Ban Conversion Therapy? Supporters Say It’s Child Abuse; Opponents Say Banning It Is Child Abuse

BOSTON — A bill calling for a statewide ban on doctors and therapists assisting minors in converting from one sexual orientation or gender identity to another drew passionate testimony from opponents and supporters during a hearing Tuesday.

Opponents of the therapy, like Samuel Brinton, told lawmakers about their own experiences. Brinton, a Massachusetts native who now lives in Washington D.C, said his parents made him undergo treatment when he was a boy in order to halt his attraction towards other males. In his testimony, Brinton recalled going through electroshock therapy, in addition to treatment involving wires hooked up to his fingers that would heat up when he was showed pictures of men touching other men, and cool back down when the images were replaced by photos of men touching women.