SCOTUS case could shake California conversion therapy ban
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A U.S. Supreme Court case heard this week could force California and more than 20 other states to reconsider their laws banning youth conversion therapy.
The big picture: The practice, which aims to change a patient's sexual orientation or gender identity, has been discredited by leading medical associations but is now at the center of a debate over free speech.
Catch up quick: During Tuesday's hearing, the Supreme Court appeared open to a Christian counselor's argument that Colorado's ban on youth conversion therapy hampers her First Amendment rights.
- Lawyers for the Christian talk therapist Kaley Chiles argued that Colorado didn't consider less-restrictive alternatives to a conversion therapy ban, and the state can't prove the counseling causes harm.
The other side: Colorado's solicitor general, Shannon Stevenson, told justices that the state's law doesn't restrict free speech but rather regulates professional conduct.
The big picture: California became the first state to prohibit the practice of conversion therapy on minors in 2012.
- A 2018 law expanded on the ban by defining conversion therapy as a fraudulent business practice, allowing lawsuits for damages.
What's next: A ruling is expected by next June.