California Strikes Back: New Bill Empowers Survivors to Sue Conversion Therapy “Practitioners”
State Senator Scott Wiener has introduced Senate Bill 934, a vital move to bolster California’s defenses against the predatory and debunked practice of “conversion therapy.”
As the U.S. Supreme Court increasingly threatens categorical bans on these harmful efforts to change a person’s authentic self, this legislation provides a powerful new shield for LGBTQ+ youth.
By reclassifying these practices as medical malpractice, the bill shifts the battleground from administrative hurdles to direct civil accountability, allowing survivors to hold practitioners responsible for the profound damage caused by trying to suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity.
A cornerstone of SB 934 is its compassionate recognition of the long road to healing. Understanding that survivors often take years to process the trauma and psychological scars of being told they need to be “fixed,” the bill significantly extends the window for justice.
Survivors who were targeted as minors would now have twenty-two years after reaching adulthood—until age 40—to file suit against those who harmed them. The bill also protects adult survivors and includes a crucial “revival” provision, reopening the courthouse doors for those whose previous claims were silenced by outdated, restrictive statutes of limitations.
Senator Wiener’s strategic pivot comes at a critical moment for the community, following a March 31 Supreme Court ruling that signaled a willingness to shield these dangerous practices under the guise of free speech.
Wiener argues that while the judiciary may be growing hostile toward outright bans, SB 934 creates a robust legal path by centering on the medical truth: attempting to change who someone is falls dangerously below the professional standard of care.
By codifying the scientific consensus that LGBTQ+ identities are not disorders to be “cured,” California is reaffirming its commitment to the dignity and safety of its queer citizens, even as federal and judicial protections face an uncertain future.
