The Supreme Court just heard opening arguments in a case that could have a sweeping impact on the rights of counselors and LGBTQ+ youth across the nation.
The case, Chiles v. Salazar, centers on Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy, the controversial practice of counseling LGBTQ+ minors to influence or change their sexual orientation.
More than two dozen states currently enforce bans or strict limitations on the practice, which the medical community broadly regards as ineffective at best and deeply harmful at worst.
Now, one Christian therapist claims that Colorado’s ban is an unconstitutional violation of her free speech – and it seems likely that the nation’s highest court may be sympathetic to her argument.
Chiles v. Salazar Explained
The case is being brought by Colorado-based mental health therapist Kaley Chiles, an evangelical Christian who argues that the state is hindering her First Amendment rights. “It seemed like an invasion for the state to kind of be peering into our private counseling sessions,” she explained. “My speech is being censored because my clients are not able to see me and make certain goals that the state does not endorse.”
Chiles's attorneys claim that Colorado bars therapists from “helping minors pursue state-disfavored goals on issues of gender and sexuality” and censors “widely held views on debated moral, religious and scientific questions."
Chiles says that under the state's rules, she is forced to affirm LGBTQ+ kids in their sexuality – even if they that's not what they want.
For example, Chiles argues, under the law she can’t help children eliminate unwanted same-sex attraction, or help kids experiencing gender dysphoria grow comfortable with their bodies (as opposed to embracing a transgender identity).
“The problem is that the state has decided that my clients are not allowed to make certain goals,” Chiles stated. “People are struggling and suffering now because counselors like myself are not able to serve them without taking some pretty serious risks.”
The current law in Colorado only applies to licensed therapists acting in a professional capacity, meaning it doesn't place restrictions on the speech of unlicensed religious therapists, nor does it impact private conversations between friends and family on same-sex attraction or gender identity.
Is Conversion Therapy an Accepted Practice?
Chiles says she wants to help struggling kids. However, many within her own profession view conversion therapy not just as misguided – but dangerous.
“The American Counseling Association (ACA) opposes the practice of conversion therapy and advocates for the banning of such practices in the United States,” reads a statement by the organization. “Extensive research has demonstrated that conversion therapy is a harmful and damaging practice for clients, often resulting in psychological trauma and distress.”
Critics (including the ACA and other leading counseling organizations) allege that forcing minors to change their gender identity or sexual orientation leads to depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts.
What Are the Justices Saying?
However, based on the case's initial arguments, members of the Supreme Court aren't sure the issue is so clear-cut.
A number of justices appeared skeptical about the constitutionality of Colorado's law:
- Justice Samuel Alito said the law “looks like blatant viewpoint discrimination.”
- Justice Neil Gorsuch appeared concerned Colorado's law doesn't hold up to historical scrutiny; for example, he questioned whether it could have prohibited therapists from affirming a gay patient’s sexual orientation back when the medical community considered homosexuality to be a form of mental illness.
- Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked for more evidence that conversion therapy causes harm to minors.
We won’t know the Supreme Court’s ruling until next year, but opponents of conversion therapy worry that the Court may continue its trend of siding with religious plaintiffs and expanding limits on religious freedom.
Can You (Legally) “Pray the Gay Away”?
On the one hand, you have a counselor insisting the state is overreaching in its powers to regulate speech. The government "has no business censoring private conversations between clients and counselors," Chiles argues.
Yet Colorado argues that states have long regulated healthcare to promote the wellbeing of patients. They say all their conversion therapy ban is doing is “[prohibiting] a specific healthcare treatment that violates the standard of care.” This is no different than “barring doctors from urging lung cancer patients to take up smoking,” Colorado says.
What is your prediction for the case? Should conversion therapy be legal?
