Quick Takeaways

• Chiles v. Salazar is a Supreme Court case that could determine whether licensed therapists may use conversion therapy on minors in states that have banned the practice.

• The case is backed by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a legal organization with a documented history of using faith-based language to pursue outcomes that put children at risk.

• Colorado's law, the one being challenged, protects children from a practice that every major medical organization in the United States has called ineffective and harmful.

• Real families have testified about how conversion therapy damaged, not strengthened, their relationships with their children.

• A ruling against Colorado's law could remove one of the few legal tools parents have to hold bad practitioners accountable.

What Is Chiles v. Salazar, and Why Should Christian Parents Care?

Most parents have not heard of Chiles v. Salazar. That is about to change.

The case involves a Colorado therapist, Kaley Chiles, who is challenging a state law that prohibits licensed mental health professionals from using conversion therapy on minors. Supported by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), Chiles argues that the law violates her free speech as a professional. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in October 2025, and a ruling is expected before the end of the current term.

If that sounds like an abstract legal dispute, consider what it actually means: a decision in favor of the therapist would allow licensed professionals to pursue personal identity change efforts with children, under the protection of doctor-patient confidentiality, in any state whose laws are struck down.

That is not a parental rights win. That is a reduction of parental oversight dressed in parental rights language.

What Colorado's Law Actually Does

Colorado's Minor Conversion Therapy Law does not prohibit pastoral counseling. It does not prevent a pastor, youth minister, or faith community from supporting a child and family according to their beliefs. It does not require a therapist to affirm or encourage any particular path for a child.

What it does is prevent licensed professionals from practicing something courts have already called fraudulent. In the landmark Ferguson v. JONAH case, a New Jersey jury found a conversion therapy organization liable for consumer fraud. The presiding judge stated that describing same-sex attraction as a disorder is as outdated as claiming the earth is flat. The court also ruled that offering "success statistics" for conversion therapy is itself a form of fraud, because there is no scientific basis for such claims.

Colorado's law applies the same logic to the professional setting: if a practice has no credible evidence of success and a documented record of harm, a licensed professional may not offer it to a child.

The Role of Alliance Defending Freedom

It is worth understanding who is driving this case. ADF presents itself as a defender of religious liberty and traditional family values. But their legal record tells a more complicated story.

In 2022 alone, ADF drafted at least 130 bills across 34 states. They have supported efforts to criminalize consensual relationships between adults who experience same-sex attraction. They have opposed basic protections for children in schools and workplaces. And in Chiles v. Salazar, they are arguing that therapists should have broader freedom to use conversion therapy on minors behind closed doors.

Notably, at least one senior ADF staff member is openly attracted to the same sex. ADF has not directed this individual toward the very therapy they are arguing should be available to children. That inconsistency speaks for itself.

What the Research Actually Shows

Research published in JAMA Pediatrics found that conversion therapy generates an estimated $9.23 billion in annual economic costs to society through its long-term effects on minors' health and wellbeing. The same body of research documents that minors subjected to conversion efforts face significantly higher rates of suicidal ideation, depression, and anxiety than those who received no such intervention.

Real families have said it plainly. Linda Robertson, whose son Ryan died by suicide after years of family conflict over his personal identity, submitted a declaration in this very case. She wrote that she wishes she had known earlier what the research has since confirmed: that rejection and coercive change efforts do not produce the outcomes families hope for. They produce distance, damage, and in the worst cases, they produce loss.

What a Supreme Court Ruling Could Mean

If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Chiles, the impact would extend well beyond Colorado. Conversion therapy laws by state could be challenged and overturned one by one. The protections that parents currently rely on to hold practitioners accountable would shrink. And the space in which bad actors can make promises they cannot keep, often at significant financial cost to families, would expand.

Proponents of this case use the language of parental rights and religious freedom. But it is worth asking: who benefits when a licensed therapist gains the legal cover to pursue unproven treatment on a minor, with confidentiality as a shield?

It is not the child. And it is not the parent.

What Families Can Do Right Now

You do not have to wait for a Supreme Court ruling to protect your child. Understanding is conversion therapy legal where you live is a practical first step. So is knowing what questions to ask before any licensed professional works with your child.

If you want to get involved and stay informed as this case develops, there are resources available to help you navigate this moment with clarity, without abandoning your faith or your role as a parent.

A solution that divides a family is not a solution at all.

FAQs

What is Chiles v. Salazar? Chiles v. Salazar is a case before the U.S. Supreme Court in which a Colorado therapist, backed by Alliance Defending Freedom, is challenging Colorado's law banning conversion therapy for minors. The Court heard arguments in October 2025, with a decision expected before the end of the term.

What does Chiles v. Salazar mean for parental rights? While ADF frames the case as a parental rights issue, a ruling in favor of the therapist would actually expand what licensed professionals can do to minors behind closed doors, with reduced accountability to parents. Laws that protect children from unproven practices also protect parents' ability to take legal action against practitioners who cause harm.

What is Alliance Defending Freedom, and why are they involved? ADF is a legal advocacy organization that drafted at least 130 bills in 34 states in 2022. They represent Kaley Chiles in this case and have argued in prior Supreme Court cases for positions that courts have since rejected. They use faith-based language but have a documented record of supporting policies that restrict personal freedoms and increase government reach into family decisions.

Is conversion therapy legal in Colorado? Colorado's Minor Conversion Therapy Law prohibits licensed mental health professionals from using conversion therapy on minors. Pastoral counseling and faith-based support outside of licensed professional settings are not prohibited by the law.

What can Christian parents do to protect their children right now? Start by learning what protections exist in your state, what questions to ask any licensed therapist before they work with your child, and what the research actually shows about what are the risks of conversion therapy. Protecting your child and honoring your faith are not in conflict. But staying informed is essential.