Conversion "therapy" laws prohibit licensed mental health practitioners from subjecting LGBTQ minors to harmful conversion "therapy" practices that attempt to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. These laws do not restrict the practice among religious providers. For an in-depth analysis of these laws, please read our
LGBT Policy Spotlight Report: Conversion Therapy Bans. For additional information, please contact the
National Center for LGBTQ Rights
or
The Trevor Project.
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State prohibits licensed healthcare providers from subjecting minors to conversion "therapy"
(23 states + D.C.)
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State restricts, but does not prohibit licensed healthcare providers from subjecting minors to conversion "therapy"
(4 states, 1 territory)
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No state law or policy about conversion "therapy"
(18 states, 4 territories)
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State law, budget, or court ruling prohibits or deters local-level laws protecting youth from conversion "therapy" (see note beneath map)
(5 states)
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Denotes states in a federal court circuit with a relevant ruling (see note beneath map)
*NOTE: States in orange limit local-level protections against conversion "therapy" in different ways. In Indiana, state law explicitly prohibits local-level protections against conversion therapy, and in the 11th Circuit (Alabama, Florida, and Georgia), a federal court ruling similarly prevents enforcement of such laws. In South Carolina, the state's budget explicitly withholds state funding from any municipality with local level protections against conversion "therapy," effectively deterring such ordinances. Click "Citations & More Information" beneath the map legend for more detail. *NOTE: States in striped green have taken state-level action to restrict the practice of conversion "therapy" in different ways, though these states do not fully prohibit the practice. Click "Citations & More Information" beneath the map legend for more detail about each state. *NOTE: In 2020, Virginia passed a law prohibiting conversion practices for minors, but a 2025 legal settlement barred the state from enforcing key provisions—effectively making the majority (though not all) of conversion "therapy" practices legal again in the state.
Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. [Year of access]. "Equality Maps: Conversion Therapy Laws."
https://www.mapresearch.org/equality-maps/conversion_therapy. Data as of [day of access].
Percent of LGBTQ Youth Covered by Laws
*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the LGBTQ youth (ages 13-17) population living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of LGBTQ youth in the U.S. territories or under age 13 are not available, and so cannot be reflected here. Population estimates are from The Williams Institute.
49 % of LGBTQ youth (ages 13-17) live in states that prohibit licensed healthcare providers from subjecting minors to conversion "therapy"
10 % of LGBTQ youth (ages 13-17) live in states that restrict, but do not prohibit licensed healthcare providers from subjecting minors to conversion "therapy"
27 % of LGBTQ youth (ages 13-17) live in states with no state laws or policies about conversion therapy
14 % of LGBTQ youth (ages 13-17) live in states that prohibit or deter local-level laws protecting youth from conversion "therapy"
