The Supreme Court issued its decision in Chiles v. Salazar, striking down Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors as applied to talk therapy. Fenway Health is deeply concerned by this ruling and its implications for LGBTQ+ young people across the country.
The decision speaks only to how the law was written. The Court did not find that conversion therapy is safe. We are confident that the state has the authority to protect minors from harmful practices.
Make no mistake, science shows that conversion therapy is a discredited practice that causes documented psychological harm, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Every major medical organization, including the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, has rejected it. The Court’s ruling is on a matter of legal constitutionality and does not comment on or change the consensus of these leading healthcare providers.
Fenway Health was founded over fifty years ago to provide affirming, expert care to LGBTQ+ people – providing both evidence-based care and advocacy for a population that had long been marginalized. As healthcare providers, we have a clear statement to the young people we serve and others like them: you are not broken, disordered, or in need of fixing. Our research, clinical practice and third-party data makes one thing very clear: Shame causes harm; acceptance keeps people healthy and alive.
We urge all states to immediately review and update their conversion therapy statutes in light of today’s ruling. We are confident that existing legal tools can and should be used to successfully protect LGBTQ+ youth. We remain steadfast in supporting that work.