On Tuesday, October 7, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Chiles v. Salazar—a case that strikes at the very heart of free speech and religious liberty protected by the First Amendment.
The case involves Christian counselor Kaley Chiles, who is challenging Colorado’s “counseling censorship” law. Represented by attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and co-counsel Barry Arrington and Shaun Pearman, Chiles is fighting for the right to have voluntary, faith-based conversations with minors seeking help with gender confusion.
Kaley’s goal is simple and compassionate: to help young people distressed about their gender grow comfortable with their biological sex and avoid the devastating physical and emotional consequences of harmful drugs and surgeries. Yet Colorado law forbids her from having those conversations with her minor clients—even when the young person and their parents want that counseling.
ADF attorney John Bursch explained the issue clearly:
“Colorado’s law allows counselors to push kids down the path of gender transition, often leading to harmful drugs and surgeries. But it doesn’t allow compassionate counselors like Kaley to talk with kids to help them accept their bodies—even when that is their express goal and they have voluntarily sought Kaley out for advice. This is censorship, pure and simple. Colorado is picking sides, promoting gender ideology, and banning conversations it dislikes. We are hopeful the Supreme Court will uphold counselors’ freedom of speech and young people’s ability to set their own goals of living at peace with their bodies.”
Chiles herself said,
“When my young clients come to me for counsel, they often want to discuss issues of gender and sexuality. Yet my home state only allows my clients to pursue state-approved goals like gender transition. Colorado’s law harms kids and censors speech. I’m hopeful the Supreme Court will do the right thing—for me, other counselors, and most importantly, kids everywhere.”
At its core, the Colorado law prohibits licensed counselors from engaging in counseling conversations with minors who desire to change feelings, expressions, or behaviors related to sexual orientation or gender identity. The law allows only one direction of conversation—pushing a child toward a gender identity different from his or her biological sex—while punishing those who affirm the truth that male and female are God-given realities. Counselors who defy this censorship face severe penalties, including suspension or revocation of their license.
This one-sided law is not about protecting children; it is about controlling speech. It seeks to silence Christian counselors and compel them to echo radical ideologies sanctioned by the State. As ADF notes, this comes at a time of rising mental health crises among youth, when compassionate, truth-based counseling is needed more than ever.
Sadly, Illinois passed a similar law in 2015 banning therapists from helping minors overcome unwanted same-sex attraction or gender confusion. These so-called “conversion therapy” bans claim to protect children but, in reality, deny them access to counseling consistent with their faith and family values.
Therapy bans are not reasoned attempts to safeguard young people—they are political tools designed to silence dissent and suppress biblical truth. The Illinois Family Institute has consistently opposed such laws in Springfield, warning that they strike at the very foundation of religious liberty and the Christian message of redemption and transformation.
Pray for the Justices
As the justices deliberate on Chiles v. Salazar, please join us in praying that God will grant them wisdom, courage, and clarity—that they will uphold the U.S. Constitution’s promise of free speech and protect the right of Christian counselors to share truth in love.
Pray that the Court will affirm that the government cannot compel silence, suppress biblical and biological truth, or punish those who help children find peace with who God created them to be.
As the justices deliberate, Christians across the nation should pray that the Court will uphold the timeless principles of free speech, parental rights, and the freedom to live—and speak—according to one’s faith.
A ruling in Chiles v. Salazar is expected by the end of June 2026.
