Colorado’s Ban on Conversion Therapy under Threat, Groups Rally to Defend It

Rocky Mountain Equality joined a broad group of advocacy and health organizations in submitting an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Colorado’s law banning licensed medical practitioners from practicing “conversion therapy” on minors. 

The case, Chiles v. Salazar, that challenges Colorado’s 2019 law will be heard by the Court this October.

Colorado’s law protects LGBTQ youth by prohibiting practices that attempt to change a young person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The law explicitly exempts those “engaging in religious ministry,” and no licensed professional has ever been sanctioned under it. Despite this, the plaintiffs in Chiles v. Salazar argue the law infringes on the rights to Free Expression and Free Exercise of Religion under the First Amendment.

“This outdated practice devastates the lives of young people and families,” said Dr. Bruce Parker, chief operating officer of Rocky Mountain Equality. “Conversion therapy is not therapy, it is abuse. Colorado’s law is a carefully crafted, evidence-based safeguard that ensures LGBTQ youth receive care and support that protects, rather than harms.”

Research and lived experience demonstrate the harms of conversion therapy:

• Youth who undergo conversion therapy are at significantly higher risk of depression, suicidality, and lowered self-esteem.

• Families are often torn apart by the false promise that conversion therapy can change who their child is. Nearly 40% of homeless LGBTQ youth reported being kicked out of their homes, and more than half reported running away or being abandoned due to mistreatment.

• Conversion therapy contributes to poor educational and economic outcomes, doing damage that lasts a lifetime and prevents young people from living fulfilling lives.

  
  

Colorado’s law addresses these harms by ensuring that licensed professionals cannot subject minors to dangerous and discredited practices under the guise of healthcare. The state argues in its case, “There’s never been a First Amendment objection to protecting patients and prohibiting substandard care regardless of whether or not the care is carried out through words.”

“This law does exactly what states are supposed to do, it protects children from harm,” said Parker. 

Rocky Mountain Equality remains committed to advancing the health, safety, and dignity of LGBTQ Coloradans, especially youth and families at risk of being targeted by unethical and dishonest practices.