Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed House Bill 217 into law, making Illinois the fifth jurisdiction behind California, New Jersey, the District of Columbia & Oregon to protect LGBTQ youth from the dangers of conversion therapy. Samantha Ames National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) #BornPerfect Campaign Coordinator & Staff Attorney stated,
“We are thrilled that Illinois has joined the rapidly growing number of states leading the way to protect LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy. Illinois families can now have confidence that the mental health professional they turn to in times of uncertainty may not use their state license to profit from their children’s pain. Most importantly, Illinois kids can now rest easy in the knowledge that they cannot be forced or coerced to undergo dangerous & discredited treatments to fix who they are. Today brings us one step closer to the day when all LGBTQ youth know they were born perfect.” Chad Griffin Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President concluded, "With this tremendous step, LGBT youth in Illinois are now protected from a dangerous & appalling practice based on junk pseudoscience that amounts to nothing less than child abuse. Discredited by every major mental health, medical & child welfare organization, conversion 'therapy' uses fear & shame to tell young people the only way to find love & acceptance is to change the very nature of who they are. We thank Governor Rauner, as well as members of the state legislature on both sides of the aisle, for putting politics aside & the well-being of children first. We will continue to work with our allies to secure these crucial protections in every state across the nation."
For More Info: nclrights.org
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