Supreme Court Weighs Free Speech Challenge to Colorado's Conversion Therapy Ban

The U.S. Supreme Court is deliberating a case challenging Colorado's ban on conversion therapy. The case involves Christian counselor Kaley Chiles, who argues that the ban violates free speech under the First Amendment. Colorado defends the law as regulating professional conduct to protect minors.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday regarding a free speech challenge to Colorado's ban on conversion therapy. The case involves Kaley Chiles, a Christian counselor, who contends the law unjustly censors her professional communications, violating her First Amendment rights.

Colorado officials argue that the statute, enacted in 2019, focuses on regulating harmful and ineffective healthcare practices rather than limiting free speech. Chiles and her legal team are calling for strict scrutiny of the law, asserting that it undermines widespread moral and scientific viewpoints.

As the conservative-dominated Supreme Court examines this clash between free speech and public health regulation, the outcome could significantly impact the rights of counselors versus the protections for LGBTQ minors. A decision is anticipated by June, potentially altering the controversial legal landscape of conversion therapy across the nation.

(With inputs from agencies.)