Denver — U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) joined U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), U.S. Representatives Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), and 184 of his Congressional colleagues to file an amicus brief urging the United States Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of Colorado’s ban on mental health professionals engaging in conversion therapy for minors in the case of Chiles v. Salazar.
The Petitioner in this case is a licensed professional counselor who filed a pre-enforcement challenge against Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy, arguing that the ban violates her freedom of speech. In their brief, the lawmakers argue that the law is constitutional, highlighting that legislatures have historically regulated professional conduct carried out by means of language to enforce compliance with professional standards. The brief also emphasizes how Courts have historically upheld federal and state statutes regulating professional conduct that incidentally involves speech.
“Conversion therapy is a harmful and discredited practice that does not belong in modern medicine. Banning conversion therapy is not a violation of free speech – it is a necessary step to protect the LGBTQ+ community, and especially children, from these abusive tactics,” said Bennet. “The Court should uphold the constitutionality of Colorado’s law.”
“The fraudulent, damaging practice of ‘conversion therapy’ has no place in our society, having been discredited by every mainstream medical association and deemed illegitimate care,” said Merkley. “This dangerous practice continues to harm our LGBTQ+ friends, family, and neighbors, and the Court must reject this divisive effort by MAGA extremists to roll back safeguards against it. Let’s keep this cruelty out of our medical care.”
“Conversion therapy practices hurt kids, are widely discredited, and have no place in our modern medicine. Patients should know when they are being treated by a licensed healthcare professional that the professional is adhering to the standards of their profession,” said Takano. “More than 20 states across our nation have already taken action to protect young LGBTQI+ people from the very real harms of so-called ‘conversion therapy.’ I am proud to lead this brief with Congressional Equality Caucus Vice Chair Ted Lieu and Senator Jeff Merkley. The Supreme Court must uphold these states’ laws and allow them to continue protecting young LGBTQI+ people from harmful and cruel practices that are opposed by every major medical association.”
“As a California State Senator, I introduced and passed the first ever ban on conversion therapy for minors in the nation,” said Lieu. “Over twenty states have since followed suit because the facts are clear: so-called ‘conversion therapy’ is a fraudulent practice. This case is not about free speech; it is about scammers who pose as health professionals that use fake science to hurt kids. I am joining Congressman Takano and Senator Merkley to lead our colleagues on an amicus brief to the Supreme Court because these bans save lives – they must be upheld.”
“Conversion therapy” refers to a range of discredited practices that have long been known to cause significant and lasting psychological harm to patients by purportedly forcing patients to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. These practices are often aimed at minors. Evidence shows that LGBTQ+ youth who undergo conversion therapy are more than twice as likely to report having attempted suicide compared to those who did not.
All major U.S. medical or mental healthcare associations have condemned conversion therapy, including the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
According to the Movement Advancement Project, as of August 2025, 23 states and the District of Columbia entirely prohibit, and 4 states and Puerto Rico restrict, licensed healthcare providers from subjecting minors to conversion therapy.
“Conversion therapy has no place in any therapeutic setting. It is long-disproven, unethical, and deeply traumatic to the young people forced to endure it,” said Jennifer Pike Bailey, Director of Government Affairs, Human Rights Campaign. “Thank you to the Members of Congress who are standing with LGBTQ+ youth and their families in urging the Supreme Court to uphold Colorado’s protections against conversion therapy.”
In addition to Bennet, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and 167 U.S. Representatives, including Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), and Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.) signed the amicus brief.
The text of the amicus brief is available HERE.