51 comments
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James Douglas Beaumont
The whole subject of gender identity and preference needs some background understanding in order to be understood and addressed properly. First one must know that people are spiritual entities, not bodies. The common thought is wrong, namely "I am this body and I have a soul". The truth is "I am a spiritual being and I have this body at this time." As spiritual beings we are genderless. Gender is a needful thing for reproduction. Spiritual beings do not need to be reproduced. We are eternal. We take a body and own it much as you would buy a car. Then we run it till it dies, and we then take another body, like you would go buy another car. So we go from "lifetime" to "lifetime", same spirit all the time, new body each time. The spirit is genderless. That said, probably most spiritual beings have a gender preference, and you will find that particular spirit typically in a body of that gender. But what if the spirit took a body of the wrong gender? Well, you will have a man that identifies as a woman, or vice versa. So why all the fuss about this? And especially, why the heck are we stigmatizing this? Simply understand what has happened and offer help to the individual to get on with their life and live it on their own terms and their own "forma de ser". Pass no judgement, do not stigmatize the issue. Simply accept the individual as a fellow human being and treat them with the dignity and respect that you should be affording to everyone. In other words, this is a non-issue. Why do people continue creating issues where they don't exist (examples racism and religious conflict) and at the same time spend little or no effort or attention on very real issues like what is happening with this planet and how do we fix it? And the elephant in the room ... why are we here and what is our purpose and what should we be doing with our lives and each other?
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Pix Edward
I am autistic. If someone were to put me into ABA, it would make me no less autistic, but much more likely to hate myself for something I can't control... And that's nothing compared to the horrors our LGBTQ+ youth are put through in conversion therapy. I attended a small school from K-12 with a boy I knew was different in some way; I didn't see him in a negative light, but until I understood the concept of sexuality, I didn't know what was different. When he was 19, he came out to me, and I gave him a hug, and we both cried because he thought I would hate him because he was different. We did live in a very judgemental town where people did hate him because he was born different, but he hadn't done anything to them other than exist. I feel it is my moral duty to show kindness to all, and help anyone to the best of my ability, regardless of their INS status, skin colour, sexual preference, or if they prefer cats over dogs. Now, I won't allow anyone to be disrespectful and cross boundaries, but if I don't live my life in accordance with my ideology, how can I expect anyone else to walk the walk? And if that therapist wants to practice a form of barbarism, perhaps she should consider a different career path rather than scarring a child for life.
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Melinda Lieu Shodin
I would love to see a stop finding our identity in our sexual orientation. I think our focus needs to be more on becoming human. Men, women of light I think we get bogged down by all of these false teachings from false prophets.
We need to focus on what really matters encouraging those who are having a hard time letting them know they are a value and have purpose and a future . and those children who need to know they are seen and heard Jesus love the children.
Let the children grow up and be children. Don’t make them worry about grown-up things they can make these decisions later on in life.
What I’m saying is change the direction of focus not on outward appearances, but upon inward beauty. Cultivate morality cultivate ethics cultivate high standards and zero expectations always learning always growing always evolving towards the light.
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Walter J. Holbrook
They need to stop Conversion Therapy.
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Reid P Echandia
Free speech is one thing. Conversion therapy? Is similar to when the Native American children were put into "schools " had their hair cut and given bibles. Teach how to embrace what you are born to be and be the best possible, respectful of others, child of God.
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Robert Gagnon
Good point! The same thing is going on schools disguised as inclusion. They force children to question their identity and embrace gender theory. Then they are praised for accepting it, memorizing and vocalizing pronouns and exhibiting empathy for the whole process. How could being well versed in sexual preference and alternative lifestyles not benefit a second grader? This gender movement tried recruiting the black community along with the pro choice people, but they had more sense.
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Bridget Kielas-Fecyk
There is another word for "Conversion Therapy" And it's BANNED by the Geneva Convention.
BRUTAL INHUMANE TORTURE.
And the worst part? The people administering this is deliberately, brutally, TORTURING INNOCENT CHILDREN sometimes to death. Because apparently, these think that it's better to brutally torture a child to death than allow them to be comfortable with who they are.
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Daniel Todd Kamm
Unless he forgives himself ... one up from pardoning oneself, eh?
Some people have all the luck! tk
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Daniel Todd Kamm
Long time mental health professional here... almost 40 years of insanity, others' and my own! In my trade, Conversion Therapy is not accepted and considered harmful. And there are tons of ethical dilemmas...If these pro-people want to call it something else, like "Jesus wants you to be Str8" therapy... okay fine.
