US supreme court’s ‘conversion therapy’ ruling opens ‘can of worms’. What’s next?

The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 this week that Colorado's 2019 ban on conversion therapy for minors is unconstitutional, striking down a law that prohibited licensed clinicians from attempting to change a youth's gender identity or sexual orientation. Colorado is one of 23 states with similar restrictions, meaning the ruling potentially threatens conversion therapy bans across the country. The decision carries major implications for transgender and queer youth protections and for healthcare regulation more broadly, as states face legal uncertainty about whether they can enforce such bans. The lopsided 8-1 vote included at least two liberal justices siding with the conservative majority, suggesting the court's concerns cut across ideological lines and may center on free speech or medical practice grounds rather than a purely partisan divide. The ruling now leaves open the question of whether other state bans will survive legal challenge.