Regrettably, the New Hampshire Legislature rejected a bill that would have banned the practice of so-called "conversion therapy" that seeks to change the sexual orientation of those who are attracted to people of the same sex.

"I’m baffled," said Rep. Eric Schleien, R-Hudson, the bill’s main sponsor.

Understandably so.

The American Psychiatric Association has declared that not only is there no scientific basis for such "sexual orientation change efforts," but that "the potential risks of reparative therapy are great, including depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior, since therapist alignment with societal prejudices against homosexuality may reinforce self-hatred already experienced by the patient."

House Speaker Shawn Jasper said there was never any evidence presented that the practice is happening in New Hampshire and suggested that, if it is, lawmakers should spend more time vetting the proposal.

If Jasper is correct and there are no counselors practicing conversation therapy in the state, that is truly good news, but the bill still deserved to be passed.

The larger issue is that the Legislature had a chance to take a stand against bigotry and send a message that lawmakers value all residents of the state, regardless of sexual orientation.

Instead, they left the door open for practitioners in New Hampshire to cling to a widely discredited form of intolerance that does nobody any good.

It makes us wish there were a form of conversion therapy for ignorance and narrow-mindedness, without the negative side effects.

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