It's amazing how far many insular, often dysfunctional, sometimes abusive, and then some, families will go to make sure that they just smell like a summer breeze... while their kids are hiding their shorts, peeing the beds, and using hairbrushes for things that hair brushes are not meant for...
These parents have a lot to answer for, because the kids aren't sick...someone else is.. and that someone needs to lose their say in the cover-up and go to jail.
Unless, of course, the raunchy one is president and can get by with that sort of thing by re-election by ... g-d knows what kinds of people... who don't care that he is ... essentially a villain.
As far as conversion therapy... it only works under duress. Which is what the family wants and will pay for to cover up their mess.
As far as our raunchy president... was glad to see the item this week (unless an AI hoax) where he stated he knew he was not going to heaven... loved the artwork with him standing at the top of an escalator....
But... we all have to return... ashes to ashes, dust to dust... though his ashes may outweigh his dust by more than some others... just sayin'....
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Patti Anne Lisenbee
Let's put it really simply. You were born a brunette, yet you're now a blonde. Your teeth were crooked, you straightened them with braces. You wear contacts to correct poor vision and change the color of your eyes. You wear clothes that reflect your idea of fashion instead of just simply covering your body. You took what you have and changed it to what you want it to be.
Gay kids are doing the same thing. They don't like what they've got, so they're changing it to be what they believe they should be like. If that means changing genders, so be it. They know how they feel, what's going on inside them. But for some reason too many people are denying them the chance to be who they really want to be.
I have no problem with letting transgender people change their bodies to reflect what's in their heads. "Pray the gay away' doesn't work! Anymore than praying your brunette hair away would, or praying for hair where there is none. Prayer is simply making your wishes known to some kind of higher power, if there is one. Whether or not your prayer is answered is subjective to your ideas of fulfillment.
Transgender people need to get their wishes fulfilled. They live their lives in the wrong body. They deserve to have happiness. Stop gay reconversion.
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Clytemnestra Z. Scott
God is neither male nor female. God is spirit, light and love. The Bible says judge ye not least you will be judge. I truly believe that God love all of us regardless of the lifestyle we choose. This is how I minster to people. I am a firm believer in love and compassion for all of humanity regardless of how they feel about me as a melanted woman ( that mean a black woman). In today's political environment there are some groups who don't love or like my completion. It just my responsibility as a minster to show unconditional love and light to all even a person like Charlie Kirk rest in peace. My God bless his wife to rise there daughters as a single mother in which he so frequently said large percentage of black children where fatherless and hopeless. Yet,l felt really bad for his death and how he was assassinated because I had my first two children in wedlock and all my children have wonderful father's so do I. So did my current husband father. Both of our fathers were in the air force They was aircraft mechanics in Vietnam. By the way very honourable father's and husband's of course no one is perfect but very smart working black men. Took very good care of us even gave us homes and a great work ethic. This is the importance of not judging and showing love with light. These are the thoughts of Rev. Clytemnestra Z. Scott
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Alexander Clarke
It has not happened with the clergy and who prays more than them.
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P. Keith Benefiel
"South Park" did an episode on this subject. Outstanding.
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Rev. Donut
Nope, can't "pray" the gay away.
The last forty or fifty years all ya heard was how "its not their fault" and "that's just how they were born".
So if that's true then that's how the supreme being wanted it. It's set. Prayer won't "Fix" it.If that's not true, then they knowingly subjected themselves to the gay and lesbian side and can reject it if they want to.
No prayer required.
I think a lot of the alleged gay and lesbian are fakes and only gay and lesbian to get or keep a job, be on Tik Tok and/or get exempted class status to mooch more and work less.
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Religion as a Weapon is Wrong
This is a religious decision, not a medical decision. I suppose that this person can council children within her own church (for a donation to the church rather than payment by an insurance company). Since this therapy is considered poor medical practice, the state has the right to ban it for minors. Like the website designer that went to SCOTUS to make sure she would never be asked to create a wedding website for a gay couple, this counselor has not been approached by any parent to provide conversion therapy for their children. These suits have political groups look for a person to represent the idea, then get it to court. We should be more concerned with the groups online that are supporting the idea of rape, gas chambers, etc. as some of them are in government or work for government. THAT should be what is disturbing us, not counselors, bakers, and website designers that never faced what they are complaining about. We are in big trouble, people, because a lot of this online hate is done in the name of religion. There is nothing religious about it. Do no harm, ever, to anybody. Do no harm.
