Suburban Huntington Woods bans gay conversion therapy

HUNTINGTON WOODS, Mich. (AP) - The Detroit suburb of Huntington Woods says it has become the first city in Michigan to ban gay conversion therapy, which aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

It says the Huntington Woods City Commission voted 5-0 Tuesday to ban the practice. Violators will be guilty of a municipal civil infraction.

Commissioner Joe Rozell introduced the ordinance. He says conversion therapy “is a hateful and fundamentally flawed practice that is counter to everything that this city stands for.”

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have banned it.

Democratic state Rep. Yousef Rabhi of Ann Arbor and Democratic Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak have introduced legislation that would ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth. However, Republican majorities in both chambers have steadfastly opposed such a ban.