The discredited and harmful practice of conversion therapy targeting LGBTQ youth has been officially banned in Michigan with the signing of two new pieces of legislation by Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Michigan’s House Bill 4616 prohibits mental health care providers from engaging in conversion therapy with minors. Violators will face disciplinary action and licensing sanctions.
The companion bill, House Bill 4617, amends Michigan’s mental health code to define conversion therapy as any practice or treatment by a mental health professional that attempts to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. This includes efforts to alter behavior, gender expression, or reduce/eliminate same-gender attraction or romantic feelings.
However, the legislation clarifies that counseling providing acceptance, support, understanding, or assistance to transgender individuals during a gender transition is not considered conversion therapy.
Both measures are set to go into effect in October and were passed with close votes along party lines last month. Republican state Senator Mark Huizenga was the only Republican to vote in favor of the bills in the state Senate, while no Republican supported the measures in the House.
During the debate, Republican State Representative Neil Friske raised concerns about the broadness of the Democrats’ definition of conversion therapy, arguing that passing the bills would criminalize providers who uphold “natural law” and refuse to endorse “new age left-wing gender schemes.”
Democrats countered by highlighting studies from organizations like the Williams Institute and the Trevor Project, which demonstrate a higher prevalence of anxiety, depression, and suicide among individuals subjected to conversion therapy. They argued that such practices amount to abuse.
Conversion therapy, sometimes referred to as “reparative therapy,” has been discredited by major medical organizations due to its lack of scientific validity. The therapy is rooted in the false belief that LGBTQ identities are inherently pathological and can be “cured.”
In a post on Twitter, Governor Whitmer expressed her gratitude as a mother of an LGBTQ individual and a lifelong ally for the banning of conversion therapy in Michigan. She stated, “In doing so, we are taking action to make Michigan a more welcoming, inclusive place.”
Michigan had already prohibited the use of state and federal funds for conversion therapy for minors through an executive order signed by Governor Whitmer in 2021.
With Michigan’s adoption, a total of 27 states and Washington, D.C. now have laws in place that either fully or partially ban conversion therapy for minors. However, preliminary injunctions prevent three states—Alabama, Georgia, and Florida—from enforcing their bans.
In June, House and Senate Democrats reintroduced federal legislation that seeks to ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ youths and adults nationwide.
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