DOJ admits Trump admin has skin in conversion therapy Supreme Court fight

The Department of Justice admitted Tuesday that the Trump administration "has significant interest" in the conversion therapy Supreme Court fight as oral arguments started.

The high court is hearing its first major case in the new term since returning from break in Chiles v. Salazar, a case concerning a Colorado state law that bans conversion therapy for minors, The Washington Post reported.

In court filings, the Justice Department wrote that the administration “has significant interest in this case” and “has a substantial interest in protecting citizens’ constitutional rights of free expression.”

A lawyer representing Kaley Chiles, a licensed therapist and evangelical Christian, argued that the ban on conversion therapy, a treatment that attempts to change the identity or behavior of gay and transgender people, violates her First Amendment rights to counsel young people in line with her faith. A lawyer for the Justice Department has weighed in on the case, siding with Chiles.

A Colorado lawyer is arguing that the state can regulate care for what studies have shown as "ineffective, harmful treatment" under conversion therapy.

Conversion therapy has been criticized by the American Psychological Association. Research shows that people who undergo the change efforts are more likely to have poor mental health, engage in hazardous health behaviors and potential suicide attempts.

The case is expected to have a wide impact, according to The Post. About 30 other states have laws similar to Colorado.