Almost two dozen pastors and citizens packed Cincinnati Council Chambers on Wednesday in an organized effort to stop a proposed city ban on so-called "conversion" therapy for gay youth.
In the end, council voted 7-2 to pass the law, which prohibits therapy designed to change sexual orientation or gender identity for minors, and imposes a $200-a-day fine on violators.
Cincinnati was the first major U.S. city to ban reparative or conversion therapy.
The move was largely in response to tragic death of Leelah Alcorn, a transgender teen who died by suicide. Alcorn felt rejected by her conservative Christian family who would not allow her to live openly as her affirmed gender and forced her to undergo conversion therapy.
Early 2015, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) released a new report definitively denouncing the practice. In October, HRC and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) released sample legislation for state legislators and equality advocates who want to protect LGBTQ youth.
