In an 8-1 decision, the United States Supreme Court struck down the State of Colorado’s ban on attempts by licensed counselors to change the perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of minors.
“The First Amendment is no word game,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in his majority opinion. “And the rights it protects cannot be renamed away or their protections nullified.”
The attorney for the Christian counselor who challenged the law said, “Kids deserve real help affirming that their bodies are not a mistake and that they are wonderfully made. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today is a significant win for free speech, common sense, and families desperate to help their children.”
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, joined by the Colorado Catholic Conference and the Catholic University of America, filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the counselor who challenged the ban.