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Myths vs truths
Concise evidence-based myth busting
UPDATED 4/1/2026
If you've been following the news, you've probably seen a lot of new headlines about "conversion therapy." On March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for minors, as applied to talk therapy, violates the First Amendment. That ruling has been celebrated by organizations like Alliance Defending Freedom and framed as a victory for free speech and families.
But the spin around this ruling, just like the spin that preceded it, is designed to mislead you. Some headlines make it sound like Colorado was trying to silence therapists or force kids to transition. That was never what was happening. And it's exactly what some people (people who you'd think would have our best interests at heart) want you to believe.
Let's cut through the spin and get to the truth. Because when it comes to protecting our children, we can't afford to be misled, especially now that state-level protections are weaker than they were before this ruling.
MYTH #1:
"Colorado's Law Violated Free Speech"
THE SPIN:
Because therapy involves talking, and talking is speech, Colorado's ban on "conversion therapy" violated the First Amendment. They want you to believe this is about protecting religious freedom and open conversation.
THE TRUTH:
Professional speech has always been regulated differently than regular speech. Always. For good reason.
A lawyer can't tell you it's legal to rob a bank, even though that's "just speech." A doctor can't prescribe you medication they know won't work, even though recommending treatment is "just speech." An accountant can't file fraudulent tax returns on your behalf, even though filling out forms involves words and numbers.
Why? These are professionals with licenses who have special access to vulnerable people. We trust them with sensitive information. With our money. With our health. With our children's minds.
Justice Jackson, the sole dissenter in the ruling, made exactly this point: "The Constitution does not pose a barrier to reasonable regulation of harmful medical treatments just because substandard care comes via speech instead of scalpel." The American Psychological Association echoed that concern, warning the ruling could have "far-reaching implications for consumer safety and professional regulation."
Colorado's law didn't stop therapists from talking. It stopped them from practicing a specific set of techniques that every major medical organization says are harmful and ineffective. That's not censorship. That's basic consumer protection. And the fact that the Supreme Court disagreed on the legal framework doesn't change the underlying medical reality.
MYTH #2:
"This Law Forced Therapists to Affirm Gender Transition"
THE SPIN:
ADF wants you to believe that if therapists can't practice "conversion therapy," they'll be forced to push kids to transition genders. They paint a picture of "woke" therapists recruiting children into transgender identities against parents' wishes.
THE TRUTH:
The law does no such thing. It doesn't use the word "affirm" anywhere.
Here's what the law actually said: therapists cannot practice "conversion therapy," which it defined as trying to change someone's sexual orientation or how they see themselves as male or female. That's it.
Therapists could still:
Help kids explore their feelings and identity (in either direction)
Support kids who want to live according to their religious values
Discuss celibacy or behavior change as options
Work with families to navigate these questions together
What therapists couldn't do was promise to change who a child is attracted to or make them identify with the body they were born in, because there's no credible evidence that works, and mountains of evidence that it causes harm.
The law protected against false promises, not against exploration. ADF conflated those two things on purpose, because fear is their best recruitment tool. And even now that the ruling has weakened enforcement of the law, the distinction still matters: legitimate therapy helps your child explore and cope. Conversion therapy promises a specific outcome that it cannot deliver.
MYTH #3:
"Parents Have a Right to Choose This Treatment"
THE SPIN:
ADF argues that banning "conversion therapy" violates parental rights. They say families should be free to seek whatever treatment they want for their children, and the government shouldn't interfere.
THE TRUTH:
Parental rights don't include the right to pay someone to harm your child.
You can't choose to have your child treated with a medication that's been proven ineffective and dangerous. You can't choose to have an unlicensed person perform surgery on your child. You can't choose to send your child to a facility that uses abusive techniques, even if that facility calls it "therapy."
The government already limits what can be done to children, even by parents, when those actions cause harm. That's not government overreach. That's basic child protection.
And here's the kicker: Colorado's law actually strengthened parental authority by making sure you got accurate information from licensed professionals. It prevented practitioners from lying to you, from making promises they can't keep, from draining your bank account while damaging your child and your relationship with them.
Real parental authority means making informed decisions based on truth, not being manipulated by scam artists who profit from your fear. Now that the ruling has weakened enforcement, that responsibility falls more heavily on you. Know who is treating your child. Ask what methods they use. Demand evidence. And if someone promises to "fix" your child, walk away.
MYTH #4:
"The Science is Unsettled"
THE SPIN:
ADF suggests that opposition to "conversion therapy" is driven by liberal politics and that the science is unclear. They point to past examples where the medical establishment got things wrong (like when homosexuality was listed as a disorder in the 1970s) to argue we can't trust experts now.
THE TRUTH:
Every major medical and mental health organization – not "some," not "most," but every single major one-opposes "conversion therapy."
