Keep Minors Safe from Conversion Therapy: Opposition to Chiles v. Salazar
Keep Minors Safe from Conversion Therapy: Opposition to Chiles v. Salazar
The Issue
Colorado children and teens are at risk! Please help us keep conversion therapy for minors illegal in Colorado.
On March 10th, 2025, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that it will hear the case Chiles v. Salazar. This case, petitioned by Kaley Chiles, a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and her attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom, seeks to overturn Colorado’s Minor Conversion Therapy Law. She suggests the law violates a counselor’s free speech. If the law is deemed unconstitutional, the ban could be overturned and allow licensed mental health professionals to engage in Minor Conversion Therapy. Because this case has been appealed to the federal level, the ruling could impact the entire country.
We are a group of licensed mental health queer/ally professionals who stand behind the science that conversion therapy—a set of practices aimed at changing a minor's sexual orientation or gender identity— is in fact pseudoscience and will cause great harm if the ban is not upheld. This petition serves as a powerful reminder of the professional responsibility mental health clinicians bear to protect the well-being of their clients, uphold ethical standards, and, at a bare minimum, do no harm. We are asking for the public’s assistance in voicing opposition to conversion therapy for the following reasons.
- Conversion Therapy is Ineffective and Harmful
- Licensed Therapists are Held to a Higher Standard
- LGBTQIA+ Clients Deserve Better
- Time is running out, we must act now!
If the ban on conversion therapy is not upheld by the Supreme Court, children and teens will be harmed. It is not a matter of IF, it is a matter of WHEN. We must fight against this!
Please help us prevent irreversible harm to youth by signing this petition today!
Interested in learning more? See below.
Conversion Therapy is Ineffective and Harmful
The evidence is clear: conversion therapy is a harmful, scientifically unsupported practice that has no place in our mental health system. Studies published by the American Psychological Association (APA, 2018), the American Medical Association (AMA, 2025), and the American Psychiatric Association (APA), have consistently shown that conversion therapy is not only ineffective but also damaging and degrading. No credible scientific evidence supports the claim that sexual orientation or gender identity can be changed through therapy.
Abundant evidence demonstrates that individuals subjected to these practices often experience significant mental health deterioration, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, drug use, and suicidality. The Trevor Project’s research found that minors subjected to conversion therapy were more than 2x as likely to attempt suicide and more than 2.5x as likely to have attempted suicide multiple times in the past year (Trevor Project, 2022) .
Licensed Therapists are Held to a Higher Standard
The plaintiff claims that “The government has no business censoring private conversations between clients and counselors.”
Licensed mental health clinicians do not simply have “conversations;” this is a gross misrepresentation of the mental health field. Licensed mental health clinicians use evidence-based interventions from a range of well-researched treatment modalities to assess for and treat mental illness. By becoming a licensed mental health professional, you agree to adhere to a strict set of laws and ethics and be governed by regulatory boards for the purpose of delivering safe and effective mental health treatment. The state also has an interest in maintaining standards of care to ensure that no harm is done to patients. This is especially true for minors, who are more vulnerable to harm.
Any person acting in a non-licensed support role may espouse any belief they wish; that right is not being infringed upon. Conversion therapy does not need to be legalized for individuals and therapists alike to practice their religious beliefs. Lifting the ban on conversion therapy would degrade the ethics and standards of care of an entire profession. We will not stand for it.
Ethical guidelines for licensed mental health clinicians are clear. The American Psychological Association (APA,2025), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW, n.d.), the American Counseling Association (ACA, 2025) label conversion therapy to be a harmful and unethical practice; and support affirmative approaches to sexual orientation and gender identity. You can find more information on their official stances against conversion therapy on their respective websites.
LGBTQIA+ Clients Deserve Better
LGBTQIA+ individuals have a long history of being mistreated in the world, and the United States is no exception. From being prosecuted and jailed to brutally raped, beaten, and tortured just for being who you are and loving who you love. Conversion therapy is yet another violation of LGBTQIA+ individuals’ fundamental rights to safety, self-determination, and personal dignity.
