Gay Conversion Therapy Causes LGBT Youth To Become Suicidal: California Senator Ted Lieu

California Senator Ted Lieu applauded New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's support of a ban on gay conversion therapy in a HuffPost Live appearance late last week.

Lieu, who authored SB1172, California's ban on reparative or "conversion" therapy which helped pave the way for New Jersey to follow suit, said it was significant that Christie, a Republican, was supportive of the cause.

"Not only does conversion therapy not work, but it can result in suicidal thoughts, actual suicide, guilt, depression and shame," Lieu said. "It's just straight-up medical malpractice to even try this."

Christie signed the New Jersey ban on conversion therapy into law last week, while re-iterating his belief that people are born gay and homosexuality is not a sin, according to the Associated Press.

Lieu said he was hopeful that other Republican lawmakers, as well as Democrats, would now follow in Christie's footsteps by supporting similar legislation in their home states.

"This was not an easy bill to get through," he noted.