Michigan halts enforcement of conversion therapy ban under court order
July 31, 2026
Michigan has agreed to quit enforcing a state ban on therapy that seeks to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of a minor as part of an agreement to settle a lawsuit.
The Christian Post reports that stipulated order and final judgment was entered Thursday in the case of Catholic Charities v. Whitmer at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan.
Under the order, Michigan agreed to stop enforcing the state ban “against licensed professionals who engage in therapy that consists exclusively of talking.”
In the agreement, the district court declared that the state ban “as applied to licensed mental health professionals engaged in therapy that consists exclusively of talking, violates the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.”
The case was influenced by the U.S. Supreme Court decision Chiles v. Salazar, in which the high court ruled 8-1 in March that Colorado cannot ban therapists from counseling minors seeking to change their sexual orientation or treat gender dysphoria.
Luke Goodrich, senior counsel at Becket and lead attorney for the plaintiffs, views the settlement as “a major victory for children, counselors, and common sense.”
Goodrich said in a statement Thursday, “Kids who are hurting deserve compassion, not a one-way ticket to harmful drugs, hormones, and surgery. Now counselors can offer compassionate counseling without fearing that state bureaucrats will come knocking.”
According to the Christian Post, in July 2023, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bills 4616 and 4617 into law, barring mental health professionals from engaging in therapy with a minor aimed at changing their sexual orientation or gender identity.
In July 2024, a group of plaintiffs that included Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee and Hillsdale Counties, as well as licensed therapist Emily McJones, filed suit against the law.
Photo: top, Credit: AFP via Getty Images/Geoff Robins