New York governor moves to ban LGBT conversion therapy

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced executive orders Saturday intended to ban LGBT conversion therapy in the state, BuzzFeed News reports.

Both public and private insurers are banned from reimbursing the therapy, which aims to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, for minors. And facilities funded, licensed, or operated by New York will not be allowed to offer conversion therapy to minors.

"We will not allow the misguided and the intolerant to punish LGBT young people for simply being who they are," Cuomo said in a statement.

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New York joins Washington, D.C., and states including Illinois, New Jersey, and California in banning conversion therapy. In April, President Obama called for an end to the practice.