Congressional Democrats on Monday reignited an effort to pass federal legislation outlawing the practice of conversion therapy, which is a scientifically discredited practice that aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, introduced Monday in the House by Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) would make it unlawful to provide conversion therapy to any individual or promote efforts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill, which has 62 Democratic co-sponsors, would also make it illegal to knowingly assist or facilitate the administration of conversion therapy for financial gain. A companion bill in the Senate, introduced Monday by Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), has 32 Democratic co-sponsors. Both measures have been endorsed by LGBTQ+ rights groups and mental health organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign and the American Psychological Association. The Congressional Equality Caucus has also endorsed the bill in both chambers. Twenty-one states and Washington, D.C., have enacted laws that ban conversion therapy for minors and five states have enacted partial bans. Three states — Alabama, Georgia, and Florida — are unable to enforce bans on conversion therapy because of an injunction in the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit that prevents them from doing so.
