Athens Becomes Fourth Ohio City to Ban Gay Conversion Therapy

The audience in the City Council chambers in the city of Athens, Ohio broke out into applause this week when the City Council voted unanimously in favor of an ordinance banning the practice of gay conversion therapy on minors, Athens News reports.

"This represents all that is good in Athens," City Council member Chris Fahl said Monday at the council meeting. "We're a city of love and tolerance and inclusiveness and community, and this is one more example of how we as a community in Athens get together and try to change things for the better of all of our citizens."

Originally proposed in June and supported by Ohio University's LGBT Center, the City Council voted unanimously on Monday to approve the measure that would update the city code to prohibit "efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity with a minor."

"No young person should ever be shamed by a mental health professional into thinking that who they are is wrong," local social worker Kerri Shaw said in a Change.org petition that prompted the City Council's vote. "Mental health professionals should provide care that is ethical and affirming for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender young people."

With the passage of the ordinance on Monday, Athens joins Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo as the fourth city in Ohio to ban the discredited practice of conversion therapy.

H/T HRC