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Tom Herman
Conversion therapy has been shown to be not only ineffective but barbaric. Standards (emphasis added) of care need to be left to the professionals. This is not a 1st amendment issue but given the court's willingness to ignore the Constitution when it suits their majority personal values, who knows how they may rule.
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Lucas V. Nickol
I think it's important that people are tolerant of others differences, even if they don't approve of their choices, or can't understand them. I understand sexual preference and identity as a choice, but I see it as a sovereign choice that an individual has an absolute right to make. I consider it as immutable as genetics. For others, it goes beyond a matter of choice to evolutionary biology, or the will of the divine creator. However one sees it, it should be valid. There's no real harm in differences of opinion.
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Elizabeth Susan Cosgrove
The outright nonsense being spouted by the "conversion therapy" side makes me sad. It also makes me think: inherent in their arguments is that being queer is a choice. Could it be that the folks espousing these terrible ideas ARE making a choice to "be straight"? Ergo, these people are bisexual or pansexual and are a) choosing to "be straight" and b) are extrapolating the fact they are choosing to be in "straight" relationships to everyone else.
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Patricia Ann Gross
I never thought of it that way. Thank you. I can use that one.
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Roger Barker
I have friend that have undergone co no Wesson therapy. Now in their 30s+ they are realizing how much damage this did to them. They got married, had children and some of them tried to commit suicide because of being forced to live a lie. All you had to say was Envagelical Christian for me to understand the real reason behind this persons push. It’s not about her rights. It’s all about her very vile interpretation of the Bible and Gods word.
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Jack Anthony Wilson
I don’t believe you can pray away Gay any more than you can pray away the color of your skin. Leave such things to God’s judgement He is the only one that can judge each of us.
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Kevin Joseph Kervick
The gay advocacy groups over-interpreted and oversold the conversion therapy laws beyond what they should be. They hamstrung therapists. Most of the laws should be repealed so questioning people can get adequate treatment.
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Jannetje Eleanore Van Went
I think it's time science comes to the rescue here, there is proof in DNA of a person's full female XX and male XY chromosome and someone who would be born male, but feel feminine the Y would have a short X leg on the Y and someone who is born XX the duplicate X has a shorter leg almost looking like Y, if there is God given proof in DNA...this gives no legal right to prevent a PERSON from seeking help for their proven genders personal needs and the law enforcers would have no.... leg to stand on. Where is science lately are they all munks?!
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Elizabeth Susan Cosgrove
The science is far more complex than that - lets stick with just sex for a moment: you can be chromosonally, genetically, and/or hormonally male, female or intersex. It is sufficently complex that collegiate level human biology classes don't do karotyping of students, to avoid a suprise reveal that impacts the student's grade.
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Patricia Ann Gross
If you have access to a University library, or Google (I suggest Mayo Clinic, for one), you can find hundreds, if not thousands, of scientific peer-reviewed articles that describe gender. Part of it is genetic, but even XX/XY is not binary (just go back to any article in this blog on transgender issues and you'll see plenty to back that up). Gender is a social construct built on binary "boxes" of socially ingrained ideals of how someone with certain genitals should behave and look. Search suggestions:
-Gender Dysphoria
-Gender and Binary
-Transgender Therapy
-Sex Chromosomes
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Dorothy Hawkins
A conservative religious friend opined that "homosexuality is a choice". I said:"Oh? Is that so? When did you decide you were a heterosexual? What class were you in when you made that decision?" Still good questions to ask.
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Vincent Van As
“Pray the Gay Away”: A Violation of International Human Rights Law
Legal Analysis by Minister Vincent van As – The Visionary
- Introduction
“Conversion therapy,” often disguised under religious or therapeutic pretexts such as “Pray the Gay Away,” purports to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. When directed at minors, these practices constitute psychological torture and a gross violation of human dignity. From a legal perspective, such actions are incompatible with both domestic constitutional protections and binding international human rights instruments to which most democratic nations, including the United States and South Africa, are signatories.
