CHRIS PEDOTA / THE RECORD
File photo of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Governor Christie, appearing at a political event in Belleville, says he has signed legislation today prohibiting attempts to convert children from gay to straight.
Along with his signature, he will issue a statement declaring that he believes people are born gay and that homosexuality is not a sin, according to The Associated Press, which obtained a copy of the statement.
The Republican governor's declaration that people are born gay comes as he runs for reelection in New Jersey this year and as he positions himself for a possible presidential campaign in 2016. His statement will set him apart from the more conservative wing of the Republican Party, which holds that homosexuality is a sin and is a choice.
The bill, outlawing so-called conversion therapy for minors, won broad support in the Legislature despite objections from supporters of the practice, who said it infringed on the rights of parents.
The legislation would prohibit licensed counselors – including psychologists, social workers and therapists – from attempting to change a child's sexual orientation.
During committee hearings, witnesses described brutal childhood experiences in which they were subjected to conversion therapy efforts.
“Studies and personal testimony have shown this practice creates irreparable harm on young people struggling to come to terms with their sexuality,” one of the bill’s sponsors, Assemblyman Tim Eustace, D-Maywood, said earlier this year.
The legislation passed the Assembly by a 56 to 14 vote with seven abstentions in June. The same month, the Senate approved it by 28 to 9.
Garden State Equality, a group that supports gay rights, issued a statement this morning praising Christie's decision to sign the bill.
"It is our truest hope that the Governor will realize as the majority of the legislature and a super majority of the New Jersey public have realized, that the best way to ensure our LGBT youth are protected from the abuse of being ostracized, is to provide them with full equality," the group said.
Until today, Christie has mostly earned only criticism from gay advocates. He vetoed a bill last year that would have allowed same-sex marriage in New Jersey, and he insists that the measure should be put to the voters instead. His opponents argue that same-sex marriage is a civil right, and such rights should not be decided by popular vote.
Email: linhorst@northjersey.com