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Supreme Court skeptical of ‘conversion therapy’ law banning treatment of minors with gender identity issues
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared ready to strike down Colorado’s ban on mental health professionals providing so-called «conversion therapy» to minors with gender identity or sexual orientation issues, an important First Amendment case laced with sharp political and social undertones.
Licensed counselor Kaley Chiles says the legislation violates her free speech rights and infringes on her free exercise of religion and that of her clients by censoring and prohibiting certain private client-counselor conversations.
About two dozen states and Washington, DC have laws similar to Colorado’s.
The state says it acted to regulate professional conduct, «based on overwhelming evidence that efforts to change a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity are unsafe and ineffective.»
SUPREME COURT HEARS IF FAITH-BASED COUNSELING ON GENDER IDENTITY IS PROTECTED SPEECH
A general view of the the Supreme Court building on Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
During a brisk 90 minutes of oral arguments, the court’s 6-3 conservative majority appeared supportive of Chiles’ claims.
Several conservative members of the bench suggested the Colorado law created a double standard that Justice Samuel Alito said may amount to «viewpoint discrimination.»
«Let’s say that you have some medical experts that think gender-affirming care should be — is dangerous to children and some that say that this kind of conversion talk therapy is dangerous,» said Justice Amy Coney Barrett. «Can a state pick a side?»
But other justices appeared to agree with the state, which cited what it claims is the consensus of mental health professionals that verbal-based conversion therapy has shown to be ineffective.
«There are studies that say that this advice does harm the people emotionally and physically,» said Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Justice Samuel Alito (left) suggested Colorado’s law may amount to «viewpoint discrimination. Justice Sonia Sotomayor (right) noted some studies have found that so-called «conversion therapy» for LGBTQ+ individuals may have harmful effects on people. (Getty Images)
Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts could be the key to deciding the case, over whether regulation of «talk therapy» can be treated the same as medical practices.
Roberts cited previous high court precedent that did not distinguish professional speech.
«Just because they’re engaged in conduct doesn’t mean that their words aren’t protected,» said Roberts.
Among the issues the nine justices confronted were whether the state law properly distinguishes speech versus conduct, and the professional speech limits of licensed mental health therapists.
Chiles’ lawyers describe her as «a practicing Christian [who] believes that people flourish when they live consistently with God’s design, including their biological sex.»
FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER CALLS ON DEMOCRATS TO FOCUS ON SUPREME COURT EXPANSION, TERM LIMITS
She said she uses «faith-informed» counseling to engage in talk therapy with young people who are «seeking to reduce or eliminate unwanted sexual attractions, change sexual behaviors, or grow in the experience of harmony with one’s physical body.»
But Chiles’s lawyers say she does not «seek to ‘cure’ clients of same-sex attractions or to ‘change’ clients’ sexual orientation.»
A small group of demonstrators gathered outside the court to support the Colorado law. The group representing Chiles canceled its rally over safety concerns.
Both Chiles’ lawyer and the Colorado solicitor general offered sharply different views in the courtroom on whether previous studies on conversion therapy showed its ineffectiveness.
Colorado says there is a «mountain of evidence» that it is, and that major medical associations have found it leads to depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
But Chiles argues there are no studies indicating conversion therapy is harmful, and that other studies are fundamentally flawed.
«States should not manipulate private conversations between licensed professionals and clients,» James Campbell, Chiles’ attorney, told the bench.
Kaley Chiles, plaintiff in Chiles v. Salazar (Alliance Defending Freedom press release) (Alliance Defending Freedom, press release)
A majority on the court appeared to agree.
Justice Elena Kagan posed a hypothetical where two different doctors treat someone who believes they are gay — one who tells the patient to change, the other to accept it.
«And one of those is permissible, and the other is not?» Kagan asked. «That seems like viewpoint discrimination in the way we would normally understand viewpoint discrimination.»
