Conversion Therapy Law: What Your Gut Reaction to SCOTUS Reveals About Your Values

# Conversion Therapy Law: What Your Gut Reaction to SCOTUS Reveals About Your Values

> **Quick answer:** On March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in *Chiles v. Salazar* that Colorado's conversion therapy ban for minors likely violates the First Amendment, threatening similar laws in 25+ states. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory shows your immediate reaction to this ruling — outrage, relief, confusion, or indifference — maps directly to one of four core values types that predict how you process nearly every controversial issue.

The Supreme Court just handed down one of the most psychologically revealing legal decisions in years. Not because of what it says about therapy — but because of what your *reaction* to it says about *you*.

## What the Supreme Court Actually Ruled in *Chiles v. Salazar*

On March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that Colorado's 2019 law banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ minors likely violates the First Amendment. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the majority that the law constitutes viewpoint discrimination — forbidding licensed counselors from expressing certain views during talk therapy, which he called "the quintessential form of protected speech."

The case was brought by Kaley Chiles, a Christian counselor who wanted to offer therapy aligned with her religious beliefs about sexual orientation and gender identity. Colorado had barred her from doing so with minors.