US Supreme Court Signals Overturning Colorado Conversion Therapy Ban

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Chiles v. Salazar concerning Colorado's 2019 law banning conversion therapy for minors, which prohibits licensed therapists from attempting to change a young person's sexual orientation or gender identity. The law was enacted following medical consensus that conversion therapy is harmful and ineffective, with many states adopting similar bans. Plaintiff Kaley Chiles, a Christian counselor, argues the law violates her First Amendment rights by restricting her speech in private counseling sessions, asserting that talk therapy is speech, not conduct. Several conservative justices expressed skepticism about the bans, viewing them as potential viewpoint discrimination and raising constitutional concerns about free speech protections in therapy. Colorado defends the ban as a regulation of professional conduct aimed at protecting minors from harmful practices, while opponents warn that overturning it could undermine protections against conversion therapy nationwide. A ruling expected by June could have significant implications for similar laws across the country, highlighting a clash between free speech rights and public health protections for minors.