When Colorado Solicitor General Shannon Stevenson said the core issue was about preserving the best medical practice over what therapists can tell patients, rather than freedom of speech, Alito stepped in.
«There have been times when the medical consensus has been politicized, has been taken over by ideology,» said Alito. «Once, was there a time when many medical professionals thought that certain people should not be permitted to procreate because they had low IQ?» he asked.
The Trump administration’s Justice Department told the court the law creates a «muzzling» double standard — forbidding her from helping people accept their assigned sex at birth, while allowing other therapists to support young people who may want to accept their homosexuality or transition to another gender.
Some on the bench questioned whether talk therapy amounted to — or should be treated differently than — medical care.
«I’m still just struggling with whether a therapist who is acting in their professional capacity to help someone achieve their goals is really expressing the kind of message or expressing a message for First Amendment purposes,» said Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
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«It’s just a little puzzling to me that she would stand in a different position than a medical professional who has exactly the same goals, exactly the same interests, and would just be prescribing medication for that rather than her talking with the client. «
Stevenson argued there has been a long history of states regulating therapists.
«The harms from conversion therapy come from when you tell a young person you can change this innate thing about yourself,» said Stevenson. «And they try, and they try, and they fail, and then they have shame, and they’re miserable. And then it ruins their relationships with their family.»
The American Psychiatric Association 55 years ago ceased classifying homosexuality as a mental illness.
Chiles attended the oral arguments and afterward told Fox News, «I view my work as an outpouring of my faith. I want what is best for my clients, and often they seek me out because we have a shared faith.»
«Struggling kids benefit from access to voluntary counseling, conversations that help them as they seek wholeness and gaining peace with their bodies,» added Chiles. «They deserve better than Colorado’s one-size-fits-all approach.»
The Court in recent years has confronted a range of LGBTQ+-related appeals.
In June, the conservative majority upheld a Tennessee law that bans certain medical treatment for transgender teens.
A separate ruling allowed parents to exempt their children from school story time with LGBTQ-themed books that were at odds with their religious convictions.
The court later this term will consider state laws that prohibit transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports teams.
Protesters for and against gender-affirming care for transgender minors demonstrate outside the Supreme Court on Dec. 4, 2024, in Washington. (Jose Luis Magana/Associated Press file)
The Colorado case has become a political and social touchstone. 187 House and Senate Democrats, along with major medical and mental health officials are supporting the challenged law.
Groups backing Chiles include the Trump Justice Department, Association of Certified Biblical Counselors and the Family Research Council.
The debate has sparked political divisions at the national level.
A 2015 report by the Obama Health and Human Services Department concluded conversion therapy for young people should be stopped.
«There is limited research on conversion therapy efforts among children and adolescents,» said the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) said in its report. «However, none of the existing research supports the premise that mental or behavioral health interventions can alter gender identity or sexual orientation.»
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The DHS website now has a disclaimer saying the ten-year-old report is publicly available by court order, but adds, «Any information on this page promoting gender ideology is extremely inaccurate and disconnected from truth… This page does not reflect reality and, therefore, the Administration and this Department reject it.»
The current court case is Chiles v. Salazar (24-539). A ruling is expected by early summer 2026.
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La policía federal alemana pronto podrá derribar vehículos aéreos no tripulados, dijo el miércoles el ministro del Interior, Alexander Dobrindt, después de una serie de avistamientos de drones que se cree son intentos rusos de espiar e intimidar.
Al presentar un proyecto de ley, Dobrindt dijo que la policía estaría autorizada “a tomar medidas técnicas de última generación contra las amenazas de los drones, por ejemplo con pulsos electromagnéticos, interferencias, interferencias del GPS, pero también con medios físicos”.
“Esto significa que la interceptación y el derribo de drones estarán regulados y serán posibles para la Policía Federal en el futuro”.
