Conversion therapy is often used against LGBTQ+ youth to coerce them into changing their gender identity or sexual orientation. (Getty)
A federal appeals court has upheld a Colorado law banning conversion therapy for minors, following a lawsuit that argued the law violates free speech.
The conversion therapy ban, also known as House Bill 1129, would prohibit state-licensed mental health providers from attempting to “correct” a child’s transgender or non-binary gender identity or homosexual orientation.
A lawsuit was filed alleging that the ban violated free speech rights, but the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law in a 2-1 decision, denying a request to block the ban from going into effect.
Several LGBTQ+ advocacy groups filed briefs with the court in support of the legislation, arguing it was necessary to protect LGBTQ+ youth from the “dangers of conversion therapy.”
“We are extremely pleased with today’s ruling, which ensures Colorado can continue to protect LGBTQ children and youth from the dangers of conversion therapy,” Chris Stoll, senior attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said in a statement.
“These discredited practices, which falsely promise they can change young people’s sexual orientation and gender identity, have been rejected as dangerous by every major medical and mental health organization in the country.”
The original lawsuit was filed by Kaylee Childs, a licensed counselor in Colorado Springs, who believes same-sex sexual relations are sinful because of her strong Christian beliefs.
When the verdict was announced, Childs filed a lawsuit with the help of the right-wing legal group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which was unhappy with the verdict.
in Post by XThe group called House Bill 1129 Colorado’s “counseling censorship law.”
“The government does not have the authority to censor private conversations between clients and counselors, and counselors should not be used as a tool to impose government biased views on clients. Counseling is speech, not conduct, and must be treated as such under the First Amendment,” the groups wrote, adding that they would “examine all options to thwart unlawful attempts to censor speech.”
Both Chile and the ADF said they would appeal the court’s decision.
Source: PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news – www.thepinknews.com