- Violations Under International Law
a. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) – Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Article 5: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. Conversion therapy directly violates both provisions by inflicting psychological harm and attacking a person’s inherent dignity. b. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) – Article 7: Prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. Article 26: Guarantees equality before the law and prohibits discrimination based on “any status,” including sexual orientation and gender identity. Subjecting minors to such treatment breaches the State’s obligation to protect them from harm, even when inflicted under religious or parental authority. c. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) – Article 19: States must protect children from “all forms of physical or mental violence.” Article 24(3): States must abolish traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children. Conversion therapy camps targeting minors violate these articles and expose the State to international accountability. d. Convention Against Torture (CAT) – The UN Committee Against Torture and the UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) have both declared conversion therapy to constitute torture or cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment when performed without free and informed consent—especially on minors.
- Domestic Legal Implications
In many jurisdictions, including Colorado, laws banning conversion therapy for minors were enacted to uphold constitutional protections of equality, dignity, and psychological integrity. If courts or legislatures overturn such bans, it may: breach due process and equal protection clauses under domestic constitutions; expose the State to international review and condemnation by UN treaty bodies; and create civil liability for practitioners under tort law (e.g., negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress).
- International Accountability
Should a government actively permit or endorse such practices, it could face findings of human-rights violations before UN Human Rights Council mechanisms; sanctions or reputational damage under the Universal Periodic Review process; and in extreme or systematic cases, investigations under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, where persecution on the grounds of sexual orientation may qualify as a crime against humanity if widespread and systematic.
- Conclusion
“Pray the Gay Away” is not a form of prayer—it is psychological coercion and state-tolerated violence. International human rights law imposes a duty on all governments to protect individuals, especially minors, from inhuman treatment, regardless of cultural or religious justification. The global consensus is clear: Love is not a disorder. Identity is not a disease. Torture is never therapy.
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Patricia Ann Gross
Even if she is right, that it violates her right to free speach, she needs to look at her counseling license (assuming she has one). It requires her to stick by a strict code of ethics, and every counseling body's code of ethics have codes specifically prohibiting the use of conversion therapy. If she wins and starts using it, she should lose her license to practice.
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Neil Patrick Hines
Pray Away the Gay is just advancing a particular religious idea over nature. The reality is that there have been "gay" persons and transgender, etc, since the beginning of our species, and as found in nature today. Gay individuals do not need to be "fixed" to align with any religious doctrine. Being gay is normal for some people and must be accepted as such with no added attention.
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Reverend Paula Copp
I suppose gene splicing to remove the gay gene is next…🙄🙄🙄
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James Riggle-Johnson
I wouldn't put it past them.
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James Riggle-Johnson
Conversion therapy isn’t therapy—it’s coercion disguised as counseling. It promotes the idea that if you just pray hard enough, talk long enough, or shame deep enough, you can “fix” a kid who’s gay or trans. Genuine therapy doesn’t try to change who a child is; it helps them understand why they feel what they feel and how to process it safely and honestly. You can’t convince someone to become gay, straight, bi, or trans—and you can’t persuade them not to be.
Banning conversion therapy isn’t some radical social experiment—it’s following the science. Every major medical and psychological association agrees: conversion therapy causes harm. Even worse, the data being cited to defend it was cherry-picked by the ADF, lifting lines out of context while ignoring the researcher’s own conclusion that the practice is dangerous.
Forcing a child into “therapy” meant to change who they are isn’t love—it’s psychological torture. And religion has no place in that process unless the patient chooses to bring it in. People love to shout about “indoctrination,” but let’s be honest—religion is something you’re taught. Being LGBTQ+ is something you’re born with. You can’t teach it, and you sure can’t erase it.
The Supreme Court should protect children, not ideology. But lately, it seems more interested in protecting faith than the facts of science. If that trend continues, we already know who’ll win—and it won’t be the kids who need help the most
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Matthew Mastrogiovanni
I pray for the day that people's eye's are opened to the fact that Christianity is a hate group.
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Tom Herman
I wouldn't go that far Matt. Some may be misguided but to categorize all as promoting hate is too far of a reach.
