.png){kind=logo}
DENVER, CO – House sponsors of new legislation to allow Coloradans to pursue a civil action for damages related to conversion therapy today released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling against Colorado’s conversion therapy ban:
Representatives Alex Valdez, D-Denver, and Karen McCormick, D-Longmont:
“We’re deeply disappointed in the U.S. Supreme Court ruling against Colorado’s conversion therapy ban. We will say it loud and clear – conversion therapy does not work, and many mental health and medical organizations agree that conversion therapy is ineffective and harmful. The LGBTQ+ community already faces higher rates of depression and suicide, and conversion therapy only makes things worse.
“In Colorado, you belong just the way you are. Now more than ever, we must protect LGBTQ+ Coloradans from the harmful practice that is conversion therapy. We vow to keep moving forward to safeguard the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado.”
HB26-1322 passed the House Judiciary Committee last week. It would allow an individual who was subject to damaging conversion therapy to bring a civil cause of action against certain professionals who cause damages from efforts to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
In 2019, Colorado Democrats passed a law to ban state-licensed medical or mental health care providers from providing conversion therapy to minors. Under this law,
claims against providers must be filed within two years. HB26-1322 would remove this time restriction, and if the impacted individual has passed away, their representative could bring a survival action within five years of the individual’s death.