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The Supreme Court Ruled 8-1 Against Colorado's Ban. Colorado Rewrote the Law Two Months Later
On March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado's ban on "conversion therapy" for minors must face the strictest free speech review, with Justice Jackson the lone dissent.
On March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for minors raised serious free speech problems and had to face the toughest constitutional test. The Court did not say the practice works or is safe for a child. It reversed the lower court and set the case back. About two months later, Colorado passed a rewritten law that Governor Jared Polis signed on June 1, 2026. It targets no belief; it only bars counselors from pushing a minor toward a predetermined result, in either direction. For Christian parents, the takeaway is steady: the ruling changed the legal argument, not the evidence, and you still decide what help your child receives.
Quick Takeaways
On March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado's ban on "conversion therapy" for minors must face the strictest free speech review, with Justice Jackson the lone dissenter.
The decision turned on speech and viewpoint, not outcomes. The Court did not rule these practices work or help children, and it sent the case back rather than settling it.
About two months later, Colorado rewrote the law. The version signed June 1, 2026 bars counselors from steering a minor toward any predetermined result about how they see themselves, in either direction.
Nothing in the ruling forces a family to do anything. Parents stay free to seek genuine, faith-focused support, and the research has not changed.
What the Court Actually Decided
Colorado passed its law in 2019, stopping state-licensed mental health professionals from trying to change a minor's attractions or how they see themselves. Kaley Chiles, a licensed counselor in Colorado Springs represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), argued the law punished her for her words. A majority agreed it reached her speech based on her viewpoint, the highest bar a law can face, and sent the case back to the lower courts to apply that stricter test. You can read a plain-language breakdown of what the Chiles v. Salazar ruling actually said. This was not a party-line split: two of the Court's more liberal justices joined on the free speech point, and only Justice Jackson dissented, warning it could weaken a state's power to oversee medical care.
What the Ruling Did Not Do
The decision did not say conversion therapy works, that it is safe for a child, or that any parent must place a child in one of these programs. It helps to be clear about what conversion therapy is today: not the electroshock scene from an old documentary, but talk and prayer, a trusted adult gently pressuring a child to change something that cannot be changed. The documented risks and harms, including guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behavior, have not changed. A free speech decision could not change that record.
How Colorado Responded
Colorado did not walk away from protecting kids. About two months after the ruling, lawmakers passed HB26-1322, which Governor Polis signed on June 1, 2026. Rather than restrict a counselor's viewpoint, it bars a licensed professional from pushing a minor toward any predetermined result about who they are. It also lets a person harmed by these practices bring a claim years later, since the damage often takes time to surface, and a companion order keeps state funds away from these services. Among conversion therapy laws by state, Colorado is the clearest example yet of a state rebuilding a protection after a court trimmed the old one.
What This Means for Christian Families
The part that matters most sits under your own roof. The ruling protects a counselor's words. It does not tell you these practices are good for your child, and it does not hand your role to anyone else. A practice that divides a home and cannot deliver what it promises is not a solution, no matter how confidently it is sold. You can be faithful to God and protective of your child at once, and genuine faith-focused support never asks you to bet a child's wellbeing on a promise the people closest to these programs have spent years walking back.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Supreme Court decide in Chiles v. Salazar? It ruled 8 to 1 on March 31, 2026, that Colorado's ban regulated a counselor's speech based on viewpoint and must face the strictest test, then sent the case back rather than settling it.
Did the Supreme Court say conversion therapy works or is safe? No. The case was about free speech, not results. The justices did not find that the practice changes a child or that it is safe, and the research showing harm still stands.
Is conversion therapy legal in Colorado now? It is complicated. The old ban went back to the lower courts, but Colorado's rewritten 2026 law bars counselors from steering a minor toward a predetermined result and lets those harmed seek accountability.
Does the ruling force parents to try these practices? No. Nothing in the decision requires a family to do anything. Parents remain free to choose support that stands by their child rather than pressures them.
What are Christian alternatives to conversion therapy? Many families turn to pastoral counseling that does not promise to change a child, licensed therapists who avoid change efforts, and support groups where parents work through fear and faith together.
