This article first appeared on the Buckeye Flame.

Bans on conversion therapy on minors now cover 25% of the state’s population.

After doing some research on the topic during summer break, Lorain City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to ban conversion therapy on minors during the council’s regular meeting on Sept. 3. 

“It was a great thing to do for the young people in our community,” said Council-at-large member Mary Springowski after the vote. Springowski had dedicated the ordinance to her brother Seán Donovan, who died in 2006 from an HIV-related illness. “I’m very glad that the council got on board with this.”

Under the ordinance, healthcare professionals can be fined between $500 and $1,000 and imprisoned for up to one year for performing conversion therapy, the discredited practice of attempting to change an individuals, sexual orientation or gender identity, on minors. If the offender has a license, such as a medical license, that licensing body would be notified so they could review the offender’s professional conduct.

The ordinance passed without discussion, though Council-at-large member Sylvia DuVall voted against suspending the three-reading rule. By suspending the rule, the council can pass an ordinance on emergency, thereby enacting it that night.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, Lorain is the second partially rural Ohio city to ban conversion therapy, following Dayton. Eleven Ohio cities have banned conversion therapy on minors, including Cleveland, Akron, Columbus and Cincinnati, covering roughly 25% of Ohio’s population.

The ordinance was written by Brandon West, a 22-year-old who ran unsuccessfully for Lorain City Council in 2023. Council-at-large member Mary Springowski presented the ordinance to her colleagues. 

West described the experience of sitting watching his ordinance get passed as “exhilarating.”

“I’m very thankful to council members for researching (over August) while they were in recess,” he said.

West wants to work on a similar ordinance with Cuyahoga County since they have the authority to enforce such a law, he said. 

Last meeting, the council voted to move the ordinance to a second reading. Eighth Ward Councilman Joshua Thornsberry said his colleagues were not ready to vote yet, and he tried to help them with research.

Council-at-large member Tony Dimacchia was on board to pass the ban during its first reading, but his colleagues were hesitant. He believes council members learning more about conversion therapy and hearing public comment helped make passing on the second reading an easy decision.

“When you see these types of legislation come to this body, we’re not used to that kind of stuff coming to us,” he said. “As I learned more, it’s important for communities to support this kind of prohibition. I think [hearing others speak on it is] what ultimately helped them understand more.”

“It’s the right thing to do for our council,” he said. 

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Ben Jodway is a staff writer for The Buckeye Flame covering the LGBTQ+ community in rural Ohio. Hailing from Livonia, Michigan, he previously covered education for the Midland Daily News. While studying history at Central Michigan University, he worked part-time at WCMU Public Media as a student reporter covering attempts to remove LGBTQ+ literature from both public and school libraries. He reports for The Buckeye Flame as a Report for America corps member.

• If you are a young LGBTQ+ person in crisis, please contact the Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor.