Federal Court Upholds Colorado’s Ban on ‘Conversion Therapy’ for Children

A federal appeals court on Sept. 12 upheld Colorado’s law banning “conversion therapy” for minors, or therapy aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The Minor Conversion Therapy Law (MCTL) allows officials to revoke the licenses of health care professionals who are found to have offered conversion therapy. In the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, U.S. Circuit Judge Veronica Rossman wrote for the majority that studies and other evidence offered by Colorado officials show the therapy is harmful to minors, including increasing the possibility of suicide attempts. “We thus have no trouble concluding the MCTL is rationally related to Colorado’s interest in protecting minor patients seeking mental health care from obtaining ineffective and harmful therapeutic modalities,” Rossman wrote....