FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 12, 2024
CONTACT
Malkia Hutchinson, National Center for Lesbian Rights | 202-734-3548 | mhutchinson@nclrights.org
Tenth Circuit Upholds Colorado Law Protecting Youth from Conversion Therapy
Today, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Colorado’s law prohibiting conversion therapy for minors is valid as a regulation of medical professionals’ conduct. With this decision, the Tenth Circuit joins the overwhelming majority of federal courts, which have ruled that laws protecting youth from the dangers of conversion therapy are constitutional and consistent with states’ longstanding authority to protect the health and wellbeing of the public. Twenty-five states and over 100 localities have laws or administrative policies protecting youth from these practices or preventing the expenditure of state funds on conversion therapy.
This decision will protect Colorado youth from risks of serious harm arising from licensed professionals’ attempts to “cure” or change their sexual orientation or gender identity. The ruling is also consistent with longstanding Supreme Court precedent and ensures that Colorado can continue to require that licensed medical and mental health care providers comply with established standards of competence and ethics.
“We are extremely pleased with today’s decision, which allows Colorado to continue protecting its LGBTQ children and adolescents from the dangers of conversion therapy,” said Chris Stoll, Senior Staff Attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. “These discredited practices, which falsely promise to be able to change a young person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, have been rejected as unsafe by every major medical and mental health organization in the country. The Tenth Circuit has joined numerous other federal courts in affirming that states can require licensed mental health providers to comply with professional standards prohibiting these harmful and unnecessary practices.”
“Born Perfect applauds the Tenth Circuit for ensuring that Colorado can continue to protect youth from the dangers of conversion therapy,” said Mathew Shurka, Born Perfect Co-Founder and Chief Strategist. “Advocates and survivors like me are getting the reassurance we need, that every child is Born Perfect.”
“We are delighted that Colorado’s youth will remain protected from conversion therapy,” said Nadine Bridges, Executive Director of One Colorado. “Research has shown that conversion therapy can cause increased rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, homelessness, self-harm, and suicide. LGBTQ+ youth are especially at risk, as are families who are misled into believing these dangerous practices can ‘prevent’ their children from being who they truly are.”
NCLR filed a brief in the case on behalf of One Colorado, the state’s largest LGBTQ organization. NCLR’s co-counsel on the case are Craig M. Finger and Amalia Y. Sax-Bolder of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP in Denver.
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The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. Since its founding, NCLR has maintained a longstanding commitment to racial and economic justice and the LGBTQ community’s most vulnerable. www.nclrights.org
Born Perfect is a survivor-led program created by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) in 2014 to end conversion therapy by passing laws across the country that protect LGBTQ children and young people, fighting in courtrooms to ensure their safety, and raising awareness about the serious harms caused by these dangerous practices. www.bornperfect.org
At Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, clients get access to the top legal minds in the industry, powerful policy knowledge and best-in-class business acumen to solve businesses’ toughest challenges. Brownstein is a law and lobbying firm that has been making moves for more than 50 years to stay at the vanguard of its industry. You’ll find this firm at the heart of many of the most important cases, the most significant deals and the country’s most pivotal legislation. www.Bhfs.com
