Cuyahoga County is the first in Ohio to ban anti-LGBTQ+ conversion therapy

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A northeastern Ohio county voted this week to become the state’s first to outlaw anti-LGBTQ+ practices known as conversion therapy.

Cuyahoga County’s council approved the ordinance unanimously on Tuesday, prohibiting healthcare professionals from engaging in conversion therapy with minors and some “vulnerable” adults. Condemned by the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Medical Association, conversion therapy uses talk therapy and occasionally more invasive methods to convince a person to “reverse” their sexual orientation or gender identity, like reducing or eliminating same-sex attraction.

“The best thing I can say about [conversion therapy] is that it’s medieval,” said councilmember Michael Gallagher. “We really need to protect people, regardless of what our thoughts are or political beliefs might be, and I believe this is the right avenue to take.”

The ordinance was led by Brandon West, a young Ohioan who spearheaded an effort in his home city of Lorain to ban conversion therapy in 2024 and then began calling for Cuyahoga to follow suit. West’s advocacy inspired community members and allies in Westerville and Whitehall to also ban the practices this year. The 23-year-old then rallied the mayors of Ohio cities that have outlawed conversion therapy to sign onto a joint letter urging more municipalities to do the same.

During Tuesday’s meeting, West said he “grew up thinking [he’d] never be more than a dream” as a closeted member of the LGBTQ+ community. Before the vote, he asked Cuyahoga’s 11-member council “to protect the ones who still wake up thinking they are nothing more than a dream.” Watch a previous episode of NBC4’s LGBTQ+ show “Out in Ohio” featuring West in the video player above.

“This is not just about banning a harmful practice, it’s about building a world where a child never wonders if they deserve to be themselves,” West said. “Never in a million years did I think I’d be here, but here I am. And if you vote to ban conversion therapy, the next kid will be here, too.”

Cuyahoga’s ordinance cites a 2019 UCLA’s Williams Institute study that found LGBTQ+ youth who have undergone conversion therapy were nearly twice as likely to consider and attempt suicide. Conversion therapy practitioners “operate under the erroneous assumption that non-heterosexual, non-cisgender identities are mental disorders, and that sexual orientation and gender identity can and should be changed,” the ordinance states.

“Practitioners of conversion therapy often employ aversive conditioning, which involves the use of electric shock, deprivation of food and liquid, smelling salts, and chemically induced nausea,” the ordinance states. “The county has a compelling interest in protecting the physical and psychological well-being of minors and vulnerable adults, including LGBTQIA+ individuals.”

Violators of Cuyahoga’s ordinance could face a series of civil penalties, and the relevant licensing board, commission or entity tasked with review of professional conduct would be notified of the breach by the county director of Health and Human Services.

Councilmember Robert Schleper, the sponsor of Cuyahoga’s ordinance, said during a previous interview on NBC4’s “Out in Ohio” that the measure is long overdue and is “a no-brainer” given it would support and protect LGBTQ+ youth. While the most recent attempt to pass a statewide ban failed to gain Republican support, he emphasized that the issue shouldn’t be political or partisan.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Schleper thanked West and said the passage of the ordinance is “another thread in the fabric that strengthens us as a county.”

“For me, this is very, very simple. If there is a practice that seeks to harm any member of our community or causes young people, in particular, to take their own lives, it has no place here,” Schleper said. “My message to any young person who has not been accepted as they are, is this: We see you, we believe in you and you are always welcome in this community.”

Councilmember Pernel Jones said he previously wasn’t aware of conversion therapy, but learned of the practices’ danger through talking with various faith and health leaders.

“My spiritual position is that we have to love everyone… that is the type of faith the Bible tells us about, and that is where we should be,” said Jones. “This lines up for me, because if one person is being hurt then it goes against everything the Lord teaches. And, from my research, that is what is happening.”