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Joseph Grieco
Not Christianity as a whole, but definitely some of those who publicly profess their faith as "Good Christians" all while trying to deny others their rights under G_d and the US Constitution.
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Patricia Ann Gross
Please reduce your brush stroke to a fine pencil line of the right-wing conservative Christian Nationalist fringe. Some of us have actually read the Gospels and believe them. Those living by the Laws of Leviticus and Deuteronomy (which have been poorly translated) are out-shouting the stories of those of us who live by the Sermon on the Mount.
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ServantOfJudgement
Very kindly Patricia, you broke the Sermon on the Mount when you passed judgement of fellow christians such as myself as being in the hate group Mr. Mastrogiovanni demands.
When you told him to 'pencil' me in the hate group he wants but exclude yourself, you violated the words you said you live by.
In our Lords sermon, he demonstrated that no human can live by God's law. Jesus amplified the old testament laws by saying even thinking sinful things equates to committing them.
Unfortunately that throws all of us under the bus.
Furthermore, if one does not read and believe the old testament, one cannot understand and believe the Gospels or the New Testament as a whole.
Mr. Mastrogiovanni can keep his judgement pencil lines right where they are and safely lump the entire body of Christ into whatever group that pleases him. If the Bible is true, one day Mr Mastrogiovanni will get his wish and the systematic global execution of Christians will commence.
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Patricia Ann Gross
SOJ, how is asking someone not to paint everyone with the same brushstroke, and thereby educating them that not everyone thinks the way they imagine) passing judgement? It was a response to being lumped into a place I don't belong, and Jesus never said not to stand up for onesself. People can have opinions, but opinions are not facts, and some opinions are not even based on facts. Judgement is not mine to give or to pass, but God's. My remarks were letting Mr. M know that not all Christians are like he invisions. Nothing more. Nothing less.
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Alexander Clarke
Nothing has failed more than prayer.
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ServantOfJudgement
Prayer got the most impossible candidate elected against the most behemoth propaganda machine ever to have existed.
Twice.
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Elizabeth Jane Erbe Wilcox
To think that being a member of the LGBTQIA2S+ community chose to be such is more ridiculous than thinking that heterosexuality was also chosen. Religious beliefs are chosen so let’s convert the religious folks to being non-religious. That would take care of a lot of “problems.”
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Robert Gagnon
First off Gender and transition therapy is very physically and psychologically damaging. Telling children to cross dress and indulge in fetishism is a form of conversion therapy. Ban neither or ban both. If a confused kid wants to hear both sides they should have that ability to do so. Endorsing one, while banning the other altogether is supporting a social ideology the majority of people don't recognize regardless of what medical boards (saturated with gender activists) say. As for trying to change gay people, I can't imagine that happening, but they are not cutting off parts of themselves medicinally or surgically. Conversion therapy is the term given to the guys that are paid by parents to kidnap kids and force them to concede to an ideology. Reparative therapy on the other hand is pure psychological help without a predisposed conclusion. You can't help someone if you can't ask them why they think they are in the wrong body. Normal reparative has been banned along with actual conversion therapy leaving only gender theory which only the minority of doctors approve of. WPATH and the SOC have lost 40% of their following but they are well imbedded in the medical boards and are the true source behind this movement. Children, parents and adults should have the option to choose who and what they believe. Forced indoctrination progressives use in schools is no different from the conversion therapy they ban in some states, they force kids to sit in a chair for hours a day repetitiously assailing them with ideology, forcing their capitulation. The God angle I'm not a fan of but maybe some children might want to hear them out also. As free speech it should be available to anyone that seeks it.
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James Riggle-Johnson
Robert, there is no such thing as “gender transition therapy.” If a child comes in diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a therapist begins by asking questions about why they feel that way. They are not supposed to convince them of anything. What does not happen is that a child goes in and comes out on medication or headed straight for surgery. Once a proper diagnosis is made, a good therapist might discuss social transition (such as dressing differently) and the potential negative reactions that could come from other people.
As for reparative therapy—it’s just a new label for conversion therapy. It’s meant to “repair” the child, but they aren’t broken. They might indeed be confused, but that’s what therapy is for: helping them uncover the real meaning behind what they’re experiencing. No therapist should ever try to convince a child that they’re wrong. Only by helping the child understand themselves can you truly help them.