Sources and Further Reading
The Supreme Court Ruling
Chiles v. Salazar, U.S. Supreme Court opinion (March 31, 2026) -- The full 8-1 decision, including Justice Gorsuch's majority opinion and Justice Jackson's dissent.
Chiles v. Salazar case page -- SCOTUSblog -- Filings, argument coverage, and analysis of the free speech question at the center of the case.
Supreme Court rules against Colorado's conversion therapy ban on First Amendment grounds -- CBS News -- Plain-language news coverage of the ruling and what it means.
Colorado's New Law
HB26-1322, Colorado's rewritten conversion therapy law -- Colorado General Assembly -- The official bill text, status, and timeline of the 2026 law.
Governor Polis signs bill and executive order to protect Coloradans from conversion therapy -- Colorado Governor's Office -- The June 1, 2026 signing and the companion order on state funds.
The Evidence on These Practices
Evidence against conversion therapy -- American Psychological Association -- Research reviews finding no credible evidence these practices change who a person is attracted to.
CT4F Resources for Families
Chiles v. Salazar Ruling Explained -- Conversion Truth for Families -- A parent-friendly walkthrough of the ruling and what happens next.
Conversion Therapy: State Laws -- Conversion Truth for Families -- Where these laws stand from state to state, updated for 2026.
Conversion Therapy Explained -- Conversion Truth for Families -- What these practices are and the names they go by today.
Risks and Harms of Conversion Therapy -- Conversion Truth for Families -- A closer look at the harms families should know about.
Recent posts
The Supreme Court Ruled 8-1 Against Colorado's Ban. Colorado Rewrote the Law Two Months Later
On March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado's ban on "conversion therapy" for minors must face the strictest free speech review, with Justice Jackson the lone dissent.
On March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for minors raised serious free speech problems and had to face the toughest constitutional test. The Court did not say the practice works or is safe for a child. It reversed the lower court and set the case back. About two months later, Colorado passed a rewritten law that Governor Jared Polis signed on June 1, 2026. It targets no belief; it only bars counselors from pushing a minor toward a predetermined result, in either direction. For Christian parents, the takeaway is steady: the ruling changed the legal argument, not the evidence, and you still decide what help your child receives.
Quick Takeaways
On March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado's ban on "conversion therapy" for minors must face the strictest free speech review, with Justice Jackson the lone dissenter.
The decision turned on speech and viewpoint, not outcomes. The Court did not rule these practices work or help children, and it sent the case back rather than settling it.
About two months later, Colorado rewrote the law. The version signed June 1, 2026 bars counselors from steering a minor toward any predetermined result about how they see themselves, in either direction.
Nothing in the ruling forces a family to do anything. Parents stay free to seek genuine, faith-focused support, and the research has not changed.
What the Court Actually Decided
Colorado passed its law in 2019, stopping state-licensed mental health professionals from trying to change a minor's attractions or how they see themselves. Kaley Chiles, a licensed counselor in Colorado Springs represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), argued the law punished her for her words. A majority agreed it reached her speech based on her viewpoint, the highest bar a law can face, and sent the case back to the lower courts to apply that stricter test. You can read a plain-language breakdown of what the Chiles v. Salazar ruling actually said. This was not a party-line split: two of the Court's more liberal justices joined on the free speech point, and only Justice Jackson dissented, warning it could weaken a state's power to oversee medical care.
What the Ruling Did Not Do
The decision did not say conversion therapy works, that it is safe for a child, or that any parent must place a child in one of these programs. It helps to be clear about what conversion therapy is today: not the electroshock scene from an old documentary, but talk and prayer, a trusted adult gently pressuring a child to change something that cannot be changed. The documented risks and harms, including guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behavior, have not changed. A free speech decision could not change that record.
How Colorado Responded
Colorado did not walk away from protecting kids. About two months after the ruling, lawmakers passed HB26-1322, which Governor Polis signed on June 1, 2026. Rather than restrict a counselor's viewpoint, it bars a licensed professional from pushing a minor toward any predetermined result about who they are. It also lets a person harmed by these practices bring a claim years later, since the damage often takes time to surface, and a companion order keeps state funds away from these services. Among conversion therapy laws by state, Colorado is the clearest example yet of a state rebuilding a protection after a court trimmed the old one.
