Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed a new law strengthening protections for queer youth against conversion therapy, just two months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state’s previous ban on the practice. The law, known as HB26-1322, was signed Monday in Denver on the first day of Pride Month. It prohibits therapists from imposing a predetermined outcome regarding a young person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Polis said, “Conversion Therapy is harmful, can traumatize kids, and is a scam to waste people’s hard-earned money…This new law provides Coloradans who have been subject to this dehumanizing treatment with the tools to heal and move on to live strong, healthy and authentic lives.” The new law also gives survivors more time to file malpractice claims tied to conversion therapy. Colorado lawmakers introduced the bill after the Supreme Court ruled in March that the state’s earlier conversion therapy ban was not viewpoint-neutral. Polis also signed an executive order directing state agencies to ensure no public funding is used for conversion therapy programs.
