Conversion Therapy Banned in Westchester County

Conversion therapy, the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to alter one’s sexual orientation or gender identity, oftentimes through electric shocks or psychological manipulation, has recently been made illegal in Westchester County, at least for minors. Westchester is one of the last counties in New York state to pass legislation banning conversion therapy.

Conversion therapy procedures vastly differ depending on the “therapist” performing them. Some of these procedures are essentially exorcisms. Other procedures consist of electric shocks and burns. Still others include breaking down someone’s self esteem to the point of depression and even suicide. Although there are many different kinds of conversion therapy, they are all under the pretense of being necessary medical procedures, and all have one cruel motive - to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity to straight or cisgender.

There have been hardly any reported success stories. Few have left conversion therapy and truly believed that their sexual orientation or gender identity has changed. Conversion therapy has been discredited by organizations like the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychology and the World Health Organization.

Kurt Granzow, a survivor of conversion therapy, posted his story to Conversion Therapy Survivors, (http://conversiontherapysurvivors.org/), a website where survivors can share their stories with people who’ve had similar experiences, find helpful resources, and sign a statement that begs every country to ban conversion therapy. He wrote, “I spent a decade of my life in “ex-gay” programs trying to change who I am because I was told that I was broken and needed to be fixed. I regret that I felt compelled to change who I am in order to find acceptance by those who taught conditional grace. I found these change efforts to be hurtful and harmful to me, and I believe it is unethical to force these change efforts on youth who are loved and worth loving just the way they are.”

George Latimer, the County Executive of Westchester, introduced a bill to ban healthcare professionals from providing conversion therapy for minors on June 2, 2018.

On October 1, 2018, the county board of legislators approved this bill. Latimer signed this measure on October 18, 2018, a historic day for Westchester County.

Shortly before the county Board of Legislators voted to turn Latimer’s proposed bill into a law, we submitted a series of questions to Latimer’s office about what Westchester citizens should expect from the future law. Latimer responded shortly after the law was voted into existence, before the measure was signed. Below is the full interview with Latimer.

What are your stances on conversion therapy?
Latimer: Conversion Therapy is an abhorrent practice which seeks to falsely force change upon a person to conform with bigoted beliefs. Here in Westchester, we strongly support all members of the LGBTQ community and this measure is a manifestation of our efforts to protect them.

A bill to ban conversion therapy for people under eighteen was introduced in early June. What progressions have been made since then?
Latimer: It passed the Board of Legislators on October 1 and I intend to sign the measure, giving it the full force of law in Westchester County.

If this bill is approved by the county Board of Legislators, when will it become a law?
Latimer: The law goes into effect immediately after my signature of approval.

How will this law be enforced?
Latimer: The law creates a private right of action for individuals to personally sue those who violate the law and those found in violation will also be subject to up to a $1000 fine and/or up to one year in prison.

Your steps to ban conversion therapy have given a great deal of hope to LGBT youth across Westchester County, who are very grateful that you’re protecting their mental and physical well-being. Is there anything you’d like to say to the LGBT youth of Westchester?
Latimer: We hear you, we see you, and we want to be a resource for you. Westchester County welcomes all members of the LGBTQ community – LGBTQ youth should feel particularly safe and loved here in Westchester County. For more information on how to get involved, call my office at 914-995-2900 and ask about our LGBTQ advisory board.

To learn what youth thought about the new law, we also interviewed M.M.and L.D. Both M.M. and L.D. actively advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, and L.D. runs a pride themed Instagram page.

M.M. said, “Conversion therapy’s just going to make somebody feel like they’re a mistake and they shouldn’t be alive! It’s just sad. You can’t make somebody straight when they’re not.” When asked if she felt safer in Westchester under Latimer’s new bill, M.M.’s response was very enthusiastic: “Yes, I feel safe, much safer than I was before. I’m glad my parents never took me to that dreadful place. I probably wouldn’t be here if I had ever attended conversion therapy. I’m very glad that [Latimer] banned it.”

L.D. said that although she’s only been aware of what conversion therapy is for “about a year,” she’s strongly against the idea. “Attraction to the same gender is not a problem, and frankly, I consider it insane that people think it’s such a bad thing that they must torture someone to get rid of it. Conversion therapy is torture, and it should not be legal.”

This new law symbolizes the beginning of a turnaround for Westchester County, and a symbol of its growth of acceptance for members of the LGBTQ+ community.