Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a deeply troubling 8–1 decision in Chiles v. Salazar, holding that state laws protecting children from so-called “conversion therapy” are presumptively unconstitutional under the First Amendment when applied to talk therapy. I am profoundly disappointed in this ruling, and I reject the dangerous premise at its core: that the discredited, harmful practice of attempting to change a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity deserves constitutional protection.
Let me be unequivocal: conversion therapy is not therapy. It is abuse dressed up in clinical language. Every major medical and mental health organization in this country, including the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, has condemned this practice as both ineffective and deeply harmful. Exposed to shame, coercion, and rejection at the hands of the very professionals their families trusted, survivors of conversion therapy carry scars that last a lifetime, including dramatically elevated risks of depression, anxiety, and suicide.
This Court has chosen to elevate a manufactured free speech argument over the safety and well-being of our most vulnerable young people. In doing so, it has handed a powerful weapon to those who would use the guise of counseling to inflict real psychological harm on LGBTQ+ children. As Justice Jackson wrote in her forceful dissent, this decision plays with fire—and it is our children who will get burned.
I want to speak directly to every LGBTQ+ young person in our state and across this country: You are not broken. There is nothing about you that needs to be fixed, changed, or converted. Your identity is valid, your life has meaning, and you deserve to be supported and affirmed exactly as you are. No court decision can change that truth.
I also want every parent, every educator, every counselor who believes in the dignity of LGBTQ+ youth to know this: I am not backing down. I will continue to fight for policies that protect children from harm, that hold licensed professionals to the highest ethical standards, and that affirm the right of every young person to grow up safe, supported, and free from abuse.
This ruling is a setback, but it is not the end of this fight. We will explore every legislative and regulatory avenue available to safeguard our young people. We will work with our medical professionals, advocacy organizations, and community leaders to ensure that LGBTQ+ youth have access to affirming, evidence-based care. And we will not rest until every child in this state knows that their government stands with them, not against them.
If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to the Trevor Project or the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You are not alone, and help is available.