Two Democrats have introduced bills
that would prohibit therapies that attempt to alter the sexual
orientation or gender identity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender youth in Virginia.
According to the
Washington
Blade, state Senator Scott Surovell, a Democrat from Fairfax
County, and Delegate Patrick Hope, a Democrat from Arlington County,
introduced their bills on Friday, January 5.
James Parrish, executive director of
Equality Virginia, a group that promotes LGBT rights, said in a
statement issued Tuesday that his organization is “grateful to Sen.
Surovell and Del. Hope for making a bill to ban conversion therapy an
early part of their legislative agendas.”
“I trust that Virginia's General
Assembly will side with the majority of Virginians who believe this
destructive practice should be outlawed,” Parrish said.
Virginia's legislative session began
Wednesday.
(Related: Danica
Roem, Virginia's first transgender legislator, sworn in.)
States which have enacted such bans
include Connecticut, California, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon,
Illinois, Vermont, New York, Rhode Island and New Mexico. Earlier
this week, the
New Hampshire House narrowly killed such a bill. An increasing
number of local municipalities have also enacted similar protections,
particularly in Florida.
(Related: Florida:
Broward County bans “ex-gay” therapy to youth.)