Colorado Democrats want to help conversion therapy survivors sue for damages

[Jessica_Rose ✅]

Colorado Democrats want to help conversion therapy survivors sue for damages

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/03/colorado-democrats-want-to-help-conversion-therapy-survivors-sue-for-damages/ 🔗

Alex Bollinger (25 March 2026)

The Colorado Legislature is considering a bill to allow conversion therapy survivors to sue for damages.

H.B. 26-1322 would allow people who have been harmed by conversion therapy to sue therapists who tried to change their sexual orientation or gender identity to seek damages in civil suits. They could also sue the facilities that employed the conversion therapists.

The bill has been introduced as Colorado's ban on conversion therapy, passed in 2019, is being challenged at the Supreme Court. A Christian therapist sued the state, saying that the ban on licensed mental health professionals providing conversion therapy to minors has had a negative impact on her rights to free speech and free exercise of religion, despite the fact that the state has said that she wouldn't be prosecuted under the law.

The new bill could perhaps serve as a solution if the Court overturns the state's conversion therapy ban. Instead of a ban, it would just allow people to sue for the harms caused by conversion therapy, which have been found to include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and suicidality.

H.B. 26-1322 limits liability to conversion therapy provided by licensed mental health professionals.

"Conversion therapy doesn't fix anything because nothing is broken," said Valdez, Westword reports. "The harms are well documented in literature, film, and professional analysis.... Colorado is making a statement that we will not make it easy to cause harm, we will continue working towards a world where LGBTQ people are treated as equals, not in need of 'conversion.'"

[Lori Dee ✅]

H.B. 26-1322 limits liability to conversion therapy provided by licensed mental health professionals.

The problem with this bill is that it is limited to licensed mental health professionals.

Unlicensed religious counselors are exempt, and yet do just as much harm through conversion therapy. They are exempt because it is considered "religious counseling" and not "mental health" counseling.

In my opinion, a ban is a ban. It should be prohibited in any form.