Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed two bills banning so-called conversion therapy, for minors in the state.
“As a mom of a member of the community and a proud, lifelong ally, I’m grateful that today we’re banning the horrific practice of conversion therapy in Michigan,” Whitmer wrote on Twitter, which has been rebranded “X.” “In doing so, we are taking action to make Michigan a more welcoming, inclusive place.”
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The governor’s approval of the measures makes Michigan the 22nd state to ban “conversion therapy,” according to the Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ youth.
Last month, the state legislature voted largely along party lines to advance the ban. A block on the use of federal and state funds for conversion therapy on minors was already in place in the state after Whitmer signed an executive directive in 2021.
One of the bills Whitmer endorsed into regulation Wednesday, House Bill 4616, forbids emotional wellness experts from participating in transformation treatment with minors. Under the bill, any infringement will bring about the psychological well-being proficient confronting disciplinary action, which could incorporate a suspended or denied permit.
House Bill 4617 adds the definition of conversion therapy to the state’s mental health code. It defines the term as “any practice or treatment by a mental health professional that seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including, but not limited to, efforts to change behavior or gender expression or to reduce or eliminate sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward an individual of the same gender.”
The ban will take effect in late October.
The Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization, celebrated the bill’s signing and praised Whitmer as “a champion for LGBTQ+ equality.”
“So called ‘conversion therapy’ is a dangerous and discredited practice that will hopefully never see the light of day again here in Michigan,” Sarah Warbelow, vice president of legal for HRC, said in a statement following the signing.
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LGBTQ rights have become a prominent issue in state legislatures nationwide, with Democratic lawmakers pushing bills to advance protections in recent months and Republicans seeking to curtail them.
In April, Minnesota’s Popularity-based Gov. Tim Walz marked a prohibition on transformation treatment into regulation. Last month, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, likewise a Democrat, marked a leader request that disallows state assets from being utilized to help transform the treatment of minors.
