(RNS) — As LGBTQ-affirming faith communities across the United States prepared to celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility on Tuesday (March 31), their plans were interrupted by news the Supreme Court had ruled that morning against Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy.
A form of talk therapy that attempts to change the gender identity or sexual orientation of LGBTQ people, conversion therapy has been widely discredited by major medical organizations due to evidence it is ineffective and can lead to suicide. In a striking 8-1 ruling, the court sided with evangelical Christian therapist Kaley Chiles, who argued Colorado’s law violated her right to free speech by preventing her from working with young people “who have same-sex attractions or gender identity confusion” and are seeking to “live a life consistent with their faith.”
As conservative groups celebrated the news as a win for free speech, LGBTQ and LGBTQ-affirming faith groups condemned the decision, saying it could threaten conversion-therapy bans in over 20 other states.
“‘Conversion therapy’ is not only medically spurious, its history is inseparable from a kind of religious malpractice that tells LGBTQI+ people that something about them is inherently depraved and in need of fixing,” the Rev. Sofía Betancourt, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, told RNS.
In statements, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Interfaith Alliance and the National Council of Jewish Women shared similar sentiments.
“Our tradition teaches that every person is created b’tzelem Elohim — in the image of the Divine,” said Darcy Hirsh, vice president of government relations and advocacy at the NCJW. “That means every LGBTQ+ child is made exactly as they are supposed to be, and should be cherished for who they are …
