Rep. Ted Lieu Introduces Federal Bill To Ban "Ex-Gay" Therapy

In light of the fact that so-called "ex-gay" conversion therapy is not only harmful to people but also completely ineffective at "curing" homosexuality, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) has introduced federal legislation that would effectively ban the practice in the US.

Lieu said during a news conference that he introduced the measure, the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, because medical and psychological experts say conversion therapy is only not ineffective, but also potentially harms individuals who endure it.

“We know that being gay or lesbian is not a medical condition that needs a cure,” Lieu said. “Love doesn’t need a cure. That’s what the bill is about.”

Under the legislation, conversion therapy would be classified as fraud under the Federal Trade Commission Act. If the legislation were signed into law, the Federal Trade Commission could enforce the bill at its discretion and private citizens could bring lawsuits against those who practice “ex-gay” therapy.

“What the bill will do is outlaw conversion therapy by saying that you cannot advertise that you’re doing conversion therapy, you cannot say that it works, you cannot promote it and you cannot profit off of it,” Lieu said.

California, New Jersey and D.C. have already passed laws barring “ex-gay” conversion therapy for minors, with Oregon's legislation now headed to the governor's desk to be signed into law.

Lieu's bill differs from state laws, however, in a few ways.

One, the federal bill would prohibit "ex-gay" therapy for everyone - not just minors.

Second, practitioners would be barred from charging for providing the "therapy." The vast majority of folks who do this kind of "therapy" are for profit; thus, most would stop if they couldn't make money from the practice of the harmful "therapy." Plus, supporters of the bill say this doesn't infringe on First Amendment liberties.

Finally, the federal bill bans "conversion" therapy for not only sexual orientation, but gender identity as well.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has signed on as an original sponsor of the bill.

"Conversion therapy is abusive, destructive, discredited, and has no place in any medical practice," Pelosi said in a statement. "This legislation will stop conversion therapy peddlers from committing these fraudulent and hateful acts against LGBT children and adults. Being LGBT is not an error to be corrected."