U.S. Supreme Court Rules Against Conversion Therapy Ban

In Brief

NASW is deeply disappointed by a majority ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court this year, which fails to protect LGBTQIA+ youth from the practice of conversion therapy. A blog post written by Ashlee Fox, JD, MSW, deputy general counsel for NASW, outlined the court’s majority decision to side with Kaley Chiles, a Colorado-licensed mental health counselor who practices talk therapy only. Chiles challenged Colorado’s Minor Conversion Therapy Law passed in 2019, which prohibited licensed professionals from practicing conversion therapy with minors. The high court held that Colorado’s law amounts to viewpoint discrimination in siding with Chiles. Fox said NASW remains unequivocally opposed to conversion therapy in any form and will continue to advocate for LGBTQIA+ youth and the legal protections they deserve.