US Supreme Court to Hear Colorado Conversion Therapy Ban Challenge Impacting LGBTQ+ Youth

The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in the case Chiles v. Salazar, which challenges Colorado's 2019 law banning licensed mental health professionals from providing conversion therapy to minors. Kaley Chiles, a Christian therapist, argues that the law violates her First Amendment rights to free speech and religious exercise by restricting her professional counseling. The state defends the ban as a necessary protection for minors from harmful and discredited treatments aiming to change sexual orientation or gender identity. This case could have significant implications for similar bans in over 25 states, as well as broader debates around LGBTQ+ rights and religious freedoms. Advocates for the ban emphasize the therapy's documented mental health harms, including increased suicide risk, while opponents warn against government overreach into professional medical judgment. The ruling is expected next year and follows a series of Supreme Court cases addressing gender and LGBTQ+ issues.