The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states cannot ban conversion therapy for minors. It has restricted what licensed therapists can discuss with their clients by issuing an 8–1 decision that significantly reshapes the enforcement of such laws nationwide. Writing for the majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch said: “The First Amendment stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country,” concluding that states cannot use licensing rules to limit conversations between therapists and clients.
The case, Chiles v. Salazar, was brought by Colorado-based therapist Kaley Chiles. She argued she should be allowed to provide faith-based counseling to minors seeking to reduce same-sex attraction or align their identities with religious beliefs. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued the lone dissent.
This ruling is widely viewed as a victory for the Trump administration. The decision applies only to talk therapy, leaving states free to regulate medical interventions such as hormones or surgery. It follows a 2025 ruling upholding state restrictions on certain gender-affirming treatments for minors. The Washington Post reports that Chiles claims she does not want to convert queer youngsters, but help them reduce apparently unwanted attractions. I
n court filings, Chiles stated her clients “believe their faith and their relationships with God supersede romantic attractions and that God determines their identity according to what He has revealed in the Bible rather than their attractions or perceptions determining their identity.”
