Once again, California has made great strides to treat homosexuals as equals by banning gay conversion therapy from being administered to minors.

Minors who are still trying to figure out their sexuality will no longer be thrust into this non-scientific therapy starting Jan. 1. It’s about time something was done to stop this harmful “cure.”

Let’s look at the facts.

The American Psychiatric Association determined that the therapy poses a great risk, including the possibility of increasing depression and self-destructive behavior in the individual.

The association points out that homosexuality is treated as a normal and positive variation of human sexuality among behavioral and social sciences and the mental and health professions.

Yet homosexuality is still treated as a disease by many practitioners, which leaves them clueless as to why this ban was passed.

Even the “ex-gay” Christian organization Exodus International apologized for its advocacy of reparative therapy.

Exodus President Alan Chambers stated in January 2012 that almost all conversion therapy participants did not experience any change in their sexuality. He also believes that any homosexual can have gay sex and still go to heaven.

Well, thank God.

Opponents of the law include David Pickup, a spokesman for the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality.

Pickup insists children come to his office in search of help because they are confused and distressed.

Maybe what those children need is someone to listen and help them figure out their emotions instead of a therapist who attempts to convert them to heterosexuality.

Of course, there have been lawsuits filed against banning this quackery.

The Pacific Justice Institute, a network of more than 1,000 attorneys who defend religious, parental and other constitutional rights, filed suit claiming the law was unconstitutional.

The assumption is that parental rights are taken away with this law in place.

So parents have the right to pay for their child to be mentally and emotionally abused? Ridiculous.

We all know it is difficult to prevent child abuse in private homes, but we can easily avoid this public version. Luckily, this law will give children in California protection from such mistreatment.

If you do not believe this therapy is abusive, consider the case of Kirk Murphy, who hung himself at the age of 38 after going through therapy decades earlier.

Murphy’s parents, who are obviously closer to him than his therapist, blamed therapist George Rekers for the damage done to their son during therapy. Rekers replied to these allegations saying it “would be inaccurate to assume that it was the therapy” that led to suicide.

Let’s not ignore the fact that Murphy never stopped being gay, only “his feminine behavior was gone.” This only supports the claim that reparative therapy is a sham.

While this law bans reparative therapy for minors, it freely allows consenting adults to go to therapy. If someone wants to plunge into self-hatred therapy, be my guest.

Thankfully, this law does not ban regular therapy sessions that would help children identify with a sexuality. That is the kind of help that would be most beneficial.

Luckily, the University has Spectrum, an LGBTQ organization for students and their allies.

Spectrum hosts a wide variety of events, from Rainbow Rush in early fall to the Louisiana Queer Conference in the spring.

Since Oct. 11 is National Coming Out Day, Spectrum will be celebrating in Free Speech Plaza on the 10th and 11th. Everyone is encouraged to come out and be proud of who they are.

California has set a wonderful example for the rest of the country, and we can only hope Louisiana follows suit.