The Utah State lawmakers have made a significant move in supporting the LGBTQ+ community by unanimously passing the House Bill 288 to ban conversion therapy. The controversial and harmful practice has been discredited and banned in a few states in the US but is yet to be declared illegal nationwide. However, negotiations with LGBTQ+ rights groups and Utah Representative Mike Peterson resulted in the passing of the bill, which is now awaiting the governor’s signature to be codified into permanent law.
While the ban only applies to people under the age of 18, therapists in Utah will be issued guidelines for patients of all ages regarding conversion therapy and the bans in place. The passing of the bill is a result of constructive dialogue between all parties involved, and the executive director of Equality Utah, Troy Williams, has called it an “extraordinary moment” in the state’s LGBTQ+ history. The passing of this bill is not only significant for the LGBTQ+ community, but it is also an indication of how the Utah lawmakers have come together to listen to one another and establish common ground.
Conversion therapy is often used by family members, groups or organizations to change the sexuality or gender identity of LGBTQ+ individuals. The EU commissioner for human rights, Dunja Mijatović, has been urging countries to ban the harmful practice, which is still being practiced across Europe. Mijatović believes that these organizations “have no place in a human-rights-based society” and that victims of conversion therapy must be recognized for the harms that they have endured.
Utah is following in the footsteps of other states like New Jersey, California, Oregon, and Illinois, which have already banned conversion therapy. With the passing of House Bill 288, Utah is leading the way in protecting the youth of the LGBTQ+ community from the harmful effects of conversion therapy. The bill’s passing is an essential step in promoting equality and tolerance towards the LGBTQ+ community and could be a sign of more progressive laws to come.
