Washington, D.C. — Today, Indivisible’s Co-Executive Director Leah Greenberg released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Chiles v. Salazar:
“The Supreme Court’s decision today in Chiles v. Salazar is a devastating step backward that will cause real harm to American children and families. By weaponizing the First Amendment, the Court has elevated anti-LGBTQ+ bias over the safety, health, and wellbeing of young people.
“So-called ‘conversion therapy’ is not therapy – it is discredited pseudoscience. Every major medical and mental health association has condemned it as harmful and unethical. It traumatizes children, tears families apart, and replaces trust with shame, coercion, and rejection. It is, and always has been, malpractice and consumer fraud. This ruling does not change the facts: conversion therapy remains dangerous. It is linked to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts among young people and robs individuals of their sense of self.
“This practice is cruel, exploitative, and should never be offered under the guise of legitimate mental healthcare. Families are often left not only with deep emotional scars, but also thousands of dollars in financial harm from these scams. And the implications of this decision extend beyond LGBTQ+ youth. Undermining states’ ability to protect patients from fraudulent and abusive practices opens the door to a broader erosion of safeguards across our healthcare system.
“But this fight is far from over. Those who continue to profit from harming children should be on notice: survivors and advocates are pursuing accountability through every available avenue. We stand with them – and we will continue to support the work to expose, challenge, and end these abusive practices. Our children deserve better, and we will not stop until they are protected.”
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