Illinois senator’s bill on transgender ‘mental illness’ sparks debate
[February 13, 2026]
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – State Sen. Andrew Chesney, R–Freeport, is pushing
legislation that would classify transgenderism as a mental illness under
Illinois’ Mental Health Code, a move he says is intended to direct
individuals toward treatment rather than medical transition.
The proposal, Senate Bill 3842, has drawn strong criticism from LGBTQ+
advocates.
In a social media post, the Rev. Hank Fairman, senior pastor at St. John
United Church of Christ in Freeport, Illinois, called the bill
“ill-informed” and “dangerous,” saying it puts the transgender community
“in the crosshairs of hate.”
He emphasized that transgender people are “whole, complex, beloved
people, equally made in God's image” and argued that the bill represents
partisan posturing rather than true representation of constituents in
the 45th Senate District.
Chesney explained his reasoning for the bill, highlighting what he
called the “irreversible harm” resulting from gender-affirming medical
treatments.
“If a biological person feels like they are of the other sex, let’s get
to the root cause and let’s get them treatment of that belief rather
than affirm that [belief] and move down the path of a medical transition
that is irreversible, life-altering, and, in my view, incredibly
damaging,” Chesney said.
Chesney framed the legislation as an effort to expand mental health
resources to those he identifies as suffering from gender dysphoria.
“We want to make sure that the billions of dollars we spend on mental
health resources are also available to those who suffer from gender
dysphoria and gender-related conditions,” said Chesney.
According to recent state budget reports, the Illinois Department of
Human Services and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services
spent more than $2.2 billion in fiscal year 2021–22 on services ranging
from crisis intervention to psychiatric care.
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“We want people to get treatment, and I think the treatment should
extend to the trans community and for those that suffer from gender
issues,” he said. “It’s nothing more than that. It’s not to be
adversarial. It’s not to be hateful. It’s actually coming from a
loving heart to suggest that if somebody suffers from this illness,
that they have all the available resources, no different than if
somebody suffers from schizophrenia.”
He cited data points he says underscore the need for a mental health
approach.
“There are a number of metrics – from incident rates to depression
to suicide rates – that show people who are trans, or who believe
they are of another sex, suffer at higher rates than traditional
males and females,” Chesney said. “Identifying the problem and
providing mental health treatment is a better path than a scalpel.”
In Illinois, 41% of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered suicide
in the past year, and 12% attempted suicide. For transgender and
nonbinary youth, those rates are higher, 48% seriously considered
suicide and 15% attempted it within the past year, according to the
2024 Trevor Project survey.
A study of transgender adults found that 81% have thought about
suicide and 42% have attempted it.
Chesney acknowledged the bill will face opposition. “We fully expect
pushback and we expect the Democrats to summarily reject this
position,” he said, adding that he believes most people “believe in
society that if somebody feels opposite of their born gender,
there’s something going on.”
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