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Conversion Therapy Laws

Saint Louis University School of Law researchers, in partnership with colleagues from Pacific University School of Social Work and Wayne State University College of Education and support from the Center for Public Health Law Research (CPHLR) at Temple University Beasley School of Law and the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) have released groundbreaking research that collects, analyzes and shares data on how laws and policies influence the health of LGBTQIA+ people. 

Conversion therapy (also known as reparation therapy) is a collection of practices intended to change an individual’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Approximately 698,000 LGBT adults have received conversion therapy in the United States, 350,000 of whom received it as a minor, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law.

Conversion therapy has been denounced by established national organizations like the American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, National Association of School Psychologists, and the American Academy of Pediatrics based on evidence of harm to those receiving such treatments. Conversion therapy bans forbids the practice through funding restrictions, licensing, or other means, and generally apply to minors and/or adults who lack legal competency. These bans are currently being challenged on the basis of free speech in the U.S. Supreme Court case Chiles v. Salazar.  

​This longitudinal dataset comprehensively tracks state-level statutes, regulations, and executive orders that impact the provision of conversion therapy in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia in effect between Jan. 1, 2013, and July 31, 2025. The dataset adds to the current knowledge base by tracking enforcement mechanisms, populations impacted, exemptions, and preemption. The research team relied on laws, regulations, and other policies that were systematically collected by the research team at the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), by permission. Research questions were reviewed by MAP researchers, national experts, and Center for Public Health Law Research staff.  

Conversion Therapy Data Map

Full datasheet, codebook, and protocol documents can be downloaded at LawAtlas.org.

Co-Investigators

Collaborating Institutions

Acknowledgments

  • Preliminary work on this project was conducted while Heather Walter-McCabe was a faculty member at WSU School of Social Work and Law School and M. Killian Kinney was a post-doctoral fellow with Wayne State University School of Social Work. This work, and that of Sarah Kiperman-Hibner, was supported by internal research grant funding for student researchers and technical support.
  • We would like to thank student research assistants for their work on this project including: Piper Wehrli and Moo Scanlan, Pacific University Social Work; Robert Beckles, D’Andre Gaye, Riley Holleran, and Meghan Holtswarth, Saint Louis University School of Law; Jesse Chen, Wayne State University College of Education; Lauren Gothro, and Gabriella Peragine, Wayne State University School of Social Work Social Work; and Molly Dewyse and Tatianna Gore, Wayne State University Law School.

Short Summary

This longitudinal dataset captures details of state-level statutes, regulations, and executive orders that impact the provision of conversion therapy in 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Geography: 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia

Total Jurisdictions: 51

Date range: January 1, 2013 – July 31, 2025

Contact: Heather Walter-McCabe, heather.waltermccabe@slu.edu