Supreme Court: Uphold the Ban on Dangerous LGBTQ Conversion Therapy

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the Supreme Court's decision to hear a challenge against Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for minors. This practice has been widely discredited and is known to cause significant harm to LGBTQ+ youth. Conversion therapy has been associated with increased risks of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidality. A study conducted by Stanford Medicine found that individuals subjected to these practices reported higher rates of adverse mental health outcomes (Stanford Medicine, September 2024). Additionally, exposure to conversion therapy has been linked to poor long-term psychosocial health, further disrupting healthy aging processes (National Library of Medicine, May 2021). Beyond individual suffering, conversion therapy imposes substantial financial burdens. A study published in JAMA Pediatrics estimated that the practice and its associated harms cost the United States approximately $9.23 billion annually (JAMA Pediatrics, March 2022). Given the overwhelming evidence of harm and the consensus among medical professionals regarding the dangers of conversion therapy, the Supreme Court must uphold Colorado's ban. Allowing this harmful practice to continue under the guise of free speech not only endangers the mental and physical health of LGBTQ+ youth but also contradicts established ethical standards in healthcare. I urge the Supreme Court to consider the extensive evidence detailing the detrimental effects of conversion therapy and to affirm the legality of state bans designed to protect minors from such harmful practices.