Tempers flare during Maine House debate on conversion therapy ban

6 years ago
House debate on a bill to ban “conversion therapy” for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Mainers reached a level of intensity Thursday that hasn’t been seen at the State House in recent memory.

LD 912 seeks to ban conversion therapy for certain clinical professions and establish penalties for those who do so. The first chamber debate on the bill Thursday quickly devolved into tense testimony and lawmakers shouting over each other.

Floor speeches on the issue were unusually passionate, with supporters recounting personal and professional experiences while opponents decried the bill as unnecessary, as well as a violation of family and free speech rights.

At one point Rep. Roger Reed, R-Carmel, read an email from a constituent suggesting that being gay is “unnatural.”

The County is pleased to feature content from our sister company, Bangor Daily News. To read the rest of “Tempers flare during Maine House debate on conversion therapy ban,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer Christopher Cousins, please follow this link to the BDN online.