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WINDY CITY TIMES
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Rauner signs anti-conversion therapy bill
by Matt Simonette
2015-08-20
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This article shared 4414 times since Thu Aug 20, 2015
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Gov. Bruce Rauner, on Aug. 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.
The bill, the Youth Mental Health Protection Act, was sponsored in the House by state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, and in the Senate by state Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Skokie.
Conversion therapy has been denounced by numerous medical and psychological associations, and the legislation says that service providers who practice conversion therapy on a minor will be referred to their professional organizations for discipline. 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.
Illinois now becomes the fifth jurisdiction prohibiting conversion therapy. President Obama, in April, said he supported a ban on the practice.
Rauner also signed legislation on Aug. 20 that allows transgender individuals to specify their gender identity in funeral and burial instructions. On July 20, he signed legislation that both expanded hate crimes statutes to cover institutional vandalism and codified gender identity in hate crimes statutes by making reference to definitions in the Human Rights Act.
Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois, said in a statement referencing Rauner's Aug. 20 approvals, "We thank Governor Rauner for approving these bills and demonstrating that support for the equal treatment of LGBT Illinoisans is bipartisan."
State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, added in a statement, "LGBTQ youth can no longer be subjected to harmful conversion therapy 'treatments' aimed at changing their sexual orientation in the state of Illinois. …We live in a country where we can openly love and marry whomever we choose. Monumental social changes have occurred that guarantee future generations will no longer have to hide who they are. Instead, they can proudly assert themselves and be accepted." |
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This article shared 4414 times since Thu Aug 20, 2015
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