Our professional training, grounded in evidence-based therapeutic practices, compels us to recognize that sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent and natural aspects of who a person is. They cannot and should not be changed or suppressed through harmful, pseudo-scientific interventions like conversion therapy. We must defend policies that respect the rights of individuals to live freely and authentically without fear of oppression or mistreatment. Allowing conversion therapy to persist undermines these rights and contradicts our commitment to equality and justice.
Time is running out, we must act now!
If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiff, the decision could force other states to repeal their bans and cause irreparable harm to LGBTQIA+ youth across the nation. If the Supreme Court upholds the ban, it would send a strong message to the entire country that ineffective and degrading pseudo-scientific approaches forced on minors have no place in the mental health field.
References
American Psychological Association (2025). Banning Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Change Efforts. Suggested Discussion Points With Resources to Oppose Transgender Exclusion Bills. https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/sexual-orientation-change
APA (2018). Position Statement on Conversion Thearpy and LGBTQ Patients.
American Counseling Association (2025). Conversion Therapy Statement. https://www.counseling.org/about/values-statements/conversion-therapy
American Medical Association (2025). Advocating for the LGBTQ community.
https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/population-care/advocating-lgbtq-community
National Association of Social Workers (n.d.). Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. https://www.socialworkers.org/Practice/LGBTQIA/Sexual-Orientation-and-Gender-Diversity
Stanford medicine (2004). Conversion practices linked to depression, PTSD and suicide thoughts in LGBTQIA+ adults. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/09/conversion-practices-lgbt.html
Trevor Project (2022). New Study Finds Conversion Therapy, and its Associated Harms, Cost the U.S. an Estimated $9.23 Billian Annualy. (https://www.thetrevorproject.org/blog/new-study-finds-conversion-therapy-and-its-associated-harms-cost-the-u-s-an-estimated-9-23-billion-annually/
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The Issue
Colorado children and teens are at risk! Please help us keep conversion therapy for minors illegal in Colorado.
On March 10th, 2025, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that it will hear the case Chiles v. Salazar. This case, petitioned by Kaley Chiles, a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and her attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom, seeks to overturn Colorado’s Minor Conversion Therapy Law. She suggests the law violates a counselor’s free speech. If the law is deemed unconstitutional, the ban could be overturned and allow licensed mental health professionals to engage in Minor Conversion Therapy. Because this case has been appealed to the federal level, the ruling could impact the entire country.
We are a group of licensed mental health queer/ally professionals who stand behind the science that conversion therapy—a set of practices aimed at changing a minor's sexual orientation or gender identity— is in fact pseudoscience and will cause great harm if the ban is not upheld. This petition serves as a powerful reminder of the professional responsibility mental health clinicians bear to protect the well-being of their clients, uphold ethical standards, and, at a bare minimum, do no harm. We are asking for the public’s assistance in voicing opposition to conversion therapy for the following reasons.
- Conversion Therapy is Ineffective and Harmful
- Licensed Therapists are Held to a Higher Standard
- LGBTQIA+ Clients Deserve Better
- Time is running out, we must act now!
If the ban on conversion therapy is not upheld by the Supreme Court, children and teens will be harmed. It is not a matter of IF, it is a matter of WHEN. We must fight against this!
Please help us prevent irreversible harm to youth by signing this petition today!
Interested in learning more? See below.
Conversion Therapy is Ineffective and Harmful
The evidence is clear: conversion therapy is a harmful, scientifically unsupported practice that has no place in our mental health system. Studies published by the American Psychological Association (APA, 2018), the American Medical Association (AMA, 2025), and the American Psychiatric Association (APA), have consistently shown that conversion therapy is not only ineffective but also damaging and degrading. No credible scientific evidence supports the claim that sexual orientation or gender identity can be changed through therapy.
