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3h ago

Supreme Court Signals Skepticism of Colorado’s Conversion Therapy Ban

Questions from the bench centered on whether the statute constitutes viewpoint discrimination under the First Amendment.

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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)

Overview

  • During Tuesday’s arguments, justices including Samuel Alito and Elena Kagan questioned if Colorado’s law censors certain counseling viewpoints.
  • Colorado Solicitor General Shannon Stevenson defended the statute as a professional-standards measure grounded in medical consensus and patient protection.
  • Several justices floated sending the case back to lower courts for heightened First Amendment review rather than ruling on the merits now.
  • The challenge targets a 2019 law in a state that is among more than 20 with similar restrictions, and the 10th Circuit previously upheld Colorado’s rule as regulating conduct.
  • Kaley Chiles, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, argues the law bans consensual talk therapy for minors seeking to change orientation or gender identity, and the outcome could influence comparable laws nationwide.