U.S. Supreme Court decision fuels challenges to state conversion‑therapy bans in Michigan and Washington

Michigan has agreed not to enforce its 2023 ban on conversion‑therapy counseling after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that similar laws violate the First Amendment. A district judge awarded $750,000 in attorney fees and blocked enforcement of the ban for licensed professionals providing talk‑therapy.

In Washington, a federal court revived a lawsuit filed by Christian therapist Brian Tingley challenging the state’s 2018 ban on conversion‑therapy for minors. The case was reopened following the Supreme Court’s decision, with the Alliance Defending Freedom representing Tingley and arguing that the ban infringes on free‑speech and religious‑freedom rights.