Supreme Court Sides with Christian Counselor in Ruling Against Colorado's Ban on LGBTQ+ 'Conversion Therapy'

The 8-1 decision reverses a lower court ruling and has implications for more than a dozen states with similar bans.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 5:23pm

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A dimly lit, cinematic interior of a government building or courthouse, with warm sunlight streaming through windows and casting deep shadows across the empty space, conveying a sense of quiet contemplation and the gravity of a judicial decision.The Supreme Court's divisive ruling on conversion therapy casts a long shadow over the future of LGBTQ+ rights in America.Denver Today

In a major decision, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that Colorado's ban on LGBTQ+ 'conversion therapy' for young people infringes on the free speech rights of a Christian counselor. The court sided with the counselor, agreeing that the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals should have applied a stricter constitutional test to evaluate the law. The ruling reverses a lower court decision that had upheld the 2019 state law prohibiting licensed mental health workers from providing conversion therapy to minors.

Why it matters

The Supreme Court's decision has wide-reaching implications, as more than a dozen states have enacted similar bans on conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ minors. Major medical groups have repudiated conversion therapy as ineffective and harmful, but the court ruled that the Colorado law infringes on the free speech rights of counselors who practice this controversial therapy.

The details

The Supreme Court sided with a Christian counselor who challenged Colorado's 2019 law banning licensed mental health workers from providing conversion therapy to minors. The court agreed that the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals should have applied a stricter constitutional test to evaluate the law, rather than upholding it. Colorado officials had argued the law regulates professional conduct, not speech, but the Supreme Court disagreed in an 8-1 ruling.

  • The Supreme Court issued its ruling on March 31, 2026.
  • Colorado's Minor Conversion Therapy Law was enacted in 2019.

The players

Colorado

The state that enacted a law in 2019 prohibiting licensed mental health workers from providing conversion therapy to minors.

Christian counselor

The counselor who challenged Colorado's ban on conversion therapy, arguing it infringes on their free speech rights.

Supreme Court

The highest court in the United States that ruled 8-1 in favor of the Christian counselor, reversing a lower court decision that had upheld Colorado's law.

10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

The lower court that had previously upheld Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for minors.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

The takeaway

This Supreme Court decision is a significant blow to efforts by more than a dozen states to ban the controversial practice of conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ minors, which major medical groups have condemned as ineffective and harmful. The ruling affirms the free speech rights of counselors who wish to provide this therapy, despite widespread opposition to the practice.