Liberty Counsel to File Suit Against California's Ban on Sexual Orientation Change Therapy

By Liberty Counsel
10/3/2012
Liberty Counsel (www.lc.org/)

The law defines 'sexual orientation change efforts' as any practice that is designed to reduce or eliminate same-sex attraction

"A number of minors who have struggled with same-sex attraction have been able to reduce or eliminate the stress and conflicts in their lives by receiving counseling of their choice which best meets their needs and religious convictions. This bill will harm children, stress families, and place counselors in a catch-22, because they will be forced to violate their licensing ethical codes," said Staver.

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SACRAMENTO, CA (Liberty Counsel) - In anticipation that California Governor Jerry Brown would sign the new law banning change therapy, Liberty Counsel has been preparing a lawsuit on behalf of counselors, parents and their minor children, and the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH).

In signing the bill, Gov. Brown said that change therapy "will now be relegated to the dustbin of quackery."

"The California governor and legislature are putting their own preconceived notions and political ideology ahead of children and their rights to get access to counseling that meets their needs," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel.

The law defines "sexual orientation change efforts" as any practice that is designed to reduce or eliminate same-sex attraction. Such broad language will prohibit any counseling that does not affirm and encourage experimentation with or acceptance of same-sex attractions, regardless of whether those feelings and attractions are unwanted by the counselee.

The bill not only prohibits this type of treatment, but it makes it an ethical violation for any counselor or therapist to engage in it. But, if the counselor does not provide the client with such counseling or a source where such counseling may be obtained when the client requests same, the counselor will also violate their licensing ethical code.

"We are filing on behalf of mental health professionals who find themselves in a catch-22," Staver said. Therapists have an ethical obligation to help clients deal with conflict. If a client is experiencing conflict between religious beliefs and same-sex attractions and wants to prioritize those beliefs over such attractions, the counselor is ethically obligated to directly help or refer for help.

"Under this law, the counselor will be forced to disregard the client's religious beliefs or change them. "This bill and the ethical codes of all of the licensing boards in California are on an inevitable collision course," Staver said. "The licenses of countless mental health professionals hang in the balance."

"This law undermines parental rights," Staver pointed out. "Mental health decisions should be left to the patient, the parents, and the counselors - not to the government to license one viewpoint," Staver concluded.

- - -

Liberty Counsel is a nonprofit litigation, education and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and the traditional family. Established in 1989, Liberty Counsel is a nationwide organization with offices in Florida, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., and hundreds of affiliate attorneys across the Nation.

Keywords: homosexual, gay, lesbian, same sex attraction, sexual orientation, SSA, reparative therapy, Liberty Counsel, Matt Staver

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1 - 7 of 7 Comments

Pacific Justice Institute
8 months ago
The Pacific Justice Institute has been working against this bill from the beginning and has also filed a lawsuit in opposition to SB1172. Here is the official press release: http://www.pacificjustice.org/1/post/2012/09/its-official-gov-brown-signs-gay-therapy-ban-pji-filing-suit.html
DLL
8 months ago
I hope that Governor Brown or any other politician would not ban the treatment of cancer as quackery and move to have that treatment banned. Science is now quackery? Psychology invalid? Anything deemed politically incorrect is quackery! No treatment is a valid one if it for whatever reason is deemed as quackery! Right on brothers and sisters bring on the socialist revolution,our new Comumist government for our good ole USA! Freedom must also be quackery? Freedom is now to be daily redefined? Thou shalt be "Politically Correct"! Wrong is now the right to be wrong and to make everyone else believe it. If you do not believe than You are a Hate Criminal! My country love it or leave it? Hey courts and politicians leave it alone! Political correctness as law? Forget it!
Stephanie
8 months ago
This law should be overturned because it is unconstitutional. People can have all sorts of reasons for not wanting to be gay and shouldn't be barred from changing their orientation/lