The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case challenging Colorado’s LGBTQ+ conversion therapy ban. The therapist challenging the ban believes in living consistently with God’s design, as outlined in court documents. Represented by an organization designated as an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group, the therapist argues that the ban violates the First Amendment’s free speech clause. The challenge is set to be heard in the court’s next term starting in October.
Kaley Chiles, a licensed professional counselor in Colorado Springs, filed the challenge, claiming that the ban goes against her religious beliefs and restricts her ability to provide counseling on sexuality and gender. Despite previous rulings denying her request to block enforcement of the law, Chiles filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom.
Colorado’s conversion therapy ban, in place since 2019, prohibits licensed medical professionals from engaging in conversion therapy practices with patients under 18. Conversion therapy is defined as efforts to change an individual’s sexual orientation. The American Psychological Association has officially rejected anti-trans conversion therapy, and currently, 23 states and the District of Columbia have banned the practice. The Colorado Attorney General’s office is committed to defending the ban at the Supreme Court.
The case is one that highlights the ongoing debate surrounding LGBTQ+ rights and freedom of speech, with the Supreme Court set to address these contentious issues in the upcoming term.
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