The new law states that therapists may not try to change the sexual orientation or the gender identity of a person who is younger than 18 years of age.
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Gov. Bruce Rauner, on August. 20, signed HB 217, a law that prohibits so-called “conversion therapy”, which supposedly could turn a gay or lesbian patient straight, from being practiced upon minors in the state of Illinois.
Bruce Rauner on Thursday signed legislation banning therapists from trying to change a young person’s sexuality.
The measure also adds the therapy to the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act, giving people more ability to take legal action. The law goes into effect January 1. While he has not called for national legislation to end conversion therapy, he vowed to support the passing of legislation banning it at the state level.
Illinois is the fourth state to enact a prohibition of “ex-gay” therapy in addition to D.C. Other bans exist in California, New Jersey and Oregon. The bill furthermore says that providers who willfully market their services by indicating that homosexuality is a mental illness could be subject to consumer fraud charges.
“Every major scientific organization has dismissed conversion therapy as harmful”, she continued.
“With this tremendous step, LGBT youth in Illinois are now protected from a unsafe and appalling practice based on junk pseudoscience that amounts to nothing less than child abuse”, said HRC president Chad Griffin in a press release. The governor also approved House Bill 3552, which allows individuals to specify their gender identity in binding funeral and burial instructions. By signing this bill, he is putting our children first and making the future a better, more supportive place for all. While Illinois and New Jersey passed such bans with Republican governors, the legislatures that produced majorities for those bills were controlled by Democrats.
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Supporters of the measure have argued conversion therapy has been discredited and can be harmful to young people. I am grateful to all the sponsors, advocates, parents, and people across the state who supported this legislation and I am eager to continue the fight to protect our children.
