On Trans Day of Visibility, Supreme Court Sides With Conversion Therapy

The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 on Tuesday in *Chiles v. Salazar* that Colorado's ban on conversion therapy violates the First Amendment, with Justice Neil Gorsuch's majority opinion treating the practice as a matter of protected speech rather than medical regulation. Christian counselor Kaley Chiles, represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, successfully argued that her talk-therapy approach to changing sexual orientation or gender identity cannot be restricted as speech censorship, despite the American Psychological Association and federal health agencies having declared conversion therapy both ineffective and harmful to minors. The ruling, handed down on Transgender Day of Visibility, threatens to overturn similar protections in 23 states and comes as the Trump administration has supported rolling back transgender protections across federal policy. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's sole dissent argued the law regulated medical treatment, not speech, and did not prevent Chiles from expressing any viewpoint outside therapy sessions. Advocates like the National Center for LGBTQ Rights said they will pursue alternative legal remedies through malpractice claims and licensing board discipline.