Alemania estaba aprendiendo sobre las modernas defensas con vehículos aéreos no tripulados de sus aliados Israel y Ucrania, dijo, y agregó que también establecería un centro conjunto de defensa con drones para que la policía estatal y federal desarrolle informes de situación “y tome contramedidas conjuntas”.
Alemania, un importante aliado de la OTAN para Ucrania en su lucha contra Rusia, ha informado de múltiples avistamientos de drones este año sobre bases militares, sitios industriales y otras infraestructuras críticas.
El fin de semana pasado, drones avistados sobre la ciudad sureña de Múnich cerraron dos veces el aeropuerto de la ciudad, dejando en tierra a miles de pasajeros después de que sus vuelos fueran cancelados o redireccionados, haciéndose eco de incidentes similares en Dinamarca y Noruega.
“Nuestra sospecha es que Rusia está detrás de la mayoría de estos vuelos con drones”, dijo el canciller Friedrich Merz a la emisora pública ARD en una entrevista el domingo.
Al día siguiente, hablando en el canal de noticias NTV, Merz destacó los recientes comentarios del presidente ruso Vladimir Putin y dijo que “es bastante obvio que incluso admite que viene de Rusia”.
“Quiere intimidarnos, quiere asustarnos. No nos dejaremos intimidar y nos defenderemos eficazmente de esta amenaza”.
Se ha producido una serie de avistamientos misteriosos de vehículos aéreos no tripulados sobre instalaciones militares, puertos, centrales eléctricas, sitios industriales e instalaciones de almacenamiento de gas alemanas.
Sin embargo, los drones generalmente desaparecen antes de que las autoridades puedan averiguar de dónde provienen.
Se cree que los drones avistados sobre el estado costero norteño de Schleswig-Holstein fueron lanzados desde buques de la “flota sombra” rusa.
Las fuerzas armadas alemanas ya cuentan con capacidades técnicas para contrarrestar los drones , pero la ley básica alemana sólo dispone de poderes muy limitados para operar a nivel nacional.
Los métodos incluyen el uso de bloqueadores de GPS montados en el hombro que pueden cortar la conexión entre un dron y su piloto y provocar que el dispositivo se estrelle.
Los drones también pueden ser derribados del cielo, pero con el riesgo de causar lesiones y daños por la caída de escombros.
Otra defensa es el uso de drones interceptores que se estrellan contra los vehículos aéreos no tripulados o lanzan redes sobre ellos en el aire.
La policía estatal y federal ahora puede solicitar la ayuda del ejército alemán para detectar drones, en circunstancias especiales, como fue el caso en el aeropuerto de Múnich.
Dobrindt dijo que como la policía federal ahora tomará el liderazgo en asegurar los cielos contra los drones, se creará una nueva unidad para el desarrollo y la investigación de la defensa contra los drones.
“Ya mantenemos intercambios con países con mucha más experiencia”, declaró en una rueda de prensa en Berlín. “Mantenemos un intercambio intensivo con Israel y también con Ucrania”.
(con información de AFP)
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INTERNACIONAL
Kushner joins Witkoff for Gaza ceasefire talks as Trump pushes peace plan: ‘cautiously optimistic’
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President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has once again stepped into the geopolitical arena, landing in Egypt alongside White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday to secure a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
The presence of Kushner — who has largely stayed out of Trump’s White House during the president’s second term and holds no official role in the administration after previously serving as a senior advisor to Trump — signifies that the U.S. is «serious» about securing a deal between Hamas and Israel, bringing an end to the two-year-long war and returning all 48 hostages.
A White House official told Fox News Digital that Kushner, a «major architect of the Abraham Accords,» is an «extremely trusted voice on Middle East policy» and has been in contact with Witkoff throughout the Israel-Hamas negotiations over the last year.
The official said the White House is «grateful» for his expertise as it attempts to secure a deal and end the war this week, and remains «cautiously optimistic» that an agreement will be reached.
