Columbia, SC Becomes First City in South Carolina to Pass Ordinance Protecting LGBTQ Minors from ‘Conversion Therapy’

The ordinance’s passage is a breakthrough for LGBTQ South Carolinians, who have built momentum for dignity and equality over the past year.

Today the Columbia City Council passed a local ordinance protecting young people from “conversion therapy,” the dangerous and discredited anti-LGBTQ practice of licensed mental health professionals trying to shame LGBTQ youth into changing their sexual orientation or gender identity. 

Columbia is the first city in the state to enact protections for LGBTQ minors from ‘conversion therapy.’ In the United States, 20 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico now prohibit ‘conversion therapy,’ while an executive order in North Carolina prohibits state funding of providers. Alongside passing this ordinance, the Columbia City Council passed a resolution calling on the South Carolina state legislature to take statewide action to protect minors from so-called “conversion therapy.”

SC United for Justice & Equality, a coalition of more than 30 organizations committed to LGBTQ equality in SC, applauds the passage of this local ordinance.   

Today Ann Warner (she/her pronouns), Chief Executive Officer of WREN: Women’s Rights & Empowerment Network in Columbia, said today:

“Columbia’s passage of this ordinance protecting minors from ‘conversion therapy’ is a historic breakthrough for LGBTQ people in South Carolina. It’s a clear signal of the growing public support for LGBTQ equality in our state and sends a powerful message that we must envelope LGBTQ youth with respect, love, and support – not scorn and shame. After a legislative session during which our community fought hard to push back against anti-transgender discrimination, it’s gratifying to see municipal governments taking important steps forward.”

Kimmah Dozier-Burt (she/her pronouns), President of the Board for the Harriet Hancock Center in Columbia, added:

“The sad truth is that young LGBTQ people who endure ‘conversion therapy’ are at an immensely higher risk for steep mental health challenges – including depression and suicide – than those whose identities are affirmed. This is just one reason that we must do everything possible to protect LGBTQ young people from being subjected to this dangerous pseudoscience. I’m grateful that Columbia has taken the first step here in South Carolina and set a positive example; now, it’s time to keep up the fight and work across our state to share a message of love and affirmation.” 

Conversion therapy has been rejected by every leading professional medical and mental health association in the country, who have declared it unnecessary, ineffective, and dangerous to an individual's health and well-being. Tactics of the practice can include inducing nausea, vomiting, or paralysis while showing the patient homoerotic images; providing electric shocks; and using shame to create aversion to same-sex attractions. The devastating and long-lasting harms often lead to severe depression and even suicide. An estimated 700,000 Americans have endured “conversion therapy” in their lifetime, with half of these receiving the treatment as minors.