LGBTQ+ family organization warns ruling could undermine protections for LGBTQ+ youth.

Washington, D.C. — Family Equality today expressed deep concern following the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in Chiles v. Salazar, a case addressing whether states may restrict licensed mental health professionals from subjecting minors to conversion therapy. 

The case centers on a 2019 Colorado law that prohibits licensed mental health providers from attempting to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity through so-called “conversion therapy.” Colorado enacted the law after medical and mental health experts warned that such practices are ineffective and can cause significant harm to young people.

“Every child deserves to grow up loved, supported, and safe, especially during the formative years of understanding their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Luce Remy, Vice President of Public Policy for Family Equality. “Families should never have to fear that their child could be subjected to practices designed to erase who they are. Laws like Colorado’s exist to protect young people from harm and to ensure that licensed professionals provide care grounded in science, ethics, and the long-term well-being of children.”

More than 20 states and Washington, D.C. have enacted similar laws restricting conversion therapy for minors. Advocates warn that the Court’s ruling could have broader implications for states’ abilities to regulate medical and mental health care in order to protect patients.

“To do anything else opens a dangerous can of worms,” wrote Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in the sole dissenting opinion. “It threatens to impair States’ ability to regulate the provision of medical care in any respect. It extends the Constitution into uncharted territory in an utterly irrational fashion. And it ultimately risks grave harm to Americans’ health and wellbeing.”

Family Equality emphasized that LGBTQ+ youth and their families deserve care that affirms who they are and protects their health and dignity. 
“Conversion therapy may occur in a therapist’s office, but that does not make it legitimate care” said Remy. “It is a discredited and dangerous practice that leading medical and mental health organizations have warned can cause lasting harm. We will continue to work with advocates, policymakers, and families across the country to ensure that LGBTQ+ young people are protected and supported.”

Family Equality is the only national nonprofit dedicated to protecting and advancing the freedoms of all LGBTQ+ families through bold advocacy, powerful community building, and transformative education. 

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