Utah bans ‘conversion therapy’

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican, called on state regulators to make a rule against so-called conversion therapy for minors after a legislative proposal failed. Officials confirmed that they finalized the rule late Tuesday, making Utah the 19th state to prohibit therapy aimed at changing minors’ sexual orientation, even if they ask for it.

What about the Mormons? Latter-day Saints leadership opposed the proposed legislation because it didn’t include certain exceptions for clergy, so the state worked out new compromises in the regulation version. The rule won the support of Mormon leadership with assurances that religious leaders and LDS therapists could still provide spiritual counseling for members.

Dig deeper: Read Kiley Crossland’s report in Relations on Mormon leadership’s shifting stance on how to counsel LGBT youth and the swath of methods slapped with the misleading label “conversion therapy.”