Robbinsdale Council Considers Conversion Therapy

The Robbinsdale City Council is considering a ban on conversion therapy. If the measure passes, Robbinsdale would be the eighth city in Minnesota to prohibit licensed providers from practicing conversion therapy on minors and vulnerable adults.

Findings in the council packet listed that “conversion therapy is an ineffective and unsafe practice based on the discredited premise that a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation is a mental disorder that can be cured or corrected.” It also said the practice of conversion therapy is found to be dangerous to a individual’s mental and physical well-being and there is no valid evidence to support the practice of conversion therapy.

The fines would be $100 for the first violation and would double after that. To read the entire ordinance in the packet, click here.

The city council considered the ordinance last week and still has one vote on it.

Larger cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul have banned conversion therapy.

Golden Valley issued a proclamation against conversion therapy last year. City attorney Maria Cisneros says so far no instances of conversion therapy have been reported to the city.

Robbinsdale