KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City would ban so-called gay conversion therapy for LGBTQ minors under an ordinance that is headed to the city council for consideration.
KCUR reports that therapists who violate the ban could be fined up to $500 and spend as much as six months in jail under the ordinance that was passed by a committee Wednesday. The full council will hear the measure next week.
More than a dozen states have already enacted laws prohibiting licensed therapists from trying to change a minor’s sexual orientation. The American Psychological Association opposes the practice, saying it doesn’t work and can cause harm.
The college town of Columbia banned the practice last month after a measure that was introduce in this year’s legislative session in Missouri failed to get a hearing.
