Washington State has passed a bill banning health-care providers from trying to forcibly change someone’s sexual orientation.
This past Saturday (March 3), the State Senate passed a 33-16 vote that would put restrictions on licensed therapists looking to conduct on minors.
Senate Bill 5722, which had its first reading back in February of 2017, makes it so that professionals cannot conduct gay conversion therapy on anyone under 18 as its now legally considered “unprofessional conduct.”
If licensed therapists or health-care providers break this new bill, they will risk facing suspension or the revoking of their licenses, according to King 5 News.
In addition, the House later amended the bill by including non-licensed counselors or anyone conducting the therapy for religious groups.
While the bill has not officially become law yet, most are expecting Gov. Jay Inslee (D) to sign it into law without issue.
This will make Washington the tenth U.S. State to outlaw the practice of gay conversion therapy on minors.
Meanwhile, LGBTQ activists are celebrating the news.
“Children across the Evergreen State deserve to live their lives authentically and should never be subjected to the abusive practice of so-called conversion therapy,” said Human Rights Campaign Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof to Pink News.
“It’s time for Washington to join the growing number of states and municipalities who are enacting these critical protections. We thank the state legislators who voted to protect LGBTQ youth from this dangerous practice and now call on Governor Inslee to sign this crucially important legislation.”
