Concord, N.H. – This week, Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander, a member of the Rapid Response and Litigation Task Force, helped file an amicus brief to urge the United States Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of Colorado’s ban on mental health professionals engaging in conversion therapy for minors in the case of Chiles v. Salazar. Congressman Chris Pappas also helped file this brief.

“Here in the Live Free or Die state, we know that everyone deserves equal protection under the law, no matter who you are or who you love,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “That’s the fundamental American idea we’re advocating for in this legal brief to the United States Supreme Court.”

“No one should be a second-class citizen in the United States, and everyone deserves the opportunity to participate fully in their community and to live free from discrimination and the harm it brings. That discrimination must not be allowed to continue under any circumstance, but especially not under the guise of legitimate medical treatment,” said Congressman Pappas. “That’s why the unethical practice of ‘conversion therapy,’ which is proven to harm the well-being of our kids and has been condemned by all our major medical and mental health care organizations, has been restricted or banned by a majority of states. These bans are legal, and the Court must uphold them as we continue fighting to advance legislation that will ensure all Americans have the same rights, responsibilities, and opportunities.”

Congresswoman Goodlander has dedicated her life to serving our state and our country. A member of the Rapid Response and Litigation Task Force, she has filed legal briefs against some of the Trump Administration’s most egregious attacks on our fundamental rights and freedoms. She is an original cosponsor of the Equality Act, H.R. 15, legislation which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

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Background on Chiles v. Salaza: The Petitioner in this case is a licensed professional counselor who filed a pre-enforcement challenge against the state of Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy, arguing the ban violates her freedom of speech. The members’ brief argues that the law banning conversion therapy is constitutional. 

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