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2w ago

Supreme Court Signals Skepticism of Colorado’s Ban on Conversion Therapy for Minors

The case tests whether state limits on talk therapy count as protected speech, with potential consequences for similar bans nationwide.

Demonstrators protest against conversion therapy outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, as the Court hears oral arguments in Chiles v. Salazar, a landmark case on conversion therapy, on October 7, 2025.
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Kaley Chiles, a licensed counselor and a Christian, is suing Colorado over its Prohibit Conversion Therapy for A Minor law. She says the law is censorship of her First Amendment rights. The case is scheduled to be heard at the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 7, 2025.
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Overview

  • During Oct. 7 oral arguments, several conservative justices questioned Colorado’s position and raised concerns that the law favors affirmation over change-oriented counseling, suggesting possible viewpoint discrimination.
  • Colorado’s 2019 law bars licensed providers from seeking to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity, allows acceptance‑based care and transition assistance, exempts unlicensed religious counselors, and carries fines up to $5,000.
  • Plaintiff Kaley Chiles, a Christian licensed counselor represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, argues the law censors her conversations with clients in violation of the First Amendment, with the Trump administration’s Justice Department backing her challenge.
  • State lawyers defended the statute as regulation of professional conduct designed to protect minors, citing major medical groups and studies linking conversion efforts to increased risks of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.
  • Several justices floated sending the case back for strict‑scrutiny review, though the Court could decide the First Amendment question itself, with a ruling expected by mid‑2026 that could affect roughly two dozen states and Washington, D.C.