Green Bay, WI — Today, State Representative Amaad Rivera Wagner praised Governor Tony Evers for rejecting calls from right wing organizations to repeal Wisconsin’s ban on conversion therapy, a dangerous and widely discredited practice that many in the LGBTQ community and survivors have described as a form of torture. Rivera Wagner, author in the Wisconsin State Assembly of legislation to ban conversion therapy, said the Governor’s position sends a clear message that Wisconsin will not go backward when it comes to protecting LGBTQ people, especially children, from harmful and abusive practices.
“Conversion therapy is not therapy. It is harm dressed up as care,” said Rep. Rivera Wagner. “For generations, LGBTQ people have been told that who they are is something to fix, cure, or erase. That lie has caused real pain, real trauma, and real loss. I am grateful Governor Evers is standing firm and making clear that Wisconsin will not legitimize a practice that has been rejected by medical experts, survivors, and the LGBTQ community itself.”
Conversion therapy refers to efforts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Major medical and mental health organizations have rejected the practice, and LGBTQ advocates have long warned that it can increase shame, isolation, depression, and suicidal ideation among young people.
Rivera Wagner said the issue is personal and moral, not simply political. “As an openly gay legislator, I know what it means to grow up in a world that tries to make LGBTQ kids feel like they are the problem,” Rivera Wagner said. “But our kids are not broken. They do not need to be converted. They need to be loved, protected, affirmed, and given the chance to grow into the fullness of who they are.”
The Governor’s stance comes after conservative organizations urged the state to stop enforcing Wisconsin’s current protections following a recent United States Supreme Court decision related to Colorado’s conversion therapy ban. The Evers Administration rejected that argument, saying the demand relied on a serious misreading of the ruling. Rivera Wagner said the Legislature should go further by passing a clear statewide statutory ban. “This is exactly why I am leading legislation to ban these practices in state law,” Rivera Wagner said. “No child in Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, or anywhere in Wisconsin should ever be put through a practice rooted in shame and rejection. This is about basic dignity. It is about public health. And it is about making sure every LGBTQ kid knows their state sees them, values them, and will fight for them.”
Rivera Wagner said he will continue working with advocates, survivors, families, and colleagues in the Legislature to pass a permanent statutory ban on conversion therapy in Wisconsin. “Love is an action,” Rivera Wagner said. “Today, Governor Evers acted with love, courage, and clarity. Now the Legislature should do the same.”
