WASHINGTON—In a lopsided 8-1 decision on Chiles v. Salazar, the Supreme Court today ruled that a Colorado law banning so-called “conversion therapy” as applied to a counselor’s talk therapy infringed upon First Amendment protections. The justices said that lower courts should have a more rigorous standard of review.  

Dan Mauler, General Counsel at The Heritage Foundation, made the following statement:

“An overwhelming majority of the Supreme Court struck a welcome blow against the Left’s trampling of Kaley Chiles’s constitutional right of free speech. Shamefully, the Colorado legislature sought to force all Colorado licensed healthcare professionals to adopt discredited views of gender ideology, going so far as to effectively prohibit therapists from discussing with their patients the traditional notions of biological differences between men and women. 

“In defending this law, Colorado argued for a ‘First Amendment Free Zone’ to censor unpopular speech—a breathtakingly dangerous notion. Thankfully, eight justices firmly rejected Colorado’s effort. But Colorado’s argument remains a warning that this ideology must be vigorously fought at every turn.”