Reynoldsburg City Council votes to ban ‘conversion therapy’

Reynoldsburg has joined other cities in adding so-called “conversion therapy” to its anti-discrimination laws.

City Council unanimously passed legislation June 27 that bans mental-health professionals from providing conversion therapy for LGBTQ minors.

“I can tell you from experience that this saves lives, to prevent this practice,” Joe Soza, representing Equality Ohio, told council prior to its vote.

“This practice is deeply harmful … not only does attempting to change a person’s sexual orientation, not only is that attempt futile, it inflicts tangible, measurable harm, particularly on minors,” Soza said.

The ordinance describes conversion therapy as “any practices or treatments that seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender.”

It also states that “efforts which seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity are harmful to young people."

Ohio law currently permits conversion therapy, City Attorney Chris Shook has said. However, several Ohio cities, including Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, Cincinnati, Akron, Lakewood, Athens and Kent, have prohibited the practice.

“Across the country, we are seeing more and more cities take a stand in support of LGBTQ young people by enacting protections from the harms of so-called conversion therapy,” Troy Stevenson, senior advocacy campaign manager with The Trevor Project, said in a release.

“I applaud the elected officials of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, for joining alongside these cities and showing their unanimous support for the youth in their community with this ordinance.”

According to The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, 17% of LGBTQ youth reported being threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy.

Also, a peer-reviewed study by The Trevor Project published in the American Journal of Public Health found that LGBTQ youths who underwent conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report having attempted suicide and more than 2.5 times as likely to report multiple suicide attempts in the past year.

Although there was no discussion before the vote, council members discussed the legislation in May, including Councilman Barth Cotner questioning why only mental-health professionals would be banned from providing therapy and asked about religious organizations providing therapy. He had concerns about “government and religion crossing the combining."

Changes recommended

to Reynoldsburg charter

Giving the president of City Council a vote and merging the city’s planning commission and board of zoning and building appeals are among the changes the 2022 Charter Review Commission recommended to City Council on June 27.

Council must now consider the six proposed changes and decide whether they will appear on the Nov. 8 general election ballot for approval.

Every five years, the commission is charged with studying, reviewing and making recommended changes to Reynoldsburg’s city charter.

Council appointed the five-member commission, led by Chairman Doug Joseph, last December.

“The six submissions approved by the charter commission were each passed by a unanimous vote,” Joseph said during his report to council. “There are Republican, Democrat and non-affiliated members on the commission.”

The changes presented to council include:

• Removing the requirement that the city appoint a director of public safety and allowing the police chief to lead the department should no director be appointed.

• Clearly defining resolutions and ordinances, modifying the three-read, 30-day implementation period and streamlining the bidding and contracting process.

• Permitting the president of City Council to vote on all matters.

• Merging the planning commission and board of zoning and building appeals to a seven-member planning and zoning board.

• Allowing virtual attendance by City Council and board or commission members for special or emergency meetings.

• Prohibiting any person or entity from using the initiative or referendum processes to receive a financial benefit or grant of power over economic or commercial activities in the city.

Among the rejected proposals was making the elections for City Council, mayor, city attorney and city auditor nonpartisan.

Joseph noted that the commission was divided on the issue, but most members were in favor of keeping party affiliations for election campaigns.

“For me, it’s just the best position for the city,” Joseph said. “I think it gives voters information when they don’t have information. … If there is a groundswell to change that, the voters can go out and put it on the ballot themselves.”

The commission also rejected a proposal to appoint the city attorney and city auditor and to establish an Elected Officials Compensation and Benefits Review Board, among others.

editorial@thisweeknews.com

@ThisWeekNews

This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Reynoldsburg City Council votes to ban ‘conversion therapy’