Local representatives chastised the court ruling. (photo by Jon Viscott)

March 31 was Transgender Day of Visibility, but an 8-1 U.S. Supreme Court decision that same day was deemed a setback for conversion therapy bans.

The Supreme Court ruled against a Colorado law that banned mental health professionals from any attempt to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of a minor, which had been taken to court by an evangelical counselor, Kaley Chiles. Chiles – according to the New York Times – wanted to align young people to live life “consistent with their faith.”

Two of the court’s liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, sided with the conservative majority, while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued a lengthy dissent.

“The Constitution does not pose a barrier to reasonable regulation of harmful medical treatments just because substandard care comes via speech instead of scalpel,” Jackson said.

Bringing up the issue of free speech, Kagan wrote that the issue was with the Colorado law itself, arguing that it did not allow both sides of the issue to be heard.

“Because the state has suppressed one side of a debate, while aiding the other, the constitutional issue is straightforward,” she said.

In the past, both Sotomayor and Kagan have largely sided with the LGBTQ+ community on various issues, including in the historic Obergefell v. Hodges decision that made marriage equality the law of the land.

Los Angeles LGBT Center Joe Hollendoner chastised the conversion therapy ruling in a blistering statement.

“[On March 31], the Supreme Court chose to open the door to dangerous, discredited practices by weakening longstanding protections against so-called ‘conversion therapy.’ Let’s be clear about what that means: The court has yet again sided with ideology over science and, in doing so, has made it easier for vulnerable young people to be subjected to harm under the guise of care.”

The reaction from the city of West Hollywood, which has long had an LGBTQ+-majority council and was declared a sanctuary city for transgender people in 2023, was similar to the center’s tone.

“I’m saddened by the Supreme Court’s decision but not surprised,” Councilwoman Lauren Meister said. ‘We’ve seen the writing on the wall – SCOTUS and/or this administration continue to take away the rights of LGBTQ people, particularly targeting the transgender community. It’s cruel and inhumane – and unfortunately, will lead to more teens running away from their families, just so they can be themselves. The city of West Hollywood will continue to be a beacon of hope for the LGBTQ community and will continue to speak out against this type of injustice.”

“The Supreme Court has failed the LGBTQ+ community yet again. I want to be clear: LGBTQ+ people are worthy of love, dignity and respect and not the harmful tactics of conversion therapy. It’s also not lost on me that this ruling came out on Transgender Day of Visibility,” West Hollywood Councilman John Erickson said. “It’s shameful and sick and they should be ashamed of themselves.”

Erickson noted, however that a potential California law, introduced by State Sen. Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco) could potentially safeguard the state against a sudden influx of conversion therapy practices.

“Sen. Scott Wiener has introduced legislation that would allow people impacted by these harmful tactics to file civil lawsuits,” Erickson said. “We may not be able to ban conversion therapy in California but we can certainly bankrupt them and I fully support this legislation.”

California Senate Bill 934 would clarify current California conversion therapy prohibitions, potentially safeguarding it from the same fate as the Colorado law.

“We need to be very, very clear that conversion therapy is psychological torture,” said Wiener, who is currently running to succeed U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco). “It is not possible to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Impulse Group, which is a part of AIDS Health Foundation, released a statement, as well, with founder Jose Ramos calling the decision a “threat to LGBTQ+ youth.”

“We know what’s at stake because we’ve lived it,” Ramos said. “Conversion therapy is not care. It’s harm, and it does not belong in any society that values dignity. As a community of gay men, we have the responsibility to speak out. We won’t stay silent while the next generation is put at risk. Our youth deserve protection, affirmation and support.”

“Conversion therapy is not health care – it is abuse. It is a deliberate attempt to erase LGBTQ+ young people at their core, and its consequences are devastating: higher rates of depression, anxiety, substance use and suicide attempts,” Hollendoner said. “Every major medical and mental health authority in this country has rejected it. That should have been the end of the conversation. As Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned in her dissent, this decision risks ushering in ‘an era of unprofessional and unsafe medical care,’ where those entrusted to protect young people are instead permitted to harm them. No court should legitimize practices that put children on a path toward lifelong trauma.”