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Lawmakers pushing bill to stop conversion therapy bans in South Carolina

Senator Josh Kimbrell and 11 other South Carolina Lawmakers are pushing to stop municipalities from imposing conversion therapy bans.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Twelve South Carolina Lawmakers are sponsoring S.811 that would stop municipalities from passing conversion therapy bans. 

Conversion Therapy is the practice of trying to change an individuals sexual orientation—usually used on young LGBTQ+ individuals.

"There’s nothing of conversion therapy that I can look back and say ‘yeah that was helpful,'" said Dylan Gunnels, survivor of conversion therapy. 

Gunnels told News 19, he started conversion therapy at the age of 15, and he spent more than five years in it. He said after numerous counseling sessions to change is sexuality, it didn't work. 

"I wasn’t beat with bibles, I didn’t go through shock therapy, but the psychological trauma that I went through—I really felt like I lost years of my life, to be honest and I’m still going through some of those things today."

He explains he is seeking professional medical help after years of being told he was wrong.

"People need to understand, that true conversion therapy, the root of it is saying that there is something inherently wrong with you that needs to be changed and needs to be fixed," Gunnels said. 

Greg Green is a board member for the Harriet Handcock LGBT Center in Columbia. He said, conversion therapy is harmful to the youth community. 

"It's ineffective and it's dangerous," Green said. "This is not something that actually works. This is not a form of therapy that works."

In June 2021, Columbia passed a ban on conversion therapy in the city. The ordinance bans any licenses practitioners from performing the therapy, but not pastors and church counselors. 

"What happens in Columbia, effects every citizen of the state, it’s the capital city," said Senator Josh Kimbrell, R-Spartanburg. 

RELATED: SC lawmaker asks AG to block Columbia conversion therapy ban

Senator Kimbrell is the priority sponsor of the bill. He said if approved, it would overturn Columbia's ban on the practice and stop any other city from passing similar bans. 

"This is about constitutionality versus not," Senator Kimbrell said. "Whether the city has the right to stifle someone else's deeply held convictions. It’s a first amendment question for me."

He adds, this legislation is not about if conversion therapy is right or wrong, but people's constitutional rights. 

"My measures are defensive in nature to defend the constitution—Not to attack anybody," Senator Kimbrell said. "So it’s completely wrong to paint this as an attack on any community."

Columbia City Councilman, Howard Duvall was in favor of the ban when it passed, last year. He said the city is not violating anyone's rights. 

"I think the law is clear, that a municipal has the authority to regulate health and safety of their citizens," Councilman Duvall said. "So first amendment is freedom of speech, not health regulation."

RELATED: Columbia ranked best city in South Carolina for LGBTQ+ equality

Councilman Duvall said many psychological associations say there is no scientific evidence that conversion therapy works.

The bill passed in the Senate Subcommittee on Thursday, Feb 10th. It is currently waiting to be discussed in the full Senate Committee. 

Senator Kimbrell told News 19, discussions will begin this coming week and believes it will receive the majority vote to move to the Senate floor. 

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