Supreme Court will hear challenge to Colorado conversion therapy ban

The US Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a challenge to a Colorado law that bans so-called conversion therapy.

The justices agreed they will hear the case after a therapist from Colorado brought an appeal, arguing the state's restictions violate her free speech rights guaranteed under the US Constitution's first amendment.

Conversion therapy - denounced by professional and health associations globally but promoted by some religious conservatives - aims to encourage lesbian, gay and transgender people to change their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The highest court in the US previously turned away opportunities to rule on conversion therapy bans.

More than 20 US states have banned conversion therapy for minors.

Kaley Chiles, a licensed counsellor and practicing Christian in Colorado Springs, Colorado, claims the ban in her state interferes with her ability to treat individuals with "same-sex attractions or gender identity confusion" who "prioritise their faith above their feelings".

Ms Chiles, who is represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian advocacy group, has said some of her patients seek out her counselling to resolve internal conflicts about their sexuality or gender identity.

Colorado officials, however, have said the law does not regulate speech, it regulates conduct.

They said if the courts side with Ms Chiles, it would "undercut states' longstanding ability to protect patients and clients from harmful professional conduct".

"A professional's treatment of her patients and clients is fundamentally different, for First Amendment purposes, from laypersons' interactions with each other," Colorado officials said.

Ms Chiles sued over the Colorado law in 2022 and multiple lower level courts denied her request to pause the enforcement of the law.

Last year, she appealed to the Supreme Court.

A similar case, brought to the Supreme Court in 2023, was rejected but three of the court's conservative justices indicated they would have considered the case.

Justice Samuel Alito said in his dissent that "it is beyond dispute that these laws restrict speech, and all restrictions on speech merit careful scrutiny".

The Supreme Court will hear the case during their next term, set to begin in October.

More than 1,300 practitioners across the US offer conversion therapy, according to a 2023 Trevor Project report.

Critics of conversion therapy say it can be emotionally harmful, cause mental health issues and increase risk of suicide. Some practitioners rely on talk therapy or prayer, but extreme cases have subjected patients to physical violence and food deprivation.

The American Medical Association rejects the idea that same-sex attraction or nonconforming gender identity are mental disorders, saying it is not supported by medical evidence.