Supreme Court justices question medical consensus on conversion therapy
- The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments regarding Colorado's ban on conversion therapy, which targets LGBTQ youths.
- Conservative justices expressed doubt about the medical consensus on the harmful effects of conversion therapy.
- This reflects the ongoing polarization of LGBTQ rights and healthcare regulation in the United States.
In recent oral arguments, the United States Supreme Court examined Colorado's law banning conversion therapy, a practice that aims to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. This case, heard in early October 2025, marks the second major controversy this year relating to LGBTQ youth treatment and the medical consensus surrounding it. Conservative justices, including Samuel Alito and Amy Coney Barrett, openly challenged the validity of expert opinions from the medical community, questioning whether ideology has overshadowed reliable science. The American Psychological Association has stated that conversion therapy is ineffective and harmful, leading to mental health issues, yet the justices seemed prepared to support the licensed mental health counselor’s argument against the state's regulation. The political backdrop includes heightened Republican scrutiny over medical practices concerning transgender individuals, with the Trump administration prioritizing anti-trans initiatives that culminate in Legislative and judicial battles over the rights and medical treatment of LGBTQ youths. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson highlighted the apparent hypocrisy in the court's differing stances in a related Tennessee case about transgender medical treatments, emphasizing the growing divide on LGBTQ issues among states. The decision may influence how much power state legislatures have in regulating healthcare and the extent to which they can restrict professionals from providing potentially dangerous guidance.