The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Chiles vs. Salazar, a case that could determine whether therapists have a right to practice so-called conversion therapy—a scientifically discredited practice that attempts to change a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation and is currently banned or restricted in 27 states and the District of Columbia. On October 7, 2025, SciLine hosted a media availability with Dr. Jack Turban, a practicing physician, assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and author of the book Free to Be: Understanding Kids & Gender Identity.
Declared interests:
Dr. Turban has received past expert witness payments from the American Civil Liberties Union, and a 2019-2021 pilot research award from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (in partnership with Arbor Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer).
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Click for transcribed SOT (can be used as-is or modified)
SOT Duration: 0:44 Super: Dr. Jack Turban – Assistant Professor, University of California, San Francisco
“So, conversion therapy is any time that you are doing something where you have a predetermined goal to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. That’s what Colorado has made illegal here. And it actually goes both ways. If you try and force a transgender person to be cisgender, that is illegal. If you tried to force a cisgender person to be transgender, that would also be illegal. Same thing with sexual orientation, both ways is illegal, any attempt to try and force a person to change. Exploratory therapy is something totally different, and it’s actually the standard of care treatment that’s recommended by all major medical and mental health organizations. And that’s when you’re doing therapy that’s neutral, doesn’t have a specific goal in mind, but it’s helping the person explore their gender identity or sexual orientation to better understand themselves.”
Raw, full-length interview and transcript covers:
Basic background on conversion therapy (sometimes called “reparative therapy,” or “ex-gay therapy”) including what it involves and whether it works as intended;
Research on the prevalence of gender identity or sexual orientation conversion efforts in the United States;
Research on how undergoing conversion therapy affects young people;
The differences between conversion therapy and “exploratory therapy” for transgender youth;
What major medical organizations say about conversion therapy; and
Scientific evidence about how sexual orientation and gender identity develop in people, and whether it is possible to change them.
