Illinois one step closer to banning reparative therapy for youth
SPRINGFIELD, IL, March 27, 2014 -- Bringing Illinois one step closer to becoming the third state in the nation to ban reparative therapy for same-sex-attracted minors, a committee in the state House has passed a ban on the controversial treatment.
By a vote of 9-6, the House's Human Services Committee passed the Conversion Therapy Prohibition Act. The legislation was introduced by lesbian Kelly Cassidy, a Democrat. According to The Huffington Post, Cassidy previously said the bill was designed "to keep our LGBT youth safe."
In a statement, the Illinois Family Institute (IFI) called the legislation "destructive, unethical, and dishonest." The organization, which has opposed the legislation since it was introduced, says "the ultimate motivation behind this legislation is to promote the Leftist assumptions of adult homosexuals who seek to wipe disapproval of homosexual acts from the face of the planet.”
IFI also said the bill "is utterly inconsistent with the progressive view that children and teens should be allowed to pursue medical means to change their sex if they don’t like it."
Cassidy said that Gov. Pat Quinn backed the legislation. If the bill becomes law, it would make Illinois the third state to ban conversion therapy, along with California and New Jersey. Several states are currently considering similar legislation, including Massachusetts and Washington.
