By Mary Slosson
SACRAMENTO, Aug 28 (Reuters) - California's state Assembly approved a bill on Tuesday to restrict a therapy that aims to reverse homosexuality, moving the state closer to becoming the first in the nation to ban the controversial treatment in children and teenagers.
The 51-21 vote in the Democratic-controlled Assembly marked a major victory for gay rights advocates who say the therapy has no medical basis because homosexuality is not a disorder.
They also say such attempts to change sexual orientation can cause depression and lead to substance abuse and suicide.
The Senate passed its version of the bill by a vote of 23-13 in May. Lawmakers must iron out minor differences in the two measures by Friday before a final bill makes its way to the desk of Democratic Governor Jerry Brown.
"It's heartening to see the majority of the Assembly agrees that this kind of so-called 'treatment' essentially is psychological abuse of children," the bill's sponsor, state Senator Ted Lieu, said in a statement.
"Even the person who brought any legitimacy to this kind of psychological technique, Dr. Robert Spitzer, renounced his study and apologized to the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community. Even professionals agree that this quackery needs to stop," he said.
If Brown signs the bill into law, California would become the first state in the nation to outlaw so-called "conversion" therapy for minors.
Republican opponents of the measure said politicians should not step in and regulate what they consider to be a matter for medical boards.
They also said it encroaches on the rights of parents to make choices for their children. (Reporting by Mary Slosson; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Xavier Briand)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
