ALBANY, N.Y. – New York's Democratic-led Assembly is set to take up a bill Wednesday banning licensed health officials from administering therapy to minors attempting to change their sexual orientation.
Mathew Shurka, of Long Island, describes himself as emotionally scarred from five years of therapy to "cure" his homosexuality. The 26-year-old began the therapy at age 16.
The American Psychological Association says that there is no evidence that the so-called gay conversion therapy can change someone's sexual orientation.
Shurka was told to avoid women and surround himself with male friends in the hopes of learning to act like a heterosexual man. A therapist even advised he watch heterosexual pornography to curb his homosexual thoughts.
Bans against gay conversion therapy have already gone into law in New Jersey and California.
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