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Conversion Therapy Is Still Happening. Now, It's Protected.

50 0
08.04.2026

The Supreme Court's ruling puts conversion therapy bans at risk in more than 20 states.

Conversion therapy can be self-directed, not only imposed by others.

Every major medical and mental health organization in the U.S. has condemned conversion therapy.

On March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for minors likely violates the First Amendment rights of licensed therapists. The ruling effectively puts conversion therapy bans in more than 20 states at risk and sends a devastating message to LGBTQ communities across the country.

Conversion therapy is the harmful and discredited practice aimed at changing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity. It is still legal in more than 20 states.

As of 2026, 23 states and Washington, D.C., entirely prohibit, and four states and Puerto Rico restrict, licensed healthcare providers from subjecting LGBTQ youth to conversion therapy. The Supreme Court's decision could well invalidate laws in some two dozen of those states.

What's still concerning is that the laws don't restrict the practice among religious providers, many of whom are our neighbors, pastors, and people who are part of our daily lives.

Conversion therapy doesn't only happen in a therapist's office. It can come from within as well.

I used to jokingly tell people I could have won an Oscar for the role I played as a straight person. Because of my hypervigilance as a gay child growing up, I had a heightened sense of awareness for how........

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