The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on October 7 in a case questioning whether states can prohibit licensed professionals from performing conversion therapy on minors. The challenge, brought by Colorado therapist Kaley Chiles, claims the state’s ban violates her freedom of speech under the First Amendment.
Currently, 23 states and Washington, D.C. restrict or ban conversion therapy for minors, citing studies that identify the practice as harmful. Colorado’s law was upheld by lower courts before reaching the high court.
State officials, including the attorney general, argue that conversion therapy poses serious risks to mental health and that the state has a duty to protect minors from abusive or coercive practices. LGBTQ+ advocates estimate that about 350,000 adolescents nationwide have been subjected to the therapy, which has been widely discredited by major medical associations.
A ruling in the case could have broad implications for professional regulation and LGBTQ+ protections across the country.
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