ATLANTA— State Representative Keisha Waites (D-Atlanta) will introduce legislation in the upcoming 2014 Legislative Session to ban conversion therapy for minors in the state of Georgia.
“This legislation seeks to protect children from treatments that have presented no evidence of success or benefits, only negative health risks,” said Rep. Waites. “Through this legislation I hope that Georgia will become the third state in our nation to prohibit gay conversion therapy for minors.”
Conversion therapy is a type of therapy that is intended to change a person’s sexual orientation through counseling. The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Psychological Association all oppose this type of therapy, noting that there is no scientifically adequate research to date proving that conversion therapy is effective or safe.
California and New Jersey are the only two states to have created legislation banning conversion therapy for minors. California passed a similar law in 2012, but supporters of the practice charged that it infringed on their First Amendment rights, and it is being challenged in federal appeals court. Last week, New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, signed a law banning the practice.
For more information on conversion therapy from American Psychological Association, please click here.
Representative Keisha Waites represents the citizens of District 60, which includes portions of Clayton and Fulton counties. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2012, and currently serves on the Interstate Cooperation, Juvenile Justice, Public Safety and Homeland Security, Special Rules, and Transportation committees.
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