GLMA Condemns Supreme Court Ruling on Conversion Therapy, Citing Risks to LGBTQ+ Youth
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2026
Contact: Eli Duffy
Director of Communications & Strategic Partnerships
eduffy@glma.org
WASHINGTON, DC – GLMA strongly opposes today’s decision by the United States Supreme Court in
Chiles v. Salazar, which further weakens states’ authority to protect young people from conversion therapy practices.
The case centered on a challenge to existing Colorado law that prohibits licensed mental health professionals from engaging in conversion therapy with minors. The law was designed to protect young people from practices that attempt to change or suppress sexual orientation or gender identity.
In its ruling, the Court held that the law regulates protected speech and must be subject to heightened constitutional scrutiny. The case was reversed and remanded, creating legal uncertainty for similar protections nationwide.
By treating conversion therapy as protected speech rather than regulated professional conduct, the decision introduces new barriers for states seeking to enforce evidence-based standards of care and protect young patients from harmful, discredited practices.
Medical Consensus and Public Health Impact
Conversion therapy has been rejected by every major medical and mental health association in the United States, including the
American Psychiatric Association,
American Psychological Association,
American Medical Association.
Research consistently shows that LGBTQ+ youth exposed to conversion therapy face significantly elevated risks of depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicidality. They are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide compared to peers who have not experienced these practices.
Licensing laws exist to ensure that health professionals provide evidence-based care and to protect patients, particularly minors, from ineffective and harmful interventions.
“This ruling does not change what clinicians know to be true: conversion therapy is not health care - it is a dangerous and discredited practice that violates the standards of health professions,” said Alex Sheldon, Executive Director of GLMA. “Providers are trained to support patients’ well-being using evidence-based approaches, and there is broad medical consensus on the importance of affirming, patient-centered care. Legal interpretations of ‘free speech’ will never override the clinical responsibility to protect young people from harm.”
“This decision directly exposes young people to harm by enabling damaging pseudo-science to proliferate,” said Jona Tanguay, MS, PA-C, AAHIVS, CAQ-Psych, President of GLMA. “This dangerously erodes the scientific foundation of mental healthcare, and paves the way for bad actors to reframe debunked fringe personal beliefs as legitimate care. No young person should be at risk of serious psychological harm from the people licensed to provide help to them. Providers and health systems remain ethically bound to protect patients and uphold evidence-based standards of care.”
While the Court’s decision restricts certain regulatory pathways, it does not remove accountability for harm. Conversion therapy remains subject to malpractice liability and professional discipline through licensing boards.
GLMA calls on state leaders, health systems, professional licensing boards, and policymakers to take immediate action to protect LGBTQ+ youth within the bounds of existing authority. Safeguarding minors from psychological harm remains an urgent public health responsibility.
GLMA will continue to advocate for policies that ensure LGBTQ+ young people have access to safe, affirming mental health care and that uphold the integrity of professional health standards.
About GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality
GLMA is a national organization committed to ensuring health equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities and equality for LGBTQ+ health professionals in their work and learning environments. To achieve this mission, GLMA utilizes the scientific expertise of its diverse multidisciplinary membership to inform and drive advocacy, education, and research.
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