Statement from HRA – Supreme Court Decision Striking Down Protections Against Conversion Therapy – March 31, 2026

The Human Rights Alliance of Santa Fe is deeply alarmed and profoundly disappointed by the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to strike down Colorado’s ban on so-called “conversion therapy” for minors. This ruling is not just a legal shift. It is a direct threat to the safety, dignity, and well-being of LGBTQIA2S young people across this country.

Let’s be clear about what has happened. The Court has elevated a sweeping interpretation of free speech over the established responsibility of states to protect children from harm. By framing therapeutic practices as protected speech, the Court has opened the door for dangerous, discredited interventions to return under the cover of constitutional protection.

Conversion therapy is not care. It is not neutral. It is not harmless. It is a practice that every major medical and psychological association has condemned as ineffective and dangerous. It has been directly linked to increased rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide among LGBTQIA2S youth. These are not abstract concerns. These are lived realities.

This decision erodes critical protections that states like Colorado put in place to safeguard minors. It undermines decades of medical consensus. And it creates immediate legal vulnerability for similar protections in more than 20 states. In one stroke, the Court has reframed harm as “speech” and, in doing so, placed countless young people at risk.

For LGBTQIA2S communities, the impact is immediate and deeply personal. Young people may now be exposed to coercive practices aimed at changing who they are. Families may find it harder to identify safe, affirming mental health providers. Trust in care systems, already fragile for many, will be further strained. And for intersex, nonbinary, and transgender youth, who are already disproportionately targeted, this ruling compounds an already dangerous landscape.

As an intersex and nonbinary person, I want to say this plainly. Our lives are not theoretical debates. Our existence is not a problem to be solved. And no court ruling will ever change the truth that LGBTQIA2S people are whole, worthy, and deserving of affirmation.

This is not the end of the story. It is a call to action.

We urge immediate and sustained advocacy at every level. Federal protections must be pursued to ensure that no child in this country is subjected to conversion therapy. States must act creatively and urgently to strengthen safeguards that can withstand constitutional scrutiny. Medical professionals, mental health providers, and faith leaders must speak with one unified voice: conversion therapy is harmful, unethical, and incompatible with any standard of care rooted in dignity and truth.

But beyond policy, this moment demands action in our communities.

We call on individuals, families, and local leaders to take the following steps:

Support and amplify affirming providers. Seek out and uplift mental health professionals who practice evidence-based, affirming care. Share those resources widely so families know where safe support exists.

Engage local institutions. Speak with school boards, community centers, and youth organizations about adopting clear policies that reject conversion therapy and promote affirming environments.

Organize community education. Host conversations, panels, and trainings that expose the harms of conversion therapy and center the voices of survivors and LGBTQIA2S advocates.

Show up in public spaces. Attend rallies, city council meetings, and community gatherings. Visibility matters. Silence allows harm to take root.

Hold faith communities accountable. Encourage religious leaders to reject harmful practices and embrace affirming, life-giving theology. Faith should never be used as a weapon against young people.

Support LGBTQIA2S youth directly. Create and sustain spaces where young people are seen, heard, and affirmed exactly as they are. Sometimes the most powerful act is simply ensuring a young person knows they are not alone.

Check in on the young people in your life. This decision will land heavily. Make sure they know they are loved, supported, and safe.

The Human Rights Alliance of Santa Fe will continue to stand on the front lines of this work. We will advocate. We will educate. We will organize. And we will not allow harmful practices to be normalized under the guise of free speech.

Because this has never been about abstract rights alone. It is about whether we are willing to protect children from harm. It is about whether we choose truth over ideology. It is about whether we recognize the sacred dignity of every human being.

LGBTQIA2S young people deserve to grow into who they already are, not who someone else demands they become.

And we are not done fighting.