SCOTUS should protect LGBTQ+ children from harmful conversion ‘therapy’ practices

Americans United for Separation of Church and State President and CEO Rachel Laser issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court hearing oral argument today in the Chiles v. Salazar case: 

ADF case is part of crusade to turn religious freedom into a weapon

“Our laws should protect children from harm, including harm caused in the name of ‘religious freedom.’ Colorado’s law protects vulnerable LGBTQ+ children from the proven harm of dangerous and discredited conversion ‘therapy’ practices. Alliance Defending Freedom, an aggressive Christian Nationalist organization, is spearheading this case as part of its crusade to turn religious freedom into a weapon. 

“Our country’s promise of church-state separation means that all Americans must be free to live as themselves and believe as they choose, as long as they do not harm others. We need a national recommitment to the separation of church and state.” 

AU filed brief in support of Colorado anti-conversion ‘therapy’ law

Americans United was joined by nearly two dozen national and Colorado-based religious organizations in an amicus brief that urged the U.S. Supreme Court to affirm that Colorado’s Minor Conversion Therapy Law does not violate the First Amendment rights of mental health practitioners. The brief offers several religious perspectives, including Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, and Unitarian Universalist, that support the law because they believe all children should be protected from harm and feel safe, included, and supported.

Click here for more information on Chiles v. Salazar.