Delaware Governor John Carney, a Democrat, on Monday signed a bill that bans therapies that attempt to alter the sexual orientation or gender identity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.

Such therapies go by names such as “conversion therapy,” “reparative therapy” or “ex-gay therapy.

The bill cleared the Delaware General Assembly in June.

The measure was sponsored by Senator Harris McDowell and Representative Debra Heffernan, both of whom are Democrats.

“Conversion therapy is pseudoscience and child endangerment, plain and simply,” Heffernan said in a statement.

In a tweet, Carney thanked McDowell and Heffernan for introducing the legislation.

“I'm thankful for the legislators and advocates who moved SB 65 forward,” Carney said. “Thank you specifically to Rep. Heffernan and Sen. McDowell for their leadership on this important issue, and to all members of the General Assembly who voted to make this new law a reality.”

Similar legislation has been enacted in New Hampshire, Hawaii, Maryland, Washington, Connecticut, California, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, New York, Rhode Island, New Mexico and the District of Columbia. An increasing number of local municipalities have also enacted similar protections; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania being the latest.