SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Legislature has unanimously approved a bill that enshrines into law a ban on LGBTQ conversion therapy.
LGBTQ rights groups accused its sponsor, Rep. Mike Petersen, R-Logan, of seeking to legalize the discredited practice of trying to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity.
But through negotiations on the bill, he agreed to enshrine a ban on conversion therapy while offering some guidelines for therapists.
With those changes, it won the support of Equality Utah — which originally opposed the bill.
Utah originally had a ban on LGBTQ conversion therapy as an administrative rule (which functions essentially as a law tied to a therapist's license) after efforts to pass a law through the legislature failed.
But last year, FOX 13 News reported that lawmakers signaled they would be revisiting the ban, raising concerns among Utah's LGBTQ community.
We had both chambers unanimously pass a ban on conversion therapy for minors," Williams said. »