Myths vs truths
Concise evidence-based myth busting
If you've been following the news and seen a lot more about “conversion therapy” than you usually do, you've probably seen headlines that make it sound like Colorado is trying to silence therapists or force kids to transition. That's not what's happening. But 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.
MYTH #1:
"Colorado's Law Violates Free Speech"
THE SPIN:
Because therapy involves talking, and talking is speech, Colorado's ban on "conversion therapy" violates 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—which are "speech."
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.
When someone has that kind of power, the First Amendment doesn't give them unlimited freedom to say whatever they want without consequence. The state can—and should—make sure licensed professionals follow basic standards of care and don't cause harm.
Colorado's law doesn't stop therapists from talking. It stops 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.
MYTH #2:
"This Law Forces Therapists to Affirm Gender Transition"
THE SPIN:
ADF/the defense 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. Read it yourself—it doesn't use the word "affirm" anywhere.
Here's what the law actually says: therapists cannot practice "conversion therapy," which it defines as trying to change someone's sexual orientation or how they see themselves as male or female. That's it.
Therapists can 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 can't do is 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 protects against false promises, not against exploration. ADF/the defense conflates those two things on purpose, because fear is their best recruitment tool.
MYTH #3:
"Parents Have a Right to Choose This Treatment"
THE SPIN:
ADF/the defense 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 strengthens parental authority by making sure you get accurate information from licensed professionals. It prevents 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.
MYTH #4:
"The Law Is Based on Political Ideology, Not Science"
THE SPIN:
ADF/the defense suggests that opposition to "conversion therapy" is driven by liberal politics and that the science is "unsettled." 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
American Psychological Association
American Medical Association
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Psychiatric Association
American Counseling Association
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.
Yes, the medical field has been wrong before. That's exactly why we now have rigorous research standards, peer review, and professional ethics. ADF/the defense 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.
MYTH #5:
"This Law Will Lead to Therapists Being Punished for Their Beliefs"
THE SPIN:
ADF/the defense 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:
The law regulates conduct, not beliefs. No therapist will be punished for what they believe or even for what they say outside of professional practice.
What therapists can't do is practice conversion therapy on minors—meaning they can't engage in a specific set of therapeutic techniques aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity.
And here's an important practical point: for a complaint to actually stick with a licensing board, there has to be evidence of harm to a real patient. Anonymous complaints or third-party reports rarely lead anywhere unless they're backed up by patient testimony or documentation showing the therapist violated professional standards.
So, the idea that therapists will be dragged through investigations just for their beliefs? That's fear-mongering, not reality.
MYTH #6:
"Strict Scrutiny Will Protect Children While Preserving Free Speech"
THE SPIN:
Some argue that if the Supreme Court sends this case back to lower courts to be reviewed under "strict scrutiny" (the toughest legal test), it will balance protecting children with respecting therapists' speech rights.
THE TRUTH:
Strict scrutiny is designed to strike down laws. That's its purpose.
In our country, 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.
If Chiles gets sent back for strict scrutiny, the practical effect is the same as losing: conversion therapy bans will be invalidated, and practitioners will be free to operate without regulation.
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 can absolutely help clients with those goals.
What they can't do is 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 draws that line because children and families deserve honesty, not false hope sold for profit.
The Bottom Line
ADF/the defense 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.
But when you look past the spin and examine what's actually in Colorado's law, it becomes clear: this isn't about censoring speech or forcing anyone to abandon their values.
It's about preventing licensed professionals from practicing techniques that don't work, that cause measurable harm, and that tear families apart—all while charging parents thousands of dollars for the privilege.
Don't let the spin fool you. Look at the truth. And ask yourself: who benefits if therapists get unlimited freedom to practice unproven techniques on vulnerable children?
It's not your family. And it's certainly not your child.