ISRAEL, HAMAS MEET IN EGYPT TO REVIVE TRUMP PEACE PLAN AHEAD OF OCT 7 ANNIVERSARY
US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff (R) and Jared Kushner await the arrival of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, New Jersey, on July 13, 2025. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
«To bring him in now, I think, indicates that, one: the Trump administration is really determined to get some progress here. Two: they’re bringing some pretty serious firepower to make some deals,» senior fellow and Director of the Hudson Institute’s Keystone Defense Initiative, Rebeccah Heinrichs, told Fox and Friends Wednesday morning.
«It’s promising that Jared is there,» Heinrichs added, noting his prominent role in securing the Abraham Accords during the first Trump administration.
Reports on Wednesday suggested that the pair intend to remain in Egypt alongside other mediating nations, including Qatar, for as long as it takes to secure a deal.
Their arrival marked the third day of serious negotiations after Israeli and Hamas officials convened on Monday in the Egyptian coastal resort city of Sharm El Sheikh, located at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula.
The negotiations began after Trump late last month revealed a 20-point peace plan to end the war and return the hostages within a 72-hour window of an agreement being finalized.
TRUMP’S PEACE DEAL COULD END THE WAR IN GAZA OR NETANYAHU’S CAREER
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin talks to U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on April 7, 2025 in Washington. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Shortly after, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to the terms before Trump began pushing Hamas to respond.
Hamas appeared to accept the majority of the proposal over the weekend, though it flagged issues with certain elements of the 20-point blueprint, including the swift return of all the hostages, particularly the deceased hostages, some of whom it says are buried under rubble and, therefore, cannot be quickly retrieved.
Reports also suggested Hamas took issue with the call for it to completely disarm and flagged distrust that Israel would hold up its end of the bargain by ending its military ambitions in the Gaza Strip once all the hostages are returned.
Security experts have told Fox News Digital that Trump, after months of backing Israel’s aggressive military strategy in the Gaza Strip, is in a unique position to squeeze Netanyahu and force both sides to the negotiating table.
Smoke rises from Gaza City seen from Deir al Balah, following intense Israeli military attacks on northern Gaza, on Oct. 5, 2025. (Khames Alrefi/Getty Images)
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«It’s absolutely imperative for Israel’s long-term security and, frankly, for Netanyahu’s political future to keep the U.S. and Trump on side,» security expert and Randi & Charles Wax senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, John Hannah, told Fox News Digital. «A flat-out rejection and confrontation with the United States would have been disastrous for Netanyahu as well as for Israel.»
Netanyahu is facing a precarious political front at home with immense frustration by the public over his failure to return the hostages, but also within his own coalition, who see his negotiating with Hamas as a concession and collapse of his previous stated security aims.
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INTERNACIONAL
Comey pleads not guilty in court after indictment on alleged false statements, obstruction
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Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to charges of allegedly making false statements and obstruction of a congressional hearing during his first court appearance in Virginia on Wednesday.
The former FBI director appeared at 10 a.m. ET in the Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse in Alexandria, Va. Comey’s wife, Patrice, and daughter, Maureen, were spotted waiting in line outside the courthouse Wednesday morning.
District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, presided over the hearing. Comey’s lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, told Nachmanoff that representing Comey «is the honor of my life» and that his team would be filing motions alleging a vindictive and retaliatory prosecution as well as outrageous government conduct.
Nachmanoff set oral argument dates for Nov. 19 and Dec. 9 and a jury trial to begin on Jan. 5, 2026.
COMEY INDICTED FOR ALLEGED FALSE STATEMENTS, OBSTRUCTION OF CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDING
Patrice Failor (L), wife of former FBI director James Comey, is embraced by her daughter Maurene Comey as they arrive at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia’s Bryan Courthouse on October 08, 2025 in Alexandria, Virginia. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The only time Comey spoke during the hearing was when the judge asked if he understood the charges against him.
«I do your honor,» Comey said. «Thank you very much.»
Comey was indicted in September by a federal grand jury on two counts: alleged false statements within jurisdiction of the legislative branch and obstruction of a congressional proceeding.
