Westerville City Council members voted Tuesday night to approve an ordinance that updates the city's anti-discrimination code.
The ordinance bans the practice known as "conversion therapy" within the city. The ordinance was approved with a vote of 5 to 2.
The practice is designed to try to get a person to change their gender expression, gender identity or sexual orientation.
The measure bans any mental health professional from conducting the practice on minors within the city, whether or not the professional is being paid to do it.
The vote came after the final reading of the ordinance.
At the second reading on Feb. 4, Mary Gene Boteler, a retired pastor and the mother of a lesbian daughter, spoke in support of the ban.
Boteler said her daughter experienced poor treatment from a therapist because of her sexual orientation.
“We were livid. We had trusted the recommendation of our insurance company. We had trusted the initials behind this therapist’s name," Boteler said.
"Conversion therapy is no better than blood letting or the use of leeches as therapeutic practice, but quite frankly it can be more harmful, leading to years of shame, self loathing and even death," Boteler told Westerville City Council.
Others described "conversion therapy" as torture.
“Conversion therapy ranges from praying the gay away to receiving electric shocks, nausea-inducing drugs and other forms of torture while viewing same-sex images. It may also include beating, shacking, food depravation and exorcism," said Valerie Cumming, who also spoke at the Feb. 4 meeting.
The practice has been banned in several states, but not in Ohio.