This includes the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Counseling Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and more than a dozen others.
These organizations represent tens of thousands of practitioners who follow the evidence. The science isn't unsettled. It's clear. "Conversion therapy" doesn't work, and it causes significant harm, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and dramatically increased suicide risk.
The U.S. SAMHSA concluded that "no available research supports the claim that SOGI change efforts are beneficial." A 2022 task force report found conversion therapy has been "discredited by decades of scientific research." A February 2026 Trevor Project research brief found that young people recently subjected to these practices reported the highest rates of suicidal thoughts (61%) and attempts (35%) among all groups surveyed.
Yes, the medical field has been wrong before. That's exactly why we now have rigorous research standards, peer review, and professional ethics. ADF wants you to doubt all expertise so you'll trust them instead, even though they're not offering science. They're offering ideology packaged as medicine.
And the Supreme Court's ruling didn't dispute any of this. Justice Jackson cited the medical consensus extensively in her dissent. The ruling was about constitutional law, not medical evidence. The science has not changed.
MYTH #5:
"Therapists Will Be Punished for Their Beliefs"
THE SPIN:
ADF paints a picture of therapists being hauled before licensing boards just for expressing religious views or conservative opinions. They want you to imagine faithful Christians losing their livelihoods for refusing to bow to progressive orthodoxy.
THE TRUTH:
Laws like Colorado's regulated conduct, not beliefs. No therapist was ever going to be punished for what they believe or even for what they say outside of professional practice.
What therapists couldn't do was practice conversion therapy on minors, meaning they couldn't engage in a specific set of therapeutic techniques aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity. The law didn't police beliefs. It set a professional standard of care.
Now that the ruling has weakened those standards, the burden shifts to families. Be informed about who is treating your child and what methods they use. Legitimate therapists will welcome those questions. Practitioners with something to hide won't.
MYTH #6:
"Strict Scrutiny Will Balance Free Speech and Child Protection"
THE SPIN:
Some argue that sending the case back under "strict scrutiny" (the toughest legal test) will create a fair balance between protecting children and respecting therapists' speech rights.
THE TRUTH:
Strict scrutiny is designed to strike down laws. That's its purpose.
Under strict scrutiny, a law can only stand if the government can prove it serves a "compelling interest" and is "narrowly tailored," meaning it's the least restrictive way to achieve that goal. Very few laws pass this test. Legal analysts say Colorado's law, and laws like it in 23+ states, will almost certainly be struck down under that standard.
That's not a balance. That's a legal path designed to produce one outcome: the elimination of state-level protections for children. ADF knows this. That's why they celebrated the ruling and immediately announced plans to challenge bans in additional states.
But Justice Kagan's concurrence left a narrow opening: she noted that viewpoint-neutral versions of these laws could raise a different constitutional question. States may be able to redraft protections that survive the new standard. The fight is not over. But parents need to understand what's happening right now.
MYTH #7
"The Law Prevents Detransition or Behavior Change Conversations"
THE SPIN:
Under Colorado's law, a therapist couldn't help a teenager who regrets transitioning, or a young person who wants to align their behavior with their faith.
THE TRUTH:
False. Therapists could absolutely help clients with those goals, and still can.
What they couldn't do was promise to change who the client is attracted to or how they see themselves. There's a big difference between:
Allowed: "I can help you explore your feelings, work through your values, and figure out what's right for you."
Not Allowed: "I can make you straight," or "I can make you comfortable in the body you were born in."
One is legitimate therapy. The other is a sales pitch for something that doesn't exist.
The law drew that line because children and families deserve honesty, not false hope sold for profit. Even now, with the legal landscape shifting, that distinction is the most important thing a parent can understand: real therapy helps your child explore and cope. "Conversion therapy" promises an outcome that no credible evidence says is achievable. And families pay the price, financially, emotionally, and sometimes with their child's life.
The Bottom Line
ADF is very good at what they do. They know how to use language that appeals to parents' protective instincts, religious values, and concerns about government overreach. And on March 31, 2026, they won a major victory at the Supreme Court.
But winning a legal case doesn't make the myths true.
Conversion therapy is still medically condemned. It still doesn't work. It still tears families apart. It still costs families thousands of dollars for something that every major medical organization says is harmful. And it still puts children at dramatically increased risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
The Supreme Court changed the legal rules. It didn't change the facts. And the facts are what should guide your decisions as a parent.
Don't let the spin fool you. Look at the data. Hear from the families who've lived through it. Learn who's really behind these campaigns. And if you're looking for support that keeps your family together instead of tearing it apart, start here.
Because at the end of the day, ask yourself: who benefits if therapists get broader freedom to practice unproven techniques on vulnerable children with less accountability?