The indictment alleges that Comey obstructed a congressional investigation into the disclosure of sensitive information in violation of 18 USC 1505.
The indictment also alleges Comey made a false statement when he stated he did not authorize someone at the FBI to be an anonymous source. According to the indictment, that statement was false.
Fox News Digital exclusively reported in July that Comey was under criminal investigation by the FBI. The probe into Comey centered on whether he lied to Congress during his Sept. 30, 2020, testimony about his handling of the original Trump–Russia probe at the FBI, known inside the bureau as «Crossfire Hurricane.»
«No one is above the law,» Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X after the indictment, adding that it «reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.»
Former FBI Director James Comey is seen at a hearing on Capitol Hill in 2017. (Associated Press)
COMEY DENIES CHARGES, DECLARES ‘I AM NOT AFRAID’
FBI Director Kash Patel said «previous corrupt leadership and their enablers weaponized federal law enforcement, damaging once proud institutions and severely eroding public trust.»
«Every day, we continue the fight to earn that trust back, and under my leadership, this FBI will confront the problem head-on,» Patel said. «Nowhere was this politicization of law enforcement more blatant than during the Russiagate hoax, a disgraceful chapter in history we continue to investigate and expose.»
He added: «Everyone, especially those in positions of power, will be held to account – no matter their perch.»
Comey, after being indicted, posted an Instagram video, denying the allegations.
«My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump, but we couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way,» he said. «We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either. Somebody that I love dearly recently said that fear is the tool of a tyrant, and she’s right.»
«But I’m not afraid,» Comey added.
«My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system and I am innocent, so let’s have a trial and keep the faith,» Comey said.
Fox News Digital also exclusively reported that former CIA Director John Brennan is under criminal investigation related to the Trump–Russia probe.
Under federal law, prosecutors have five years to bring a charge, with the five-year mark occurring Tuesday.
TRUMP SAYS COMEY ‘PLACED A CLOUD OVER THE ENTIRE NATION’ WITH CROSSFIRE HURRICANE, REACTS TO INDICTMENT
The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The FBI opened its Trump-Russia probe in July 2016, known inside the bureau as «Crossfire Hurricane.»
Robert Mueller, former special counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice. (AP newsroom; Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Mike Cohen/Getty Images for The New York Times)
President Donald Trump, during his first term, fired Comey in May 2017.
Days later, Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel to take over the FBI’s original «Crossfire Hurricane» investigation.
After nearly two years, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, which concluded in March 2019, yielded no evidence of criminal conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian officials during the 2016 presidential election.
Shortly after, John Durham was appointed as special counsel to investigate the origins of the «Crossfire Hurricane» probe.
EXCLUSIVE: FBI LAUNCHES CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OF JOHN BRENNAN, JAMES COMEY: DOJ SOURCES
Durham found that the FBI «failed to act» on a «clear warning sign» that the bureau was the «target» of a Clinton-led effort to «manipulate or influence the law enforcement process for political purposes» ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Fox News Digital broke a series of stories related to Special Counsel John Durham’s findings. (Julia Nikhinson/Reuters)
«The aforementioned facts reflect a rather startling and inexplicable failure to adequately consider and incorporate the Clinton Plan intelligence into the FBI’s investigative decision-making in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation,» Durham’s report states.
«Indeed, had the FBI opened the Crossfire Hurricane investigation as an assessment and, in turn, gathered and analyzed data in concert with the information from the Clinton Plan intelligence, it is likely that the information received would have been examined, at a minimum, with a more critical eye,» the report continued.
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Durham, in his report, said the FBI «failed to act on what should have been — when combined with other incontrovertible facts — a clear warning sign that the FBI might then be the target of an effort to manipulate or influence the law enforcement process for political purposes during the 2016 presidential election.»
Fox News’ Wyatt Dobrovich-Fago contributed to this report.
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