La Crosse City Council reconsidering conversion therapy ban

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WEAU) - City officials in La Crosse are taking a deeper look at an ordinance banning the practice of conversion therapy.

In June, the City Council approved an ordinance which made it “unlawful for any person to practice conversion therapy with anyone under 18 years of age”.

The legislation defined conversion therapy as “any practices or treatments offered or rendered to consumers for a fee...that seeks to change a person’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”.

That was the original wording of the ordinance, until a resolution amended the matter to remove the “for a fee” phrase from conversion therapy’s definition.

Following the approval of the amended ordinance, City Attorney Stephen Matty spoke out about legal concerns that could arise with the way the matter was worded, leading City Council member Mark Neumann to request a reconsideration of the item.

“Like any legislation, you want it to be clear, you want it to be concise, you want it to be comprehensible to the people who will be using it,” Neumann expressed. “I’m in a position of believing that if there’s something we can do to improve it, let’s do it.”

The City Council went into closed session to discuss amending the ordinance once again during its meeting Thursday, but could not come to an agreement on how to adequately change the language.

As a result, the item was referred for 60 days to allow for further discussion, and as Neumann hopes, insight from the community.

“We want to be sure that the public, all of us, have the opportunity to reflect on what we’re doing,” Neumann said. “We can expect that there will be opportunities for public input, public hearing, as it goes through these steps.”

Having the ordinance re-enter the legislative process makes its initial approval in June null and void, meaning conversion therapy is no longer banned in La Crosse for the time being.

A statement from the 7 Rivers LGBTQ Connection says the organization has “been assured that the City Council will be considering changing some language as advised by the City’s General Counsel to ensure that the City clearly defines these harmful practices”.

The ordinance is expected to return to the City Council for a new vote in September.

Conversion therapy has been banned in such Wisconsin municipalities as Eau Claire, Madison, Milwaukee, Appleton, Kenosha, and West Allis.

Copyright 2022 WEAU. All rights reserved.