The Mormon church won't stand in the way of a proposal to ban gay conversion therapy for minors in its home base of Utah, leaders said Wednesday, a position that advocates heralded as a milestone in the conservative state. The announcement is key in part because LGBT members have historically reported that church leaders encouraged them to attend therapy aimed at changing their sexual orientation, said Troy Williams with the group Equality Utah. "We are grateful that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognizes the harms of conversion therapy and has denounced the practice," he said. Moreover, most members of the Utah Legislature are members of the church, and its positions can hold outsized sway. The American Psychological Association opposes therapy seeking to change sexual orientation, and it has been banned in fifteen states and the District of Columbia.

Source: Fox News February 20, 2019 23:43 UTC