SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Two Republican lawmakers are pushing to ban gay conversion therapy for minors in conservative Utah with a proposal that's being hailed as a milestone by advocates and won't be opposed by the influential Mormon church.
Republican Rep. Dan McCay acknowledged Thursday he wasn't a typical sponsor for such a measure, but he said he wants it help support LGBT youth in a state that's seen a recent spike in youth suicide.
The plan would prohibit any treatment aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity, ranging from practices like electric shock to talk therapy.
Shannon Minter with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which is helping lead a national campaign to ban the practice, says there's a history of the practice in Utah and the new proposal is a landmark step.