Hearing the words “conversion therapy” makes me seethe and I hope the rage that burns within me for its victims is set ablaze within you, too. Conversion therapy is “the practice of attempting to cause a non-heterosexual person to become heterosexual by using psychoanalysis, behavior modification, spiritual counseling, etc,” as stated in the Oxford Dictionary.

In Colorado, the ban on this practice remains in limbo, despite being enacted in 1999, due to Kaley Chiles, a Christian counselor in the state. Chiles’ argument for unbanning conversion therapy is that the laws regarding the limitations are an infringement of her First Amendment right of free speech.

Alliance Defending Freedom writes about the seemingly irreversible effects of medical transitioning. But this argument is flawed, as individuals must go through intensive and lengthy processes to become approved for any transitioning surgeries.

The court hearing for this matter took place Oct. 7, and here is what you need to know:

“Chiles argues, the state would need to demonstrate how talk-focused conversion therapy harms minors sufficiently to justify an otherwise unconstitutional restriction of free speech and exercise rights. According to this standard, Chiles contends that the statute would almost certainly fail,” said Alison Gash from the Washington Monthly. 

Despite the numerous instances in which talk-conversion therapy has proven itself harmful, Chiles refuses to acknowledge its issues, and she is still not convinced that the disgusting practice of conversion therapy should be banned. 

The state of Colorado has a poor track record of compliance with discrimination laws. This new legal battle feels like an uphill trudge and a complete slap in the face to the queer community across the United States and those who have been victims of conversion therapy. 

According to Stanford Medicine’s Krista Conger, “programs designed to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity are linked to depression, PTSD and suicidality in a Stanford Medicine-led study of more than 4,000 participants.” This goes to show how harmful conversion therapy can be.

It should concern you further that “the negative mental health impacts of conversion practices have been well-documented and major health care organizations, including the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Psychiatric Association, have denounced their use.”

I hope this knowledge pushes you to be more active in supporting queer people and understand that until we are all free, none of us are free.