politics
April 3, 2026
US supreme court’s ‘conversion therapy’ ruling opens ‘can of worms’. What’s next?
The court ruled 8-1 against a Colorado law banning ‘conversion therapy’ for youths. What does it mean for other states, and why did two liberals side with conservatives?
TL;DR
- The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 against Colorado's ban on "conversion therapy" for minors, citing free speech infringement.
- The ruling subjects the Colorado law to "strict scrutiny" in a lower court, which experts believe it will likely fail.
- The decision potentially threatens similar bans in 22 other states and raises concerns about states' ability to regulate healthcare speech.
- Two liberal justices, Kagan and Sotomayor, sided with the conservative majority, viewing the ban as "viewpoint discrimination."
- Justice Jackson dissented, warning of "disastrous implications" for state regulation of medical care and potential harm to youth.
- Medical groups condemn conversion therapy as non-evidence-based and linked to increased depression and suicide attempts.
- The ruling does not legalize conversion therapy but may shift accountability to individual patients to pursue legal action against practitioners.
- Concerns exist that the ruling could be weaponized to challenge other forms of medical regulation and healthcare provision, such as transgender healthcare and reproductive healthcare.
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