What This Means for Christian Families
The part that matters most sits under your own roof. The ruling protects a counselor's words. It does not tell you these practices are good for your child, and it does not hand your role to anyone else. A practice that divides a home and cannot deliver what it promises is not a solution, no matter how confidently it is sold. You can be faithful to God and protective of your child at once, and genuine faith-focused support never asks you to bet a child's wellbeing on a promise the people closest to these programs have spent years walking back.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Supreme Court decide in Chiles v. Salazar? It ruled 8 to 1 on March 31, 2026, that Colorado's ban regulated a counselor's speech based on viewpoint and must face the strictest test, then sent the case back rather than settling it.
Did the Supreme Court say conversion therapy works or is safe? No. The case was about free speech, not results. The justices did not find that the practice changes a child or that it is safe, and the research showing harm still stands.
Is conversion therapy legal in Colorado now? It is complicated. The old ban went back to the lower courts, but Colorado's rewritten 2026 law bars counselors from steering a minor toward a predetermined result and lets those harmed seek accountability.
Does the ruling force parents to try these practices? No. Nothing in the decision requires a family to do anything. Parents remain free to choose support that stands by their child rather than pressures them.
What are Christian alternatives to conversion therapy? Many families turn to pastoral counseling that does not promise to change a child, licensed therapists who avoid change efforts, and support groups where parents work through fear and faith together.
Sources and Further Reading
The Supreme Court Ruling
Chiles v. Salazar, U.S. Supreme Court opinion (March 31, 2026) -- The full 8-1 decision, including Justice Gorsuch's majority opinion and Justice Jackson's dissent.
Chiles v. Salazar case page -- SCOTUSblog -- Filings, argument coverage, and analysis of the free speech question at the center of the case.
Supreme Court rules against Colorado's conversion therapy ban on First Amendment grounds -- CBS News -- Plain-language news coverage of the ruling and what it means.
Colorado's New Law
HB26-1322, Colorado's rewritten conversion therapy law -- Colorado General Assembly -- The official bill text, status, and timeline of the 2026 law.
Governor Polis signs bill and executive order to protect Coloradans from conversion therapy -- Colorado Governor's Office -- The June 1, 2026 signing and the companion order on state funds.
The Evidence on These Practices
Evidence against conversion therapy -- American Psychological Association -- Research reviews finding no credible evidence these practices change who a person is attracted to.
CT4F Resources for Families
Chiles v. Salazar Ruling Explained -- Conversion Truth for Families -- A parent-friendly walkthrough of the ruling and what happens next.
Conversion Therapy: State Laws -- Conversion Truth for Families -- Where these laws stand from state to state, updated for 2026.
Conversion Therapy Explained -- Conversion Truth for Families -- What these practices are and the names they go by today.
Risks and Harms of Conversion Therapy -- Conversion Truth for Families -- A closer look at the harms families should know about.
Recent posts
The Supreme Court Ruled 8-1 Against Colorado's Ban. Colorado Rewrote the Law Two Months Later
On March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado's ban on "conversion therapy" for minors must face the strictest free speech review, with Justice Jackson the lone dissent.
On March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for minors raised serious free speech problems and had to face the toughest constitutional test. The Court did not say the practice works or is safe for a child. It reversed the lower court and set the case back. About two months later, Colorado passed a rewritten law that Governor Jared Polis signed on June 1, 2026. It targets no belief; it only bars counselors from pushing a minor toward a predetermined result, in either direction. For Christian parents, the takeaway is steady: the ruling changed the legal argument, not the evidence, and you still decide what help your child receives.
Quick Takeaways
On March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado's ban on "conversion therapy" for minors must face the strictest free speech review, with Justice Jackson the lone dissenter.
The decision turned on speech and viewpoint, not outcomes. The Court did not rule these practices work or help children, and it sent the case back rather than settling it.
About two months later, Colorado rewrote the law. The version signed June 1, 2026 bars counselors from steering a minor toward any predetermined result about how they see themselves, in either direction.
Nothing in the ruling forces a family to do anything. Parents stay free to seek genuine, faith-focused support, and the research has not changed.
