that ultimately, the way we will ever see a change in the state of Ohio, is with an informed public who will put pressure on their legislative representatives to pass this bill,” she said. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ohio University vs. Ohio State prediction, picks and best bets for CFB Week 3Get the latest insight, odds, analysis, and predictions ahead of kickoff between Ohio and Ohio State this Saturday.
Read more »
Ohio State football vs. Ohio Bobcats preview, odds information, TV: Buckeye Breakfast game dayA preview with the point spread and TV information for Ohio State football's 7 p.m. kickoff against Ohio today.
Read more »
Ohio State's Will Kacmarek faces former team Ohio University in emotional matchupFormer Ohio Bobcat Will Kacmarek faces his old team as Ohio State plays Ohio University for the first time in 15 years.
Read more »
Ohio State's Will Kacmarek faces former team Ohio University in emotional matchupFormer Ohio Bobcat Will Kacmarek faces his old team as Ohio State plays Ohio University for the first time in 15 years.
Read more »
Ohio State players sing ‘Carmen Ohio’ after beating the Ohio Bobcats 37-9 (video)Buckeyes players sang “Carmen Ohio” after beating the Ohio Bobcats on Saturday.
Read more »
Cuyahoga Cuyahoga crisis center at risk as funding decision looms: 5 takeawaysCounty Council will decide whether to contribute $7 million toward construction at its Sept. 23, meeting. The Centers' CEO has warned that without it, the project will be abandoned.
Read more »