The Supreme Court has rejected Colorado's law prohibiting licensed therapists from attempting to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of minors, dealing a significant blow to protections that more than 20 states have enacted.
Colorado's statute, like similar bans across the country, barred mental health professionals from providing conversion therapy to patients under 18. The practice, widely condemned by major medical organizations as harmful and ineffective, has been the subject of intensifying legal challenges in recent years.
The ruling effectively undermines legislative efforts across more than two dozen states that have moved to restrict conversion therapy based on concerns about its psychological impact on young people. Medical groups including the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association have issued statements opposing the practice, citing evidence of increased depression, anxiety, and suicide risk among those subjected to it.
Colorado's law had defined conversion therapy broadly as any attempt to change a minor's sexual orientation or gender identity through counseling or other interventions. The state's approach reflected a growing consensus among lawmakers and health advocates that minors require specific legal protections against such practices.
The decision leaves Colorado and other states to determine how they will respond to the ruling. Some may attempt to craft new legislation designed to address the Supreme Court's concerns, while others may seek alternative approaches to regulating therapeutic practices involving L.G.B.T.Q. youth.
The case represents one of several recent Supreme Court decisions on issues involving L.G.B.T.Q. rights and the scope of state regulatory power over professional conduct.
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