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2h ago

Supreme Court Signals Doubts About Colorado Ban on ‘Conversion Therapy’ for Minors

The dispute positions free‑speech claims against professional‑licensing rules with repercussions for similar laws in over 20 states.

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Demonstrators protest against conversion therapy outside the US Supreme Court as the Court hears oral arguements in Chiles v. Salazar, a landmark case on conversion therapy, on October 7, 2025, in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court will hear a challenge today by a Christian therapist to a Colorado law that bans "conversion therapy" for minors who are questioning their gender identity or sexual orientation. The case was brought by Kaley Chiles, a licensed mental health counselor who argues that the prohibition from holding such conversations with minors is a violation of her First Amendment free speech rights. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • The justices heard arguments Oct. 7 in Chiles v. Salazar, a challenge to Colorado’s 2019 law barring licensed providers from attempting to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • Several justices, including Samuel Alito and Elena Kagan, pressed whether the statute discriminates by viewpoint when it permits affirmation counseling but forbids efforts to reduce same‑sex attraction or alter gender expression.
  • Colorado Solicitor General Shannon Stevenson acknowledged the law would prohibit counseling to help a client accept their biological sex, and justices indicated that concession establishes standing for the plaintiff.
  • Members of the Court discussed sending the case back for review under strict or heightened First Amendment scrutiny, and a final decision is expected in 2026.
  • Colorado defended the measure as a regulation of professional conduct grounded in medical standards and research cited by the AMA, AAP, and APA that deem conversion therapy harmful.