By Kathryn Post
(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 …
Miryam Kabakov, founder and executive director of Eshel, an LGBTQ+ inclusive Orthodox Jewish organization, told RNS that part of the group’s work involves helping people avoid conversion therapy by connecting them with affirming mental health professionals, and working with hundreds of rabbis, schools and guidance counselors to teach them that “being LGBTQ+ is an immutable part of who someone is.”
She said the court’s ruling was “deeply upsetting” to many in Eshel’s community, especially survivors of the practice. “This ruling is bringing up past trauma from these therapies,” she said.
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