POLITICS

Supreme Court overturns Colorado ban on conversion therapy

PUBLISHED Mar 31, 2026, 10:56 AM ET

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Supreme Court overturns Colorado ban on conversion therapy

Media Bias Meter

Sources: 12

Left 17%

Center 75%

Right 8%

Sources: 12

Washington — The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled 8-1 in favor of a Colorado counselor challenging the state's law banning conversion therapy for minors, finding the statute, as applied, regulated speech based on viewpoint and sending the case back to a lower court for stricter First Amendment review. The decision, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting, immediately raises questions about similar bans in more than two dozen states; lower courts must now reassess whether such laws survive heightened constitutional scrutiny, and advocates on both sides signaled plans for further legal action this week.

By James Porter | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

2019: Colorado enacts a law banning conversion therapy for minors, signed by Gov. Jared Polis.
April 2024: Wisconsin licensing board classifies conversion therapy as unprofessional conduct.
Lower courts, including the 10th Circuit, review and initially uphold Colorado's law.
March 31, 2026: U.S. Supreme Court issues an 8-1 decision siding with counselor Kaley Chiles.
Post-decision: Lower courts are instructed to apply stricter First Amendment scrutiny to similar statutes.

News Intelligence

This ruling could affect laws in over two dozen states with similar bans on conversion therapy for minors. If you're a parent or work with youth, it's worth keeping an eye on how this unfolds in your state.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 12
Right Leaning:: 1
Left Leaning:: 2
Neutral:: 9

Who Benefited

Licensed counselors challenging conversion-therapy bans, conservative legal advocates, and organizations emphasizing First Amendment defenses gained legal precedent and renewed ability to press challenges against state prohibitions on certain therapeutic speech.

Who Impacted

LGBTQ+ minors, families, and public-health advocates who supported statutory bans on conversion therapy lost a regulatory protection designed to limit practices deemed harmful and ineffective.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 12
Right Leaning:: 1
Left Leaning:: 2
Neutral:: 9
Distribution:: Left 17%, Center 75%, Right 8%

Who Benefited

Who Impacted

LGBTQ+ minors, families, and public-health advocates who supported statutory bans on conversion therapy lost a regulatory protection designed to limit practices deemed harmful and ineffective.