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Public commenter urges Charleston to repeal local conversion‑therapy ban after Supreme Court ruling
Summary
A public speaker told council the U.S. Supreme Court's March 31, 2026, decision in 'Chile's versus Salazar' overturned lower court precedent and urged repeal of Charleston's Article 3 (sections 51–54), which she said is now unconstitutional; she asked that her remarks be entered into the meeting journal.
A public commenter urged Charleston's City Council to repeal the city's ban on conversion therapy after citing a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision.
Ms. Payne told the council that on March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court decided “Chile's versus Salazar,” an 8–1 ruling she said reversed the Tenth Circuit and held Colorado’s ban on so‑called conversion therapy unconstitutional as applied to talk therapy. She said the decision means Charleston’s city code — identified in her remarks as Article 3, sections 51 through 54 — is now unconstitutional and should be repealed. “I urge you to repeal Article 3 immediately as it is in violation of every therapist's rights in the city limits,” she said and requested that her remarks be added to the meeting journal.
Ms. Payne framed the issue as a First Amendment concern, saying the ruling emphasized that speech by licensed providers does not lose constitutional protection solely because it occurs in a professional context. The council did not take formal action on the request during the meeting; the clerk noted Ms. Payne's request to add the matter to the journal and the record.
The article reports Ms. Payne's statement as presented to council. The council did not debate or vote on repeal at this meeting, and no official legal interpretation or policy change was announced.
