On Tuesday, October 7, the U.S. Supreme Court appeared poised to support the challenge to a law banning conversion therapy in the state of Colorado.

Conversion therapy, popular amongst religious conservative guardians of queer youth, encourages LGBTQ+ children to “convert” back to a heterosexual, cisgender identity. The practice is currently banned in over 20 states, including Colorado, and has been opposed by medical organizations since the 1990s. The Colorado law, passed in 2019, prohibits licensed therapists from conducting conversion therapy.

The Supreme Court, which currently has a conservative majority, listened to the arguments of a Christian therapist, who said the law “violated” her free speech under the First Amendment. The court argued back and forth for almost an hour and a half on whether the “therapy” causes harm to queer minors.

Lawyers from the Trump Administration and the therapist argued that conversion therapy had no reliable studies that claimed it was harmful. However, Cornell University has reviewed over 12 peer-reviewed studies with primary research saying the opposite. A Stanford University study of more than 4,000 participants has additionally found the practice linked to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidality. A lawyer for the state of Colorado added that there is a “mountain” of evidence that conversion therapy is both harmful and ineffective.

While the Supreme Court has supported LGBTQ+ rights in the past, it ruled in favor of opting out of queer-themed books in elementary schools this past summer.

The ruling against this law could be catastrophic and could potentially impact 23 states and the District of Columbia that protect minors from conversion therapy. Such a decision would put their safety and well-being at risk.

Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson released a statement saying, “So-called ‘conversion therapy’ is not therapy, it is an abusive, discredited pseudoscience rooted in shame, rejection, and fear. It often resorts to guilt, coercion, and trauma in a disturbing effort to make someone believe they are less than simply because of who they are. Laws like Colorado’s are crucial in ensuring that parents can trust licensed mental health professionals to keep youth safe, supported, and able to get the care they need without fear of judgment or bias."

The court’s decision is expected by June.