Hoskins, Legislator Who Championed Michigan’s Ban on Conversion Therapy, Issues Statement Following Court of Appeals Decision

LANSING, Mich., Dec. 18, 2025 — Yesterday, a federal court of appeals held that Michigan’s ban on conversion therapy violated the constitutional rights of certain licensed counselors and therapists. The laws at issue are Public Acts 117 and 118 of 2023, enacted to protect LGBTQ+ children from harmful and discredited practices aimed at changing their identity. Public Act 118 was authored by state Rep. Jason Hoskins (D-Southfield).

In response to the court’s decision, Hoskins issued the following statement:

“This fight is not over. Conversion therapy is a discredited and dangerous practice that has no place in modern medicine or law. Courts have long recognized that the First Amendment, like all constitutional rights, is not absolute. Reasonable limits exist, especially when the state acts to protect public health, safety, and the equal protection of the law for historically marginalized people.

“Michigan’s ban on conversion therapy was enacted because of the documented and lasting harm this practice inflicts on LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly children. It was a policy grounded in evidence, compassion, and basic human decency. It reflected a simple truth: there is nothing wrong with being LGBTQ+, and no one should be subjected to psychological harm in an attempt to ‘fix’ something that is not broken.

“The law did not silence anyone’s beliefs. It drew a clear and necessary boundary: licensed professionals may not use methods that science has repeatedly shown to be harmful. Professional licensure carries obligations, chief among them the duty to do no harm. As one of the authors of this law, I remain fully committed to defending it. LGBTQ+ children and teens deserve the protection of the law like everyone else.”

###