# Supreme Court Limits State Bans on Conversion Therapy

**Published:** 2026-05-29T15:24:58.000Z  
**Topic:** Consensus Mechanism  
**Sentiment:** neutral  
**Publisher:** TrendWatcher — https://www.trendwatcher.in/article/3862ab0e-2e49-4919-b044-c3c5049504ff

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of a counselor in Chiles v. Salazar, stating laws banning conversion therapy for minors may violate free speech rights.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a counselor who argued that state laws prohibiting conversion therapy for minors violate the First Amendment [1]. In *Chiles v. Salazar*, the majority held that Colorado’s ban on the practice unconstitutionally censors speech based on viewpoint [2]. While the decision does not broadly invalidate all such bans nationwide, it establishes that laws restricting these practices face strict scrutiny regarding free speech [2].

**Key takeaways**
*   The Supreme Court ruled that state laws banning conversion therapy for minors may be unconstitutional if they restrict free speech [2].
*   Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion, arguing that Colorado’s ban engages in viewpoint discrimination, while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the sole dissenter [1, 2].
*   Major professional organizations, including the APA and AMA, condemn conversion therapy as neither evidence-based nor safe [1].
*   The court remanded the case to a lower court rather than issuing a sweeping ruling against all conversion therapy bans [2].

## A clash over speech and professional standards

The case centered on Kaley Chiles, a Colorado counselor described as a "committed Christian," who challenged the state's prohibition on conversion therapy [2]. The court

## Sources
1. The Virginian-Pilot — [Column: Court’s conversion therapy ruling a ‘parade of ignorance’](https://www.pilotonline.com/2026/04/25/column-courts-conversion-therapy-ruling-a-parade-of-ignorance/)
2. Education Week — [Why the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Conversion Therapy Matters for Schools](https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/opinion-why-the-supreme-courts-ruling-on-conversion-therapy-matters-for-schools/2026/04)

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Cite as: TrendWatcher, "Supreme Court Limits State Bans on Conversion Therapy", https://www.trendwatcher.in/article/3862ab0e-2e49-4919-b044-c3c5049504ff