by Violet Fujimoto ‘27

Kaley Chile, a licensed therapist, filed a suit in a Colorado district court claiming that her freedom of speech is being violated. The head of Colorado’s Department Of Regulatory Agencies, Patty Salzar, ruled talk therapy is different from other forms of speech and that Chile cannot violate legally mandated standards of care. After she failed to demonstrate how this affected her rights and lost her case, Chile appealed to the Supreme Court.

If Colorado’s law is overturned, this will jeopardize the safety of LGBTQ+ youth. Conversion therapy has been proven ineffective in changing one’s sexual or gender orientation. However, this type of therapy has been linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety, suicide, and more. Minors who undergo conversion therapy are also much more likely to run away. These regulations restricting conversion therapy are extremely important to keep to support the well-being in LGBTQ+ youth. If the Supreme Court decides to strike down these bans, which looks likely based on the statements by its conservative majority during arguments, it will be one step in the wrong direction regarding LGBTQ+ rights.