And about the “gender activist doctors”—medical consensus isn’t decided by ideology but by decades of peer-reviewed research, lived experience, and data. Saying they’re all activists is like calling cardiologists “heart activists” for following the evidence on cholesterol.
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Robert Gagnon
When you say comes in diagnosed with gender dysphoria I would assume a full psychological evaluation has been performed by a non biased physician. Since many children tend to self diagnose this condition and may seek short cuts that include gender clinics or self medication through internet providers, it would be prudent to repair a self misdiagnosis. Gender transition therapy does exist in the form of affirmation therapy listed in the SOC. Once again a good therapist whether religious based or otherwise would not accept a self diagnosis but be suspicious of it. Many trans influencers tell these kids what to say such as claiming suicidal thoughts to jump start the transition process. What if a childs reason for believing they are trans is wrong? Such as obsessive behavior, that should not be corrected, repaired or treated? In this case they are broken or in the least mistaken in their perception. Many gender ideology based therapists operate under the assumption that transition is the cure for every doubt children have about themselves, they are not good therapists as they are biased. To claim any therapist not aligned with gender theory is automatically disqualified from serving a positive purpose is biased also. The Cass report and the Dutch findings contradict and question the peer reviewed research you mention as highly questionable(well over 90%). Why impose only one therapeutic belief and not any other? Puberty is an essential cycle of human growth that's physical, emotional and neurological. Any belief that this cycle should be bypassed by blockers is counter productive since the Dutch study found that during and after puberty dysphoria dissipated or disappeared in the majority trans juveniles.
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James Riggle-Johnson
Robert, where do I begin? The second you mentioned the Cass Report, I knew where this was heading. That report’s conclusions were predetermined—it wasn’t peer-reviewed and leaned heavily on anecdotal and speculative claims while downplaying other evidence.
And regarding the Dutch study—you might want to recheck your source. The original Dutch researchers found that puberty blockers improved well-being for youth who continued to identify as trans, and they’ve spoken out against people misrepresenting their work. The “40% changed their minds” claim doesn’t come from their study at all—it’s a distortion of older data that lumped together kids who weren’t even diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
As for diagnosing and treating gender dysphoria—of course I’m talking about a licensed therapist. No professional should ever take a self-diagnosis as fact, and there’s no credible evidence that they do. Puberty blockers don’t “bypass” puberty; they pause it. They’ve been safely used for decades—not just by trans youth, but for other medical conditions as well.
Finally, have you ever met a trans person? Their numbers haven’t exploded—what’s changed is that they’re no longer forced into silence. They’ve made up about 1% of the population for decades. All they’re asking for is the same dignity and care anyone else would want.
And that’s what this article is really about: conversion therapy. Forcing a child—often against their will—to believe they’re mistaken about who they are isn’t therapy. It’s abuse.
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Robert Gagnon
Yup saw the note that adolescents were happy getting what they wanted. Also the mention that the observed lessening of dysphoria during and after puberty were not specified as receiving gender treatment or not. Pausing puberty is another way to say delay it until cross hormones are applied. Every day of puberty is a physical, neural, and emotional development that cannot be regained. Puberty does not get extended while blockers are used in nonprecious children. And there are absolutely no long term studies of blockers in non precocious use. So it is experimental. Jumping right to cross HRT from blockers does bypass the natural development. Blockers are used in precocious children to allow the body to mature enough to the point when puberty should begin. I see you avoided the influencers coaching mention, similar to illegals being told what to say at the border. Only 40% I mentioned was WPATHs drop in membership in 2024. It's easy to write off Cass report because it conflicts with so many faulty reports which are predetermined to produce the outcome to solidify the faulty theory of innate behavior. There are some good gender therapists like the ones on the WPATH tapes that were ridiculed by the organization for asking legitimate questions. But they stifle any therapy that may contradict their beliefs. That is where they are obviously not science based as claimed but faith based wholly on theory. That's why they say evidence backed rather than proven fact. Jenner was a trans hero until he said children shouldn't transition. Now he/she's a pariah. Social contagion is real and evidence based until the word trans is used in the same sentence. A science backed org. would jump on the chance to have a tool to weed out the confused and the posers. But then reparative therapy would serve an obvious purpose. They'd rather bury useful therapy like the witch hunters burned scientific advances calling them black magic. I get it, gender theory appeals to you so you rationalize it, but there are very, very few true transexuals as described in SOC1. All these posers, dreaming crossdressers and fetishists are not the real thing. They are unstable but not truly mad enough to know they are the opposite sex, when in truth they are not. That was the original definition of a transexual, when they know they are in the wrong body.
