Some House Democrats – including three from Tulsa – want to ban “conversion therapy” for children troubled with homosexuality and to add “sexual orientation” to the category of state “hate crimes.”

House Bill 2456 by Rep. Jason Dunningham, D-Oklahoma City, would prohibit a state-licensed therapist from telling a youthful patient they can be cured of being a homosexual.

The bill would prohibit the use of “conversion therapy” to help troubled children under the age of 18.

According to the bill, “’Conversion therapy”’ means any practice or treatment that seeks to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including, but not limited to, any effort to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward persons of the same sex.”

Any licensed counselor who used conversion therapy would be in violation of the Youth Mental Health Protection Act and could be disciplined by the licensing board.

A state board could place a counselor on probation, require remediation, revoke his license to practice psychology and levy a fine up to $5,000 for each patient that underwent conversion therapy.  Rep. Merleyn Bell, D-Norman, is a co-author.

The bill was sent to the House Public Health Committee.

State Rep. Regina Goodwin, D-Tulsa, authored House Bill 2255, which would add “sexual orientation” to a list of categories protected under state law.

As it stands, violations can fall under the categories a person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin or disability.

Goodwin’s bill wants a new category for homosexuals.

Her proposal also makes violation a misdemeanor rather than a felony for the first offense and reduces jail time from 10 years maximum to six months in the county jail. It could also include a fine of less than $1,000. On a second conviction, that goes to one year in the county jail plus a fine of at least $1,000.

A companion bill by Rep. Denise Brewer, D-Tulsa, and Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, also adds homosexuality as a special class under “hate crime” laws.

Both bills been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

The website for a homosexual organization, Oklahomans for Equality, shows that the group is supporting these bills.

In early March, these bills had not advanced out of their respective committees.