Supreme Court Strikes Colorado Conversion Therapy Ban in 8-1 Ruling
Key Takeaways
- Supreme Court ruled 8-1 against Colorado's minor conversion therapy ban on First Amendment grounds.
- Case returned to lower courts with a new First Amendment standard.
- Justice Neil Gorsuch authored the majority opinion.
Court Rules Ban Violates Free Speech
The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that Colorado's ban on conversion therapy violates free speech rights.
“Supreme Court rules against Colorado law banning 'conversion therapy' for minors The 8-1 decision came from Justice Neil Gorsuch”
Justice Gorsuch wrote that the First Amendment stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech.
The decision sends the case back to lower courts with strong signals it will fail strict scrutiny.
Lone Dissenter Flags Medical Regulation
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the sole dissenter.
She warned the ruling opens a dangerous can of worms by undermining states' ability to regulate medical care.
Jackson emphasized Chiles was providing therapy as a licensed healthcare professional.
Therapist Focuses on Faith-Aligned Talk Therapy
Chiles argued the ban prevented her from engaging in talk therapy.
The justices emphasized her therapy involved no physical interventions or medications.
The ruling could affect similar bans in more than 20 states.
States with Bans Face Litigation
The ruling leaves existing bans in place temporarily.
Similar bans in other states, such as Michigan, face litigation.
Conservative religious groups hailed the ruling as a victory for First Amendment rights.
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