Quick Takeaways

• Chiles v. Salazar is a Supreme Court case that could determine whether licensed therapists are allowed to practice conversion therapy on minors in Colorado and potentially nationwide.

• The case is being argued by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) on behalf of a licensed therapist named Kaley Chiles, who wants to practice personal orientation change efforts with minors under the protection of free speech.

• Colorado's law only restricts licensed mental health professionals. It does not apply to pastors, youth ministers, or religious counselors.

• Real families who have experienced conversion therapy firsthand filed legal briefs opposing ADF's position, sharing how these practices damaged their children and their family relationships.

• Understanding this case is not about politics. It is about knowing who actually has the right to guide your child.

What Is Chiles v. Salazar?

In 2019, Colorado passed the Minor Conversion Therapy Law (MCTL). The law prohibits licensed mental health professionals from using conversion therapy on minors, meaning they cannot attempt to change a child's personal sense of who they are or who they are attracted to. Pastors, youth ministers, and faith leaders are not covered by this law. It applies only to licensed, state-regulated professionals.

A Colorado therapist named Kaley Chiles, represented by ADF, is challenging that law all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Her argument is that because therapy involves talking, it qualifies as protected speech under the First Amendment, and therefore the state cannot regulate what she says to clients, even minors.

The case is now docketed as Case No. 24-539 before the Supreme Court.

Why the Free Speech Argument Should Concern You

On the surface, a "free speech" argument sounds reasonable. But think through what it would actually mean in practice.

If courts agree that therapy is primarily speech, state medical boards would lose significant authority to regulate what licensed professionals do with minors behind closed doors. That is not a narrow ruling. It could affect every licensed therapist in every state, not just those who practice conversion therapy.

It would also mean a therapist could promise your child outcomes the science does not support, and the state would have limited tools to hold that provider accountable. That is not parental authority. That is the opposite.

You can learn more about how this legal argument intersects with broader lobbying efforts on the conversion therapy lobbying group ADF page.

What Families Who Lived It Are Saying

One of the most powerful aspects of the Chiles v. Salazar record is who showed up to oppose ADF. A group of parents, all of whom experienced conversion therapy with their own children, filed legal briefs with the Supreme Court explaining what actually happened to their families.

Their accounts share a common thread. The children who underwent conversion therapy came to believe that being gay or seeing themselves differently meant something was fundamentally broken about them, and that their own families had caused it. That message did not bring families together. It drove wedges between parents and children that took years to heal, and in some cases never did.

One evangelical pastor, Robert Cottrell, who submitted a brief in support of Colorado's law, has spent years counseling families affected by conversion therapy practices. His testimony makes clear that these interventions push children away from the two things that most protect them: their families and their faith.

You can read stories from families who have navigated these decisions at the real stories page.

What This Case Does Not Do

It is important to be clear about what Colorado's law does not restrict.

It does not prevent parents from talking to their children about faith or values. It does not prohibit pastoral counseling. It does not stop families from seeking spiritual guidance. It does not tell a pastor what to preach.

What it does is hold licensed medical professionals to the same accountability standards we expect from any healthcare provider: do no harm, follow established evidence, and do not charge families for treatment that cannot deliver what it promises. Research published in JAMA Pediatrics has documented the wide-ranging harms associated with these practices, including elevated rates of depression and suicidal ideation among minors who underwent them.

For a deeper look at the case itself, visit the dedicated Chiles v. Salazar explainer page.

What Faithful Parents Actually Have the Right to Do

The outcome of this case does not change something fundamental: you are your child's parent, and your relationship with your child is the most powerful protective force in their life.

What conversion therapy actually threatens is that relationship. Families who pursued it did not get the results they were promised. What they often got instead was a child who felt condemned, alone, and cut off from the people who loved them most.

Your authority as a parent is not protected by giving a stranger, credentialed or otherwise, the power to reshape your child's sense of self. It is protected by staying close, staying informed, and making decisions based on what the evidence actually shows.

FAQ: Chiles v. Salazar and Christian Families

What is Chiles v. Salazar in simple terms? It is a case before the U.S. Supreme Court in which a therapist, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, is arguing that Colorado cannot prohibit her from practicing conversion therapy on minors because doing so violates her free speech rights.

Does Colorado's law restrict what pastors and church counselors can say? No. Colorado's Minor Conversion Therapy Law applies only to licensed mental health professionals, not to religious or spiritual leaders. Pastoral counseling remains fully protected.

Who is Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)? ADF is a legal advocacy organization that drafted over 130 bills across 34 states in 2022 alone. They are representing Kaley Chiles in this case and are arguing that conversion therapy for minors should be permitted as a form of protected speech.

Why do families who experienced conversion therapy oppose ADF's position? Parents who submitted legal briefs in this case reported that conversion therapy caused significant harm to their children and to family relationships. Children who underwent these practices frequently became more withdrawn, not less, and many cut off contact with their families entirely.

What should a Christian parent know about this case right now? The ruling could affect therapist regulation nationwide, not just in Colorado. Understanding what this case argues and who is behind it helps families make more informed choices about the providers they trust with their children.

For more information about the Chiles v Salazar case and what it can mean for you and your family, please visit the Chiles v Salazar Ruling article in our Education Hub.