What the Court Actually Decided
Colorado passed its law in 2019, stopping state-licensed mental health professionals from trying to change a minor's attractions or how they see themselves. Kaley Chiles, a licensed counselor in Colorado Springs represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), argued the law punished her for her words. A majority agreed it reached her speech based on her viewpoint, the highest bar a law can face, and sent the case back to the lower courts to apply that stricter test. You can read a plain-language breakdown of what the Chiles v. Salazar ruling actually said. This was not a party-line split: two of the Court's more liberal justices joined on the free speech point, and only Justice Jackson dissented, warning it could weaken a state's power to oversee medical care.
What the Ruling Did Not Do
The decision did not say conversion therapy works, that it is safe for a child, or that any parent must place a child in one of these programs. It helps to be clear about what conversion therapy is today: not the electroshock scene from an old documentary, but talk and prayer, a trusted adult gently pressuring a child to change something that cannot be changed. The documented risks and harms, including guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behavior, have not changed. A free speech decision could not change that record.
How Colorado Responded
Colorado did not walk away from protecting kids. About two months after the ruling, lawmakers passed HB26-1322, which Governor Polis signed on June 1, 2026. Rather than restrict a counselor's viewpoint, it bars a licensed professional from pushing a minor toward any predetermined result about who they are. It also lets a person harmed by these practices bring a claim years later, since the damage often takes time to surface, and a companion order keeps state funds away from these services. Among conversion therapy laws by state, Colorado is the clearest example yet of a state rebuilding a protection after a court trimmed the old one.
What This Means for Christian Families
The part that matters most sits under your own roof. The ruling protects a counselor's words. It does not tell you these practices are good for your child, and it does not hand your role to anyone else. A practice that divides a home and cannot deliver what it promises is not a solution, no matter how confidently it is sold. You can be faithful to God and protective of your child at once, and genuine faith-focused support never asks you to bet a child's wellbeing on a promise the people closest to these programs have spent years walking back.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Supreme Court decide in Chiles v. Salazar? It ruled 8 to 1 on March 31, 2026, that Colorado's ban regulated a counselor's speech based on viewpoint and must face the strictest test, then sent the case back rather than settling it.
Did the Supreme Court say conversion therapy works or is safe? No. The case was about free speech, not results. The justices did not find that the practice changes a child or that it is safe, and the research showing harm still stands.
Is conversion therapy legal in Colorado now? It is complicated. The old ban went back to the lower courts, but Colorado's rewritten 2026 law bars counselors from steering a minor toward a predetermined result and lets those harmed seek accountability.
Does the ruling force parents to try these practices? No. Nothing in the decision requires a family to do anything. Parents remain free to choose support that stands by their child rather than pressures them.
What are Christian alternatives to conversion therapy? Many families turn to pastoral counseling that does not promise to change a child, licensed therapists who avoid change efforts, and support groups where parents work through fear and faith together.
Sources and Further Reading
The Supreme Court Ruling
Chiles v. Salazar, U.S. Supreme Court opinion (March 31, 2026) -- The full 8-1 decision, including Justice Gorsuch's majority opinion and Justice Jackson's dissent.
Chiles v. Salazar case page -- SCOTUSblog -- Filings, argument coverage, and analysis of the free speech question at the center of the case.
Supreme Court rules against Colorado's conversion therapy ban on First Amendment grounds -- CBS News -- Plain-language news coverage of the ruling and what it means.
Colorado's New Law
HB26-1322, Colorado's rewritten conversion therapy law -- Colorado General Assembly -- The official bill text, status, and timeline of the 2026 law.
Governor Polis signs bill and executive order to protect Coloradans from conversion therapy -- Colorado Governor's Office -- The June 1, 2026 signing and the companion order on state funds.
The Evidence on These Practices
Evidence against conversion therapy -- American Psychological Association -- Research reviews finding no credible evidence these practices change who a person is attracted to.
CT4F Resources for Families
Chiles v. Salazar Ruling Explained -- Conversion Truth for Families -- A parent-friendly walkthrough of the ruling and what happens next.
Conversion Therapy: State Laws -- Conversion Truth for Families -- Where these laws stand from state to state, updated for 2026.
Conversion Therapy Explained -- Conversion Truth for Families -- What these practices are and the names they go by today.
Risks and Harms of Conversion Therapy -- Conversion Truth for Families -- A closer look at the harms families should know about.