Pittsburgh City Council Looking To Limit 'Conversion Therapy'

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh City Council is pushing forward with a proposal to limit so-called "conversion therapy."

A city-wide ban on the controversial practice was proposed during a council session last week.

"Conversion therapy" is the so-called treatment or counseling used to change a person's sexual orientation.

The local ordinance would prohibit licensed mental health practitioners from conducting the therapy on minors.

Of the recently proposed legislation, Chris Bryan, of the Delta Foundation, says, "We really just believe that people should be valued for who they are and whatever gender they identify with."

But former Pittsburgh School Board member Mark Brently says, "It is not a call of an elected official to take away an option for a parent to see if this will apply in their situation."

There's been a lot of chatter, both pro and con, since the city-wide ban was proposed in City Council. The legislation was introduced by Council President Bruce Kraus and Councilman Dan Gilman.

Bryan is in favor of the ban.

"Obviously, we are against conversion therapy," he said. "It's really a form of torture and there has been no scientific evidence that it can change a person's sexual orientation or gender by using it."

Brently opposes the proposed legislation.

"There is no one at that council table with any medical background," he said.

Brentley says there should have been a public hearing with community input.

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City Council voted 8-0 on Wednesday to move the proposal to a final vote, which could happen as soon as next Tuesday.

If it passes, Pittsburgh would join other cities like Cincinnati, Seattle and Miami to limit the practice.