Today, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin issued a decision in the Evers v. Marklein case, finding that the legislative committee that blocked rules and regulations from going into effect acted unconstitutionally. The case directly spoke to the rule that classifies conversion therapy as unprofessional conduct for a licensed therapist, counselor, or social worker; this decision means that this rule banning the practice of conversion therapy by these licensed professions is in effect, although it does not affect religious institutions.
Megin McDonell, former Executive Director of Fair Wisconsin, issued the following statement:
“I am so grateful for all the people who fought for this win without giving up for so many years – from the survivors who shared their heartbreaking stories over and over again, to community members and allies in the Capitol and throughout the
state – I hope you can see that you made a difference.”
Abigail Swetz, Executive Director of Fair Wisconsin, issued the following statement:
“This decision is a powerful step in the right direction towards ending the harmful practice of conversion therapy – a step that required incredible advocacy for over seven years by our community members and partner organizations like
NASW-Wisconsin. We also still have more work to do. A bill banning conversion therapy by all licensed professions passed through the legislature and signed by the governor would be an even more powerful step. Wisconsin State Senate Bill
324 would do exactly that, and I look forward to seeing it become Wisconsin law.”
For more information on conversion therapy, its dangerous impacts, its prevalence, and the importance of laws that ban it, please see “It’s Still Happening: a report on practitioners of so-called conversion ‘therapy’ in the U.S.” published by The Trevor Project in 2023.
