Supreme Court weighs whether conversion therapy ban violates free speech

The Supreme Court this week questioned whether conversion therapy — a practice that has been denounced by major medical organizations — actually causes harm to minors.

The justices heard oral arguments Tuesday in Chiles v. Salazar, one of the multiple LGBTQ+-related cases they plan to hear this term. The court is considering whether Colorado’s law banning conversion therapy for minors, which it defines as any practice that “attempts or purports to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity,” violates a mental health counselor’s First Amendment rights.

No major medical organizations support conversion therapy. The American Medical Association opposes the use of conversion therapy, arguing that exposure to it can lead to depression, anxiety and can potentially “increase s