Supreme Court ruling may limit state bans on conversion therapy

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Colorado law banning conversion therapy in an 8–1 decision, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting. Major medical organizations have long said conversion therapy is harmful and linked to increased suicide risk.

The U.S. Supreme Court this week struck down a Colorado law that prohibited conversion therapy. The decision was issued in an 8–1 ruling. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson filed the sole dissent and noted concerns about states’ authority to regulate medical care. Conversion therapy is an approach intended to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity and has been widely criticized by medical groups. Key facts: - The Supreme Court invalidated Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy in an 8–1 decision. - Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, warning the ruling could affect states’ ability to regulate medical treatment. - Major medical and mental health organizations have declared conversion therapy harmful, and the American Medical Association moved away from the practice in the 1990s. - A 2020 report from the Williams Institute reported that LGB people who experienced conversion therapy were almost twice as likely to attempt suicide compared with those who had not. - The article includes a personal account from the author about a relative who underwent conversion therapy and experienced lasting psychological effects. Summary: The ruling removes a legal barrier that had supported state and local bans designed to protect young people from conversion therapy, while medical organizations continue to describe the practice as harmful. Undetermined at this time.