Andrew_Cuomo_by_Pat_Arnow_croppedCHICAGO – Truth Wins Out praised New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo today for using his Executive Authority to prohibit the destructive practice of “conversion therapy,” a fraudulent and ineffective attempt to combine prayer and discredited psychobabble to change teenagers from gay to straight. According to CNN, “Saturday’s announcement bans public and private health care insurers from covering the practice in New York State. It also prohibits New York mental health facilities from conducting the practice on minors.”

“Conversion therapy is a hateful and fundamentally flawed practice that is counter to everything this state stands for,” Gov. Cuomo said in a statement. “New York has been at the forefront of acceptance and equality for the LGBT community for decades — and today we are continuing that legacy and leading by example. We will not allow the misguided and the intolerant to punish LGBT young people for simply being who they are.”

 Lawmakers in Oregon, California, Illinois, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. have passed similar regulations. President Barack Obama’s senior adviser Valerie Jarrett also addressed the matter last summer, writing, “As part of our dedication to protecting America’s youth, this administration supports efforts to ban the use of conversion therapy for minors.”
“This is a major victory against intolerance and bigotry masquerading as medicine,” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen. “The result will be saved lives and young people who will not be subjected to psychological torture. We applaud the bold and heroic action taken by Gov. Cuomo to stop this abusive and ineffective practice.”