In a push to uphold laws that guard against the controversial practice of conversion "therapy," Attorney General Nick Brown of Washington led a coalition of 20 states and the District of Columbia in supporting a Colorado statute prohibiting licensed health professionals from conducting such therapy on minors. The support comes in the form of an amicus brief filed at the U.S. Supreme Court, as Colorado's law faces challenge by advocates of the practice, notably a licensed counselor who supports conversion therapy, which is slated for oral argument before the high court on October 7, according to a statement from the Washington Attorney General's office.
Conversion therapy, a term used to describe efforts aimed at changing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, is widely criticized by leading medical and mental health organizations for being not only ineffective but harmful, particularly to minors the practice often puts at risk of suicide and depression and it falls below the standard of care, the brief finds consensus among established medical groups and voluminous studies that illustrate the harms the practice inflicts upon children, as pointed by the nationwide cadre of states backing the ban. All the major medical professional bodies, including the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association, denounce the practice.
The brief argues that the First Amendment does not provide a protective shield for dangerous and discredited mental health treatments, nor does it entitle licensed providers to operate below an established standard of care. Compelling states to strike down such bans rooted in health and safety concerns, the coalition warns, could lead to "profound unintended consequences" for states' long-standing authority to regulate professional practices, the Washington Attorney General's press release states.
Washington is not alone in this regulatory stance; over 25 states have instituted bans or restrictions on conversion therapy, aligning with the ethical standards recognized by the medical community. The amicus brief emphasizes the consistent history across states in establishing and overseeing professional care standards, and the joint filing by states like California, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, among others echoes a collective assertion of states' rights to safeguard the well-being of their younger citizens from such dubious practices, as reported in the news release from the Attorney General's office.
