The Supreme Court will take up a Christian therapist’s challenge to a Colorado law that bans conversion therapy aimed at young people questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The case, brought by therapist Kaley Chiles who is represented by the conservative religious group Alliance Defending Freedom, claims the state law violates the First Amendment by restricting her ability to communicate with clients who seek her services.
Conversion therapy attempts to convert people who identify as LGBTQ+ into straight or cisgender people.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology, the National Alliance on Mental Health, the Human Rights Council and many other organizations say evidence shows conversion therapy is harmful and can be dangerous.
Colorado and at least 19 other states have laws that prohibit licensed mental healthcare providers from engaging in conversion therapy with people younger than 18 years old.
Officials in Colorado have argued that the law is regulating conduct, not speech. If the court were to rule in favor of Chiles, it would “undercut states’ longstanding ability to protect patients and clients from harmful professional conduct.”
But Chiles says she and her clients have aligned beliefs that their faith informs their romantic attraction, sexual behaviors and self-perceptions. She says that with regulations like such in place, she is unable to provide that service to minors who want it.
Chiles sued the state over the law in 2022. A federal district court denied her request to temporarily suspend the law’s enforcement and she appealed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed the district court’s ruling. She then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Cases challenging laws that seek to regulate medical intervention for LGBTQ+ youth have become more popular at the Supreme Court.
Already, the court is hearing a case involving the regulation of puberty blockers or hormone treatment for transgender youth in the United States v. Skrmetti. The state of Tennessee is seeking to keep its ban on gender-affirming medical care for youth, believing the state has the authority to regulate medicine.
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