Should conversion therapy be banned? What poll found amid Supreme Court case

A majority of Americans support outlawing conversion therapy for minors, according to a new YouGov/Economist survey. At the same time, most doubt the effectiveness of the controversial practice, saying it cannot change a person’s sexual orientation from gay to straight. The poll did not ask about the practice as it relates specifically to gender identity.

It comes as the Supreme Court is weighing a challenge to Colorado’s law prohibiting conversion therapy for minors. The law, passed in 2019, forbids physicians and mental health care providers from attempting to change a child’s sexual orientation or gender expression.

The case was brought by Kaley Chiles, a licensed Christian counselor who argues that the state’s ban violates the First Amendment, unlawfully restricting her ability to provide services aligned with her religious beliefs.

“When my young clients come to me for counsel, they often want to discuss issues of gender and sexuality,” Chiles said in a statement. “Yet my home state only allows my clients to pursue state-approved goals like gender transition.”

Colorado officials, meanwhile, defended the statute as a “reasonable regulation,” telling the justices during oral arguments on Oct. 7 that therapists have a duty to shield their patients from substandard care.

“This has been an area that has been heavily regulated from the beginning of our country,” Colorado Solicitor General Shannon Stevenson told the court. “And no one has ever suggested that a doctor has a First Amendment defense to say the wrong advice to their patient.”

Stevenson pointed to a “mountain of evidence” that conversion therapy is harmful. The practice has been discredited by multiple leading medical organizations, including the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Some studies have also found it is associated with depression and suicidality.

However, the court’s conservative majority appeared skeptical of the Centennial State’s ban, with Justice Samuel Alito saying the prohibition “looks like blatant viewpoint discrimination,” and questioning whether medical consensus can be influenced by “ideology.”

The court’s ruling, which is expected by June 2026, could have nationwide implications as more than 20 states have laws prohibiting minors from undergoing conversion therapy.

Public opinion on conversion therapy

In the survey — which sampled 1,622 U.S. adults Oct. 10-13 — respondents were asked whether they oppose or favor laws that ban conversion therapy for adults under the age of 18.

A majority, 59%, said they support such laws, while 20% said they are against them. An additional 22% said they were not sure.

On this question, a consensus emerged across the political spectrum, with most Democrats (59%), Republicans (60%) and independents (57%) expressing support for bans.

Respondents were also asked whether they believe conversion therapy can “change a person’s sexual orientation from gay to straight.”

Most of them, 58%, said this practice cannot change someone’s sexual orientation, while just 11% said that it can. Nearly one-third, 32%, said they were not sure.

Here, a noticeable partisan divide emerged. Most Democrats and independents — 75% and 55%, respectively — said the therapeutic practice cannot result in a changed sexual orientation. A plurality of Republicans, 45%, agreed.

Additionally, the poll — which has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points — asked respondents whether lesbians and gays should participate in programs attempting to alter their sexual orientation.

A 49% plurality said they should not take part in such programs, while 17% said they should and 34% said they were not sure.

Two-thirds of Democrats said gays and lesbians should not take part in these measures, while smaller shares of independents and Republicans — 48% and 35% — shared this view.

This story was originally published October 15, 2025 at 11:45 AM.