In a decisive 8–1 opinion, the Court struck down Colorado’s ban on so-called “conversion therapy” for minors, siding with licensed counselor Kaley Chiles, who argued that the law violated her First Amendment rights. The ruling represents a significant victory for advocates of free speech and religious liberty, and it could reshape how states regulate counseling practices moving forward.
At the center of the case was a fundamental question. Can the government restrict what a licensed professional is allowed to say to a client?
The Court’s answer was clear.
Writing for the majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch made the constitutional stakes unmistakable. “The First Amendment stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country.”
That line now stands as the defining principle of the ruling.
The Court determined that Colorado’s law did not merely regulate professional conduct, as the state had claimed. Instead, it directly targeted speech based on its content and viewpoint. That distinction proved decisive.
>> Click Here To Continue Reading <<
