The U.S. Supreme Court has moved against Colorado’s existing ban on conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ minors. As reported by Associated Press, eight of the nine justices supported the position of Christian counselor Kaley Chiles, who argued that restricting this practice violates her constitutional right to freedom of speech.
Conversion therapy, aimed at forcibly changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, is currently banned in 23 U.S. states. However, the Supreme Court sent the case back to a lower court, noting that Colorado’s law raises concerns under the First Amendment. The only dissent came from Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who emphasized that states should retain the authority to regulate healthcare and protect patients, even if this imposes certain limits on professional speech.
Colorado authorities reject the claims, stating that the law does not restrict religious services or open discussions about gender, but instead prohibits specific manipulative practices aimed at “converting” individuals. If the Supreme Court’s position prevails, it could undermine other states’ ability to regulate the quality and ethics of medical and psychological services in the future.
