The recent Supreme Court ruling annulled Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors, raising concerns among gender justice advocates. Minnesota is progressing a bill to ban this practice, which aims to protect minors from ineffective and harmful interventions that can lead to mental health issues, as highlighted in a 2022 Minnesota Department of Health review.
The bill, supported by both parties in the legislature, prohibits mental health professionals from conducting conversion therapy and ensures that medical aid doesn’t cover it. Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling favoring a Colorado counselor on free speech grounds, it doesn’t invalidate Minnesota’s law, although it may invite challenges against it.
Jess Braverman of Gender Justice emphasized the need for accountability in cases of harm from conversion therapy, noting that other mechanisms, like malpractice lawsuits, remain available. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Queer Legislature expressed outrage over the ruling, stressing the potential dangers it poses to LGBTQ youth and pledging to work with state officials to safeguard against its impacts.
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