In the United States, the Supreme Court, in a landmark-sounding decision, ruled on Tuesday in a test case in favor of an evangelical therapist who argued that a similar ban on attempts to change sexual orientation or gender identity violated her right to free speech. The ruling is seen as a setback for the rights of LGBTQ people.
So‑called conversion therapies seek to alter a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The case at hand concerned a 2019 Colorado law that bans “conversion therapies” for minors who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. More than 20 states have enacted similar bans. Proponents say these laws shield queer people from treatments that, according to the United Nations, can inflict serious psychological harm.
A Christian Therapist Was the Plaintiff
The plaintiff was Kaley Chiles, a health counselor who offers “Christian therapy” to gay teenagers who, in her view, violate moral standards laid out in the Bible. Chiles argued that her talk therapy is protected by the First Amendment, and that Colorado’s law should not apply to her practice.
The Supreme Court sided with the plaintiff, voting eight to one. The majority opinion found that Colorado’s law discriminates against Chiles by dictating which views she may express and which she may not—an act the court described as a form of censorship. The case was sent back to lower courts to review their decisions in light of the ruling.
Across the Atlantic, Germany has taken a different path. Since 2020, conversion therapies for minors have been illegal there. In the same year, the United Nations called for a global ban on such treatments. Some of the methods used in these therapies have included electric shocks, the administration of hormones, or exorcistic rites.
