The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case challenging Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors, a widely discredited practice. The ruling could have national implications, determining whether states can continue prohibiting what medical experts call a harmful and ineffective treatment. The case, Chiles v. Salazar, was filed by Kaley Chiles, a licensed counselor in Colorado Springs, who argues the state’s 2019 law violates her First Amendment rights.
Represented by the far-right legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, Chiles claims the law censors her ability to counsel minors experiencing “same-sex attractions or gender identity confusion” who, in her words, “prioritize their faith above their feelings.” LGBTQ advocacy groups are warning that this case could set a dangerous precedent. Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson stated, “The Supreme Court’s decision to take up this case isn’t just about so-called ‘conversion therapy’ – it’s about whether extremists can use our courts to push their dangerous agenda.”
This case comes as the Supreme Court also weighs U.S. v. Skrmetti, which challenges Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth. Three conservative justices—Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh—have previously indicated support for hearing cases on LGBTQ medical care. Currently, 20 states and Washington, D.C., prohibit conversion therapy for minors, but in 2020, the 11th Circuit struck down bans in Florida, creating a divide among federal courts. Chiles’s attorneys argue the Supreme Court must now resolve that split. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in its next term beginning in October.
