US Supreme Court rules against ban on 'conversion therapy' for LGBTQ minors

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Colorado's 2019 ban on "conversion therapy" for LGBTQ minors violates free speech protections, rejecting the state's effort to restrict the discredited practice on constitutional grounds. A Christian therapist challenged the law, arguing it infringed on practitioners' right to express therapeutic views, and the Court sided with that argument despite the practice being opposed by major medical organizations. The decision potentially undermines similar bans in other states that have sought to protect minors from the harmful pseudoscientific treatment aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity. Colorado's law had prohibited licensed therapists from conducting the practice on patients under 18, making it one of the earliest protections of its kind. The ruling signals the Court's skepticism toward content-based restrictions on professional speech, even when states argue they serve a protective purpose for vulnerable populations.