Denver City Council unanimously passed a proposal Monday night that came from Mayor Michael Hancock's administration to ban gay conversion for minors in the city.
According to the city's Office of Human Rights and Community Partnerships, conversion therapy is the practice of trying to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity based on the idea that being LGBTQ is a mental illness. The American Psychiatric Association rejects that view.
The city acted on the recommendation of Denver's LGBTQ Commission. In a statement, Hancock said, “This is a very proud moment for my administration, for members of City Council, and for everyone in Denver who values inclusion and acceptance."
Previously, Hancock called conversion therapy "dangerous and immoral," saying he intends to make sure it never happens within city limits.
The ban is aimed at state-licensed therapists, operating their practice in the city, who are falsely claiming that being gay or transgender is a mental illness, and therefore taking advantage of parents and harming vulnerable youth.
Last month, a city spokesperson confirmed to 9NEWS no city officials know of any therapists practicing such therapy.
Denver is the first jurisdiction in Colorado to pass such a ban.
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