Supreme Court rejects ban on LGBTQ+ conversion practices in Colorado

The Supreme Court has struck down Colorado’s legislative ban on "conversion therapy" for LGBTQ+ minors. In an 8-1 decision delivered on Transgender Day of Visibility, the justices determined that the state's protective measure violates the First Amendment, delivering a severe blow to LGBTQ+ youth advocacy and mental health protections.

As the BBC reports, Chiles v. Salazar was brought forward in 2022 by Kaley Chiles, a conservative Christian therapist. Chiles argued that the state prohibition infringed upon her constitutional rights to free speech and the free exercise of religion. She maintained that the law restricted her from providing talk therapy to clients experiencing "same-sex attractions or gender identity confusion" who wished to prioritize their religious faith and change their sexual behaviors or orientations.

Chiles was represented in the courts by the Alliance Defending Freedom. The Southern Poverty Law Center currently designates the far-right Christian legal advocacy organization as an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group.

Writing the majority opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch stated that the Colorado legislation "censors speech based on viewpoint." He argued that the First Amendment must serve as a shield against any government attempt "to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country."

The Supreme Court's ruling is anticipated to have immediate and sweeping national consequences. With more than 20 states currently maintaining similar laws designed to protect vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth from conversion practices, this legal precedent heavily compromises the future of those statewide bans.