New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is continuing his tradition of pioneering for the LGBT community by announcing that he'll use his executive authority to ban "conversion therapy" for teenagers.

The controversial "therapy" is designed to change a person's sexual orientation, and has been widely regarded as dangerous by most professional psychiatric associations.

"New York has been at the forefront of acceptance and equality for the LGBT community for decades – and today we are continuing that legacy and leading by example," Cuomo said. "We will not allow the misguided and the intolerant to punish LGBT young people for simply being who they are."

The order means that New York's Department of Financial Services will ban insurers from coverage of the therapy for minors, and the Department of Health will block coverage under Medicaid.

The Office of Mental Health will also instruct any institutions under its care to keep all patients under the age of 18 away from the controversial treatment.

Cuomo's big announcement also fell on the same day that he's being honored by the Human Rights Campaign for his contributions to the LGBT community.

"Governor Cuomo continues to cement his role as one of the LGBT community’s strongest allies by taking this enormous step to end a practice that is tantamount to child abuse," said HRC President Chad Griffin. "No young person should be coerced or subjected to this dangerous so-called therapy, which has been linked to youth substance abuse, depression, homelessness, and even suicide."

Human Rights Campaign will present the governor with the National Equality Award in a ceremony later this evening.

h/t: Gay Star News