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James Riggle-Johnson
Robert, we’re talking about conversion therapy — and “reparative therapy” is just the new label for the same harmful practice. Forcing a child to deny their feelings, telling them they’re broken, or mixing religion into psychotherapy only causes harm. It’s an attempt to “cure” people of who they are — whether that’s their sexual orientation or gender identity. It’s abuse. If a child chooses to enter therapy like this, they should be told the truth: there is no cure. The goal should be to help them understand who they truly are — straight, gay, or trans — and to learn to accept themselves and live a happy life.
Your comments about “posers,” “crossdressers,” and “fetishists” have nothing to do with transgender people. They only show how little you actually know about the LGBTQ community.
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Dean T. Mason
I think it barbaric and harmful no matter what. This Government is just out of control. The constitution is the law of this country. No ways around that. Our forefathers would shake the ground of they saw this today.
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obere mchugh
conversion therapy is never a good idea its just ridiculous, and harmful no matter what, its a barbaric practice and enforcing a horrible ideal that is just not good for patients ill always advocate against it 100%
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Joseph Grieco
Oh, it is no where near ridiculous. It's terrifying. Think of the movies you've seen of psychiatric hospitals and their horrors (electroshock therapy, lobotomies, drugging to the point of barely supported bodily functions, etc.). With the exception of the lobotomies, that pretty much describes Conversion Therapy today.
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The whole subject of gender identity and preference needs some background understanding in order to be understood and addressed properly. First one must know that people are spiritual entities, not bodies. The common thought is wrong, namely "I am this body and I have a soul". The truth is "I am a spiritual being and I have this body at this time." As spiritual beings we are genderless. Gender is a needful thing for reproduction. Spiritual beings do not need to be reproduced. We are eternal. We take a body and own it much as you would buy a car. Then we run it till it dies, and we then take another body, like you would go buy another car. So we go from "lifetime" to "lifetime", same spirit all the time, new body each time. The spirit is genderless. That said, probably most spiritual beings have a gender preference, and you will find that particular spirit typically in a body of that gender. But what if the spirit took a body of the wrong gender? Well, you will have a man that identifies as a woman, or vice versa. So why all the fuss about this? And especially, why the heck are we stigmatizing this? Simply understand what has happened and offer help to the individual to get on with their life and live it on their own terms and their own "forma de ser". Pass no judgement, do not stigmatize the issue. Simply accept the individual as a fellow human being and treat them with the dignity and respect that you should be affording to everyone. In other words, this is a non-issue. Why do people continue creating issues where they don't exist (examples racism and religious conflict) and at the same time spend little or no effort or attention on very real issues like what is happening with this planet and how do we fix it? And the elephant in the room ... why are we here and what is our purpose and what should we be doing with our lives and each other?
I should add another part to this. I have covered the part about gender identity. I should only add that if one does not identify with either gender, then that is OK too. Then the spiritual being is simply identifying as themself. As for relationships with others we should strive to surround ourselves with other beings you feel comfortable and compatible with, regardless of their body gender. This goes for any size group from one up to many. Yes, if you don't feel comfortable with anyone you have met then it is OK to keep company with yourself. But I like to think that there are others you could feel comfortable with. It has been called "finding your tribe". And if you are thinking of a family, still choose on the basis of comfort and compatibility. If that leaves you with a couple of the same gender, there are options. Adoption, sperm donor (if you are both ladies), surrogate mother (if you are both guys). The important thing is understanding and caring and respect. Anything else is just part of the process for your relationship. And any and all laws about domestic relationships and families should be made to fully embrace the above concepts.