Only 44 Illinois House members voted for HB5569 April 10, the bill that would ban controversial conversion therapy for minors in the state. Fifty-one voted no, leaving 22 absent for the vote.
This was on the same day an anti-bullying billed passed with 64 votes in the House. This also means that many Democrats voted against the bill or were not present for a vote, including House Speaker Mike Madigan, who has no vote recorded.
The Youth Mental Health Protection Act, which prohibits therapy claiming to 'cure' homosexuality for minors, passed the House Human Services Committee March 26 by a vote of 9-6.
The bill's chief sponsor, state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, said that she had made an error in letting the bill come up for a vote late in the afternoon, after many legislators had left.
She had the option of not calling the bill, similar to what Rep. Greg Harris did when he did not call the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act for a vote in May of last year.
"I made a mistake in calling it," Cassidy said. "The votes were simply not in the building at that point. I simply could have taken the bill out of the record
She also said that many bills involving children take time to build up support among legislators. Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois, also said that many in the House had not been adequately "educated" on conversion therapy yet.
The bill would have forbade mental health providers from engaging in practices aimed at changing the sexual orientation of a person under the age of 18. It also said that any provider engaging in such efforts will be subject to action from their local licensing entity or disciplinary board, as will any provider making a referral for those purposes.
A similar bill has been introduced in the Illinois Senate by state Sen. William Delgado but has not been brought up for a vote. Cassidy said that within the next few weeks she would consider what her options are to revive the bill," adding, "We'll see if there is an appropriate Senate vehicle for this."
"This isn't the last you'll be hearing of this issue," said Cherkasov.
Cassidy said the vote was especially disheartening given the House's passage of an anti-bullying bill that same day.
"What happened with that vote was incredible—you had more Republican representation and more geographic diversity [represented in 'yes' votes]. We also had a very rigorous bill there," she noted. "Both bills underscore overlooked issues having to do with youth. Though we are coming off a victory with gay marriage, there is a lot of work to be done on issues for youth and transgender people, for example."
So-called 'conversion' therapy has been discredited in numerous mental health circles and has been banned in California and New Jersey.
On April 10, those who voted "no" included Republican Ron Sandek, who was a "yes" on marriage equality in 2013, and who received major LGBT support in his tough primary race this March.
Last week, the House overwhelmingly passed a proposed state constitutional amendment 109-5, which would ban voter suppression tactics, including against LGBT Illinoisans.
"The successful votes for the anti-bullying bill and the constitutional amendment, as well as the successful passage last year of the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, demonstrate that the legislature is open to hearing reasoned arguments and doing the right thing for protecting Illinoisans," Cherkasov said in an April 10 statement.
"We must continue to make that connection for legislators regarding the conversion therapy ban. This debate is not over," he added. "The most vulnerable individuals, those already struggling in the face of homophobia and transphobia, must not be targeted and subjected to a practice that medical practitioners deem harmful and inappropriate."
