The U.S. Supreme Court is gearing up for yet another LGBTQ-related showdown, this time over Colorado’s ban on so-called “conversion therapy.” The case, brought by a Christian therapist who insists she has a First Amendment right to convince queer kids that their identities are “wrong,” is the latest battle in the ongoing war between LGBTQ protections and conservative religious claims.
The 2019 law in question prohibits licensed mental health professionals from subjecting minors to conversion therapy—an abusive practice aimed at forcibly changing sexual orientation or gender identity. Colorado’s attorney general has made it clear: the state isn’t restricting speech; it’s regulating dangerous professional conduct. The law follows overwhelming scientific consensus that these “therapies” cause lasting psychological harm and have zero basis in legitimate medicine.
But the challengers, backed by the ultra-conservative Alliance Defending Freedom, see things differently. They argue that banning conversion therapy is a government overreach, stifling religious counselors who claim to “help” LGBTQ youth by steering them back into the closet. The Supreme Court’s willingness to take on this case is already raising alarms among LGBTQ advocates, especially given its increasingly conservative leanings.
This is far from an isolated incident. The Court has been steadily chipping away at LGBTQ rights in recent years, favoring religious claims over protections for queer people. With states like Tennessee already pushing bans on gender-affirming care for trans minors, the ruling on this case could set a dangerous precedent. If the Court sides with the therapist, it could open the door for licensed professionals across the country to use their credentials to push conversion therapy under the guise of “free speech.”
As the case heads toward a decision, LGBTQ activists are bracing for impact. Colorado’s law, signed by the nation’s first openly gay governor, was meant to shield minors from harm. But if SCOTUS dismantles it, queer youth across the country could find themselves back in the crosshairs of dangerous and discredited “treatment” programs. The stakes? Nothing less than the mental health—and lives—of LGBTQ kids.