Abundant evidence demonstrates that individuals subjected to these practices often experience significant mental health deterioration, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, drug use, and suicidality. The Trevor Project’s research found that minors subjected to conversion therapy were more than 2x as likely to attempt suicide and more than 2.5x as likely to have attempted suicide multiple times in the past year (Trevor Project, 2022) .
Licensed Therapists are Held to a Higher Standard
The plaintiff claims that “The government has no business censoring private conversations between clients and counselors.”
Licensed mental health clinicians do not simply have “conversations;” this is a gross misrepresentation of the mental health field. Licensed mental health clinicians use evidence-based interventions from a range of well-researched treatment modalities to assess for and treat mental illness. By becoming a licensed mental health professional, you agree to adhere to a strict set of laws and ethics and be governed by regulatory boards for the purpose of delivering safe and effective mental health treatment. The state also has an interest in maintaining standards of care to ensure that no harm is done to patients. This is especially true for minors, who are more vulnerable to harm.
Any person acting in a non-licensed support role may espouse any belief they wish; that right is not being infringed upon. Conversion therapy does not need to be legalized for individuals and therapists alike to practice their religious beliefs. Lifting the ban on conversion therapy would degrade the ethics and standards of care of an entire profession. We will not stand for it.
Ethical guidelines for licensed mental health clinicians are clear. The American Psychological Association (APA,2025), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW, n.d.), the American Counseling Association (ACA, 2025) label conversion therapy to be a harmful and unethical practice; and support affirmative approaches to sexual orientation and gender identity. You can find more information on their official stances against conversion therapy on their respective websites.
LGBTQIA+ Clients Deserve Better
LGBTQIA+ individuals have a long history of being mistreated in the world, and the United States is no exception. From being prosecuted and jailed to brutally raped, beaten, and tortured just for being who you are and loving who you love. Conversion therapy is yet another violation of LGBTQIA+ individuals’ fundamental rights to safety, self-determination, and personal dignity.
Our professional training, grounded in evidence-based therapeutic practices, compels us to recognize that sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent and natural aspects of who a person is. They cannot and should not be changed or suppressed through harmful, pseudo-scientific interventions like conversion therapy. We must defend policies that respect the rights of individuals to live freely and authentically without fear of oppression or mistreatment. Allowing conversion therapy to persist undermines these rights and contradicts our commitment to equality and justice.
Time is running out, we must act now!
If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiff, the decision could force other states to repeal their bans and cause irreparable harm to LGBTQIA+ youth across the nation. If the Supreme Court upholds the ban, it would send a strong message to the entire country that ineffective and degrading pseudo-scientific approaches forced on minors have no place in the mental health field.
References
American Psychological Association (2025). Banning Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Change Efforts. Suggested Discussion Points With Resources to Oppose Transgender Exclusion Bills. https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/sexual-orientation-change
APA (2018). Position Statement on Conversion Thearpy and LGBTQ Patients.
American Counseling Association (2025). Conversion Therapy Statement. https://www.counseling.org/about/values-statements/conversion-therapy
American Medical Association (2025). Advocating for the LGBTQ community.
https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/population-care/advocating-lgbtq-community
National Association of Social Workers (n.d.). Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. https://www.socialworkers.org/Practice/LGBTQIA/Sexual-Orientation-and-Gender-Diversity
Stanford medicine (2004). Conversion practices linked to depression, PTSD and suicide thoughts in LGBTQIA+ adults. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/09/conversion-practices-lgbt.html
Trevor Project (2022). New Study Finds Conversion Therapy, and its Associated Harms, Cost the U.S. an Estimated $9.23 Billian Annualy. (https://www.thetrevorproject.org/blog/new-study-finds-conversion-therapy-and-its-associated-harms-cost-the-u-s-an-estimated-9-23-billion-annually/
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The Decision Makers
Supporter Voices
Petition created on March 23, 2025