Wisconsin Supreme Court Clears Path For Conversion Therapy Ban

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has cleared the path for the state to implement a ban on the harmful practice of conversion therapy – the scientifically discredited practice of attempting to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court cleared the way for the state to institute a ban on conversion therapy.

The court ruled that a Republican-controlled legislative committee’s rejection of a state agency rule that would ban the practice was unconstitutional.https://t.co/rLglTlfym0 — Scott Bauer (@sbauerAP) July 8, 2025

From Scott Bauer at AP News:

The court ruled that a Republican-controlled legislative committee’s rejection of a state agency rule that would ban the practice of conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ people was unconstitutional.

The decision, which has a broad impact far beyond the conversion therapy issue, takes power away from the Legislature to block the enactment of rules by the governor’s office that carry the force of law.

The 4-3 ruling from the liberal-controlled court comes amid the national battle over LGBTQ+ rights. It is also part of a broader effort by the Democratic governor to rein in the power of the GOP-controlled Legislature.

Nearly every major medical organization – including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychiatric Association – have denounced the debunked practice.

The practice – also known as reparative therapy or “ex-gay therapy” – has been banned in 23 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Movement Advancement Project.

The Wisconsin professional licensing board for counselors, therapists and social workers has labeled conversion therapy as “unprofessional conduct” since April 2024.

But the state Legislature’s Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules — a GOP-controlled panel which oversees the approval of state agency regulations — has blocked the provision twice.

Still, more than a dozen local communities across Wisconsin have already instituted their own ban on the practice.

In March, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a Colorado case regarding whether state and local governments can enforce laws prohibiting conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth.

Check out this article from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Wisconsin Supreme Court rules Evers can ban conversion therapy, reins in power of the Legislature www.jsonline.com/story/news/p… Thank goodness we have a Democratic governor in one of the worst republican gerrymandered in the US! [image or embed] — (@nanimare.bsky.social) July 8, 2025 at 8:10 AM