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38m ago

Supreme Court Signals Skepticism of Colorado’s Ban on Youth ‘Conversion Therapy’

The justices’ questions focused on whether the counseling at issue is protected speech subject to heightened scrutiny.

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 roughly 90 minutes of argument, several conservative justices questioned Colorado’s claim that the measure regulates professional conduct rather than speech, with Chief Justice John Roberts noting that words used by professionals can be protected.
  • Multiple justices, including Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson and Amy Coney Barrett, floated sending the case back for strict‑scrutiny analysis instead of deciding the law’s constitutionality outright.
  • Colorado’s 2019 law bars licensed mental‑health providers from trying to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity, exempts religious ministry, and carries fines up to $5,000 per violation, with no sanctions reported to date.
  • A ruling could affect more than 20 states with similar bans, and the Court is expected to issue its decision by next summer.
  • Researchers Lisa Diamond and Clifford Rosky told the Court ADF mischaracterized their study in supporting the challenger, as President Donald Trump’s administration filed in favor of Kaley Chiles.