A4TE and LGBTQI+ Survivors Condemn Supreme Court Decision Undermining Protections for Youth from Conversion Therapy

[Washington, D.C.] - Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) and the law firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel respond today to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Chiles v. Salazar, which reversed and remanded the lower court’s decision upholding Colorado’s Minor Conversion Therapy Law that prohibits efforts to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity by licensed providers.

“Today’s decision jeopardizes essential protections for LGBTQI+ youth against harmful and abusive conversion practices,” said Shayna Medley, Counsel of Record for the Amici and Senior Staff Attorney at A4TE. “The Court has disregarded the overwhelming medical consensus condemning these practices and the lived experiences of survivors detailing the lasting harms. Trans people are uniquely and disproportionately harmed by conversion therapy, and today’s decision puts countless young people at risk.”

“The decision today sends a devastating message LGBTQI+ youth that who they are is something to be fixed,” said co-counsel Eric Abrams of Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel. "Now more than ever, LGBTQI+ young people need accessible mental health support and affirming spaces to know that they are valued, protected, and able to thrive.”

A4TE submitted an amicus brief in the case on behalf of seventeen LGBTQI+ survivors of conversion therapy and the Conversion Therapy Survivor Network (CTSN), a survivor-led nonprofit dedicated to uniting survivors of conversion therapy and building support systems to address the long-term harms of these practices. Many amici endured conversion therapy as minors, often under the care of licensed mental health providers. Their accounts describe coercion by parents or religious communities, humiliation, forced medical interventions, and “assignments” involving self-harm or shame. Survivors report enduring impacts including PTSD, depression, suicidal ideation, and a profound mistrust of medical professionals.

In dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson emphasized and acknowledged the real harm to survivors of conversion therapy, citing the experiences of our clients.

More than 20 states have enacted bans on conversion therapy, reflecting widespread recognition of the harm these practices cause. A4TE emphasizes that, despite the Court’s ruling, advocates and survivors will continue to fight at every level to protect LGBTQI+ youth.

Shayna Medley, Ezra Cukor, and Cathy Zhang of A4TE represent the amici, with Katherine Rosenfeld and Eric Abrams of Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP as co-counsel.

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About A4TE

Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) is an organization that fights for the legal and political rights of transgender people in the United States. Introduced in July 2024 after the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund and the National Center for Transgender Equality merged, A4TE is the largest trans-led advocacy organization in the U.S. and brings together experts, advocates, and communities to shift government and society toward an equitable future where trans people live joyful lives without barriers. 
 
About Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP

Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP is a nationally recognized litigation boutique that focuses on civil rights, commercial, criminal, and ethics matters.