Wisconsin State Legislature Votes to Continue Allowing the Practice of Conversion “Therapy”

Madison – On a party line vote the State Assembly sent Assembly Bill 3 back to the Committee on Family Law. Assembly Bill 3 suspends the Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors (MPSW 20) rule which establishes as unprofessional conduct employing or promoting any intervention or method that has the purpose of attempting to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. This includes attempting to change behaviors or expressions of self or to reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender. This rule went into effect on December 1, 2022 and was suspended by the Joint Committee on Review of Administrative Rules in early January, 2023.

Fair Wisconsin’s Executive Director Megin McDonell released the following statement:

“One of the first actions the state legislature took this session was to strip Wisconsinites of protections from the harmful practice of conversion ‘therapy,’ and today they failed to take the opportunity to reverse course. By sending AB 3 to sit in committee, they are further delaying this rule from being re-implemented. Conversion therapy has been opposed by every major mental health and medical organization. It is widely agreed that conversion therapy holds no therapeutic value and is in fact harmful to the patient – increasing the chances that those who are victims of conversion therapy will experience depression, shame, and heightened rates of attempted suicide.
We are in a mental health crisis – both nationally and here in Wisconsin. The Trevor Project reports that LGBTQ+ youth who reported being subjected or threatened with conversion therapy have attempted suicide at more than twice the rate of their peers who did not; 28% to 11%. The Trevor Project further estimates that 12% of LGBTQ+ youth in Wisconsin have seriously considered suicide. The Wisconsin Youth Behavior Risk Survey reports that LGB students are 4 times more likely to not only consider suicide but attempt it as well. The actions taken today in the state legislature only exacerbate this crisis and prevent protections from conversion therapy from being re-implemented.

This is in stark contrast to the bold, optimistic vision Governor Evers set forth in his biennial budget. The governor is tackling Wisconsin’s student mental health crisis head-on by investing more than $270 million over the biennium to make his “Get Kids Ahead” initiative a permanent program. This will directly work to lower the rates of suicide in Wisconsin and protect the mental health of Wisconsin’s youth.

Fair Wisconsin worked with NASW-Wisconsin Social Workers to develop this rule to protect our youth from the harmful practice of conversion therapy and we will continue to work together to ensure it is re-implemented. We are considering all options moving forward.”