Colorado Public Radio: BUSSW Professor Alvarez-Hernandez Weighs in on Supreme Court Decision Overturning Conversion Therapy Ban
A major U.S. Supreme Court decision is raising new concerns about the future of protections for LGBTQ+ youth, and Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW) faculty are helping shape the national conversation.
BUSSW Assistant Professor Luis R. Alvarez-Hernandez is featured in an article by Colorado Public Radio (CPR) discussing the Court’s ruling to overturn Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors.
In an 8–1 decision, the Court found that the state’s law violated First Amendment protections, a ruling that could have sweeping implications for similar bans across the country. Professor Alvarez-Hernandez, whose research focuses on the mental health impacts of harmful clinical practices, underscored the potential risks for vulnerable youth.
His perspective adds critical context to the national conversation, highlighting the real-world consequences such policies can have on LGBTQ+ youth.
“We’ll likely see an increase in these practices,” Professor Alvarez-Hernandez told CPR. “Psychologically, we could anticipate that more youth and children experience verbal humiliation, coercion, social isolation.”
Even as the legal landscape shifts, BUSSW experts remain committed to advancing affirming, evidence-based care for LGBTQ+ youth and families.
Learn More about Professor Luis R. Alvarez-Hernandez’s work