In a move that could undermine an Anchorage law that bans counselors from helping minors reduce or overcome unwanted LGBTQ sexual attractions, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case in which a professional counselor in Colorado is seeking to continue helping clients talk about various issues without being forced to promote the government’s pro-LGBTQ gender ideology.
The case involves counselor Kaley Chiles, who helps clients with various issues, including gender identity. Many of Chiles’ clients come to her because they share her Christian worldview and faith-based values. These clients believe their lives will be more fulfilling if they are aligned with the teachings of their faith. Yet Colorado law – like Anchorage – censors Chiles from sharing certain perspectives.
After the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit upheld Colorado’s law, the nation’s high court is now set to weigh in.
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The outcome could undermine Anchorage’s current ban on counselor speech that challenges LGBTQ ideology.
The hard-left Anchorage Assembly passed the ban on a 9-2 vote back in 2020, despite repeated warnings during public comment periods that the ordinance violated the First Amendment’s free speech protections.
While the Anchorage law bans counselors from speaking out against LGBTQ dogma, it also empowers counselors and therapists to actively encourage minors to explore their same-sex attractions or even to consider permanent surgeries or powerful cross-sex chemicals and puberty blockers to “transition” to the opposite sex.
Similarly, the Colorado law only prohibits counseling conversations in one direction. For example, it allows counseling conversations that steer young people toward a gender identity different than their sex, but prohibits conversations that help them return to comfort with their sex – even when they desire that.
Furthermore, like Anchorage, the one-sided Colorado law threatens severe penalties and fines for those who dare to share perspectives that challenge LGBTQ gender ideology.
6 Comments
The real problem is the hate speech laws and how they conflict with the Free Speech Amendment. LGBTQ are considered a “protected minority” and so anything said against them could be termed “hate speech.” This was the slippery slope from the original hate speech laws against the American Nazis and their harassment of Jews and Holocaust survivors. Anything that limits free speech erodes that privilege. In the end citizens will have to decide which they want – free speech or protected groups. My vote is for free speech.
MY VOTE IS FOR FREE SPEECH AS WELL! DUNLEAVY AND HIS AG ALLOW PORN IN LIBRARY’S TO GROOM CHILDREN AND ENTICE AG’S LIKE CLARKSON AND SNIFFIN!
This sounds very much like what happened to the medical profession during Covid, where management were telling Dr.s what they could & could not prescribe for meds & treatment. Preventing Dr.s who are trained in medical practicees to make decisions on what is healing for the patient, decisions taken away from Drs. and dictated by business trained managers. As a result in Fairbanks Dr.s are leaving our medical system in droves.
Counselors are trained to provide caring support for patients. Decisions are made based on that training, so to have management in changing laws to dictate topics to be encouraged or avoided is contrary to true healing and more in line with programming.
RFK Jr. said, “Be careful, they’re coming after our children.”
It’s the parents of LGBTQ children, who are hell bent on their children fitting the mold of what their religious indoctrination tells them is acceptable, who should be sent to conversion therapy programs. Love your kids, let them be who they are, and trust the God knows what He is doing. He doesn’t make mistakes, and LGTBQ+ have just as much a right to be part of His kingdom as straight people do.
I thought you all were for free speech – I guess unless it doesn’t go opposite to what you think. Leave LGBTQ+ people alone.
“doesn’t go opposite” = goes not opposite (ie: is in line with).