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WINDY CITY TIMES
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Conversion therapy bill clears Illinois Senate committee
by Matt Simonette
2015-05-27
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This article shared 2265 times since Wed May 27, 2015
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The Illinois State Senate Executive Committee passed HB 217, the Youth Mental Health Protection Act, May 27. The legislation, which prohibits mental health practitioners from performing anti-gay conversion therapy on minors, now heads to the Senate floor, where it must be voted on by the scheduled closing of the session May 31.
The bill is sponsored in the Senate by state Sen. Daniel Biss.
The Executive Committee was scheduled to hear testimony from Curtis Galloway, of Downstate Benton, who also spoke before a House committee on April 15 about his experiences with conversion therapy.
Shortly after that April 15 testimony, Galloway said at a news conference that, "Some people just aren't as lucky. There are people committing suicide," according to Quad City Times. "I consider myself a survivor, but for those who are the victims, the ones that don't make it, the ones that commit suicide, the ones that are kicked out of their homes because they can't change their sexuality, I want to reach out to them."
Galloway has met and spoken with Gov. Bruce Rauner, according to state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, the bill's chief House sponsor. HB 217 passed the House May 19.
"I applaud the Executive Committee on approval, and look forward to passage by the full Senate," said Cassidy in a statement. "This archaic form of so-called treatment is based on an outdated and flawed philosophy that greatly increases the risk of suicide and mental anguish to the children who are forced to participate. I join a coalition of professional mental health organizations in applauding the efforts to move our state forward." |
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This article shared 2265 times since Wed May 27, 2015
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