How a Supreme Court conversion therapy case could affect California
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The U.S. Supreme Court will decide the legality of a state ban on conversion therapy, and that could have far-reaching implications for the LGBTQ+ community across the U.S and in California.
The big picture: The conservative-led court agreed Monday to hear a challenge to Colorado's law banning conversion therapy.
- The case hinges on whether state bans violate the free speech rights of licensed providers who attempt to change a child's gender identity or sexual orientation through counseling.
Context: Kaley Chiles, a Christian counselor, is arguing Colorado's restriction against licensed mental health professionals engaging in conversion therapy for minors goes against the First Amendment.
- LGBTQ+ advocates, major medical and mental health organizations have condemned the practice as harmful, discriminatory and ineffective.
Between the lines: California became the first state in 2012 to ban conversion therapy on minors. A ruling overturning Colorado's law could open the door to similar legal challenges, undermining protections against a harmful practice under the guise of religious freedom, said Francisco Buchting, vice president of grants, programs, and communications at the San Francisco-based Horizons Foundation.
- "We know it's associated with higher rates of depression and suicide attempts. The lifetime harm that folks have been subjected to is most equivalent to torture," Buchting added.
The other side: Chiles' attorneys argued that Christian clients seek her "Christian-based counseling" on questions about their sexuality if it conflicts with their faith, noting she works only with "voluntary clients" whom she shares values with.
The intrigue: The high court's eventual decision could deal a major setback for the LGBTQ+ community, which the Trump administration has been targeting with actions undermining trans and nonbinary rights.
Zoom in: The San Francisco metro area was already home to the highest concentration of LGBTQ+ people in the country, and more people have relocated in recent years after fleeing states with restrictive policies, local LGBTQ-serving groups have told Axios.
Yes, but: Despite living in a state with stronger civil rights protections, LGBTQ+ people in California have been reeling from federal efforts to combat what Trump calls "gender ideology extremism."
Stunning stat: In California, 35% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year, according to The Trevor Project, a crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ youth.
Zoom out: More than 20 states have bans on subjecting minors to conversion therapy. But some 13% of LGBTQ+ young people who were surveyed by the Trevor Project in 2024 reported being threatened with or subjected to the practice.
What's next: The court will hear the case in its new term, which begins in October, meaning a decision likely won't come until summer 2026.