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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
INTERNATIONAL DAY TO END CONVERSION THERAPY
WHEREAS, on January 7, 2022, Canada’s federal ban on ‘conversion therapy’ practices was enacted into law, making it illegal to provide or promote the dangerous practices nationwide; and
WHEREAS, ‘conversion therapy,’ sometimes referred to as ‘reparative therapy’ or ‘sexual orientation change efforts’ (SOCE), are a range of dangerous and discredited practices aimed at changing one’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression based on the false claim that being gay or transgender is a mental illness that should be cured; and
WHEREAS, historically, ‘conversion therapy’ has taken many forms, from talk-therapy models to aversive techniques including nausea-inducing medication and electro-shock treatments, hypnosis, transplantation, and coercive religious interventions; and
WHEREAS, in 1973 the American Psychiatric Association put forward a resolution determining that homosexuality was not a mental illness, but a normal variant of human nature, stating that “by itself, homosexuality does not meet the criteria for being a psychiatric disorder” and that it “will no longer insist on a label of sickness for individuals who insist that they are well and demonstrate no generalized impairment in social effectiveness.”; and
WHEREAS, ‘conversion therapy’ has not been proven to change a person’s sexual orientation by any credible scientific study, with a 2003 study finding that 88% of participants in conversion therapy failed to achieve a sustained change in their sexual behavior with only 3% reporting actually becoming heterosexual.; and
WHEREAS, in fact, Dr. Robert Spitzer, whose research had previously been misused to support ‘conversion therapy’, has since retracted his original claims, stating that all data regarding conversion therapy has been misinterpreted, and that there is no conclusive evidence that it works; and,
WHEREAS, according to the American Public Health Journal’s article Self-Reported Conversion Efforts and Suicidality Among US LGBTQ Youths and Young Adults, 2018, researchers found that young people who reported undergoing conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report having attempted suicide in the previous year; and
WHEREAS, ‘conversion therapy’ is explicitly not condoned by the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, the American School Counselor Association, The American Academy of Pediatrics, or the American Medical Association; and
WHEREAS, according to a 2025 survey from Data for Progress, after being informed of the term ‘conversion therapy’ and provided with a description, including the fact that it is opposed by LGBTQ+ advocates, a strong majority of voters (60%) say they are opposed to the practice; and
WHEREAS, in that same survey, a majority of voters (56%) - including majorities across party lines - also said the Supreme Court should allow states to ban the practice; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, Illinois passed the Illinois Youth Mental Health Protection Act, prohibiting licensed mental health care providers from engaging in ‘conversion therapy’ practices with anyone under the age of 18, becoming one of only 23 states to do so; and
WHEREAS, here in Cook County we continue to stand in solidarity with survivors and advocates around the world in calling for an end to these practices;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby recognize January 7, 2026, as International Day to End Conversion Therapy; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this text be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body, and suitable copies be tendered to Equality Illinois in appreciation for all the work they do to combat these harmful practices.
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