The Supreme Court on Monday took up a counselor’s challenge to Colorado’s ban on “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ+ minors, agreeing to decide if the ban violates her First Amendment rights.
The court has declined to hear similar challenges in the past, including as recently as 2023 when three of the conservative justices disagreed with that decision.
The increased interest in the bans – which have been enacted in more than 20 Democratic-led states – comes as the court is expected to give a green light to GOP-led states’ efforts to ban gender-affirming care for minors.
Alliance Defending Freedom, which represents the Christian counselor who challenged the law, argues it violates First Amendment rights by “censoring” her conversations with clients.
The federal government has cancelled dozens of grants to study how to prevent new HIV infections...
