“Conversion ‘therapy’ is a harmful practice, not a form of treatment. Research has shown that it is linked to worse mental health outcomes and a significantly higher risk of suicide and other serious harms. We are grateful to partner with The Trevor Project in raising awareness about the importance of ensuring that children are protected against such dangerous and discredited practices.”
On June 3, 2025, Partner Shireen Barday and Associate Mark Davies, along with Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, filed an amicus brief on behalf of The Trevor Project in support of the State of Michigan’s duly enacted law prohibiting the practice of conversion therapy for minors. The practice of conversion therapy is banned in 23 states across the U.S.
“A substantial body of empirical evidence demonstrates LGBTQ youth subjected to conversion therapy face a significantly heightened risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidality, which has resulted in an overwhelming medical consensus that minor patients must not be subjected to conversion therapy under the imprimatur of the mental health profession,” The Trevor Project brief states.
The brief continues that “every mainstream medical and mental health organization has uniformly rejected the practice as harmful and ineffective.”
The case is Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee, and Hillsdale Counties v. Gretchen Whitmer, in her official capacity as Governor of Michigan, et al., No. 25-1105 (6th Cir.) (on appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan). The Trevor Project’s amicus brief can be found here.
The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, and oversees the largest national campaign to end the harmful practice of conversion therapy in the U.S. through legislative advocacy, litigation, public education and partnerships with community organizations, educational institutions, and faith communities.
