Assemblymember Pat Burke (D-Buffalo) announced he helped pass legislation to ban mental health professionals from engaging in efforts to change the sexual orientation of a patient, known as “conversion therapy,” when the person is under the age of 18 (A.576).

“Conversion therapy is not a medical practice, it’s an abusive practice that’s been allowed to continue in our state for far too long,” said Burke. “Being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender is not a mental illness or a shortcoming. I fought to end this unacceptable practice in Erie County, and it sends a strong message that this is one of the first bills the Assembly’s taken up this year. Our youth should never be shamed for who they are, and they won’t be under our watch.”

Conversion therapy is defined as any treatment that tries to alter the sexual orientation or gender identity of a minor, and is widely recognized by major medical associations as an ineffective and harmful practice that can pose critical health risks including depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior.[1]

Burke has been a leader in the fight to end conversion therapy on minors. In both 2014 and 2015, as a member of the Erie County Legislature, he introduced resolutions urging the state to ban the practice, and in 2016, he authored the Prevention of Emotional Neglect and Childhood Endangerment (PENCE) Act, which unanimously passed the Erie County Legislature and was signed into law last March.[2]

“It’s long past time that we step up and do what’s right for the young people we’re meant to protect,” said Burke. “I’m hopeful that the precedent we set here will spread across the nation.”
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[1] nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/new-york-legislator-trolls-vice-president-eclect-pence-ban-lgbtq-n687661