Hawaii Becomes 12th State to Ban Conversion Therapy for Minors

April 28, 2018 LGBT
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On Friday, Hawaii state lawmakers approved a ban on gay conversion therapy treatments conducted on minors.

Conversion therapy is exactly what it sounds like – it is the practice of trying to change an individual’s sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual. Some methods include performing an exorcism, electroconvulsive therapy, and “overdosing” on homosexuality. Conversion therapy is also referred to as reparative therapy.

“This has been a priority of the caucus for years,” said Michael Golojuch, chair of the LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii. “[The measure] ensures that LGBTQ youth will not be tortured by mental health professionals.”

Other states are following suit. On Wednesday, LGBT activists made a push for New York to join the other states that have outlawed conversion therapy, according to the NBC-affiliated station WHEC-TV.

The other states with bans on conversion therapy for minors are California, Oregon, New Jersy, Illinois, Vermont, New Mexico, Nevada, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Washington, and Maryland.

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Arianna is College Media Network's Weekend Editor and a student at Penn State University. She has written for various websites, including Thought Catalog and The Odyssey Online. Arianna also runs her own blog called Yoga With Mimosas in which she combines her passion for fitness and writing in hopes of inspiring and empowering others through her work.

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