The Diocese of Lansing has welcomed today’s Supreme Court ruling that states cannot ban compassionate counseling for children struggling with issues of gender dysphoria or same-sex attraction.
“The Diocese of Lansing welcomes the Supreme Court’s 8-1 ruling today in Chiles v. Salazar, which strengthens the Sixth Circuit’s ruling in December in favor of Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee, and Hillsdale Counties,” said William Bloomfield, pictured below, General Counsel for the Diocese of Lansing, March 31.
“Kids struggling with issues of gender dysphoria or same-sex attraction should be able to get effective and compassionate counseling in accord with Catholic teaching. This ruling confirms that states cannot ban such counseling, as such laws violate the free speech clause of the First Amendment.”
In Chiles v. Salazar, the Supreme Court protected Colorado Springs-based licensed counselor Kaley Chiles, pictured above, from a state law that made it illegal for her to talk openly with children about the underlying causes of their gender-related distress — and instead pushed them towards harmful, irreversible medical interventions.
“Counselors walking alongside these young people shouldn’t be limited to promoting state-approved goals like gender transition, which often leads to harmful drugs and surgeries,” said Chiles in response to today’s ruling. “The Supreme Court’s ruling is a victory for counselors and, more importantly, kids and families everywhere.”
Today’s Supreme Court ruling also follows an almost identical decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Catholic Charities v. Whitmer in December of last year, to block a Michigan law that pushed kids toward harmful "gender transitions". That lawsuit aimed to protect the ability of a group of Catholic therapists, based in the Diocese of Lansing, to provide compassionate, professional counseling to children struggling to accept their biological sex.
“Kids deserve real help affirming that their bodies are not a mistake and that they are wonderfully made. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today is a significant win for free speech, common sense, and families desperate to help their children,” said Chief Legal Counsel Jim Campbell of Alliance Defending Freedom who represented Chiles’ case before the court in October. “States cannot silence voluntary conversations that help young people seeking to grow comfortable with their bodies.”
Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of children who are struggling to accept their biological sex. Many of these children have been directed toward a path of “gender transition” — including drugs, hormones, and surgeries — which can result in serious and permanent health consequences and, in many cases, profound regret.
Concern over these harms has led 26 states and several European countries have banned or strictly limited medical gender transitions for children, advocating instead for compassionate counseling to alleviate their gender-related distress. A growing body of research supports this cautious approach is the best way to help children who experience such discomfort.
