Conversion therapy supporters angry over La Crosse mayor’s decision to sign a ban on the practice

The battle over conversion therapy in La Crosse apparently isn’t over.

People, who rallied in front of city hall on Tuesday against banning conversion therapy La Crosse say it was an “affront” to taxpayers that Mayor Mitch Reynolds signed the ban instead of vetoing it.

Those who attended the rally say the government should not try to interfere with how parents choose to raise their children. Organizers of the rally wrote a letter saying they’re still hoping to “rectify” the ordinance.

Conversion therapy has been criticized as a means of trying to change the sexual orientation of a person who identifies as gay or transgender. The La Crosse city council voted 6-4 on June 9 to impose the ban. The mayor signed the ordinance Monday.

The Tuesday afternoon rally was aimed at persuading Reynolds to veto the ban, before a 5 p.m. deadline.

The statement issued by organizers of the protest says the mayor and the council members who supported the ban are “grossly out of touch with the heart and soul of La Crosse,” and that those lawmakers “should be ashamed of themselves.”