In a move already sparking outrage from LGBTQ advocates, Virginia officials have decided not to fully enforce the state’s 2020 ban on conversion therapy for minors — the controversial and widely discredited practice aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
The decision comes via a consent decree filed quietly last month, the result of a lawsuit brought by the conservative Founding Freedoms Law Center on behalf of two religious counselors. The Virginia Department of Health Professions, with backing from the attorney general’s office, agreed not to discipline licensed counselors who engage in so-called “talk therapy” with minors — even if that therapy aligns with conversion practices.
“This court action fixes a constitutional problem,” said Shaun Kenney, spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office. “This result respects the religious liberty and free speech rights of both counselors and patients.” The decree, signed by a Henrico County judge in June, effectively shields any counselor in the state engaging in voluntary talk therapy related to gender identity or sexual orientation.
LGBTQ advocates call it what it is: regression in disguise
The backlash was immediate. LGBTQ rights groups and Democratic lawmakers see this as a dangerous opening — one that undermines the intent of the law and risks the health and safety of LGBTQ youth.
“This was a statute that was enacted to save lives,” said Democratic Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell. “All the professional psychiatric organizations have condemned conversion therapy. They say it doesn’t work, and they say it’s counterproductive.” And he’s right: the American Psychological Association and every major mental health body has repeatedly denounced conversion therapy as not only ineffective, but harmful — increasing risks of depression, anxiety, and suicide, particularly among minors.
And yet, 2025 Virginia appears to be offering religious liberty as a hall pass to continue practicing what many in the LGBTQ community consider a form of psychological abuse.
The queer fallout: Who pays the price?
This isn’t just about a legal technicality. It’s about what message gets sent to queer youth — particularly those living in conservative or religious households. By backing down, Virginia is telling LGBTQ teens that their identities can still be questioned, debated, or “fixed” — under the pretense of freedom of speech.
In practice, this gives license to a damaging practice cloaked in religious rhetoric. It may embolden counselors who believe that sexual orientation and gender identity are flaws to be corrected, not authentic parts of a person’s self. While the original law sought to protect minors from this exact kind of treatment, the new consent decree carves out an exception large enough to drive a sermon through.
Let’s be clear: protecting religious freedom should never come at the expense of queer kids’ mental health. When the state trades safety for constitutional symbolism, vulnerable youth are the ones left to pick up the pieces.
Virginia isn’t the first battleground, and it won’t be the last. The U.S. Supreme Court is already gearing up to hear a similar case from Colorado. But as far as LGBTQ Virginians are concerned, this one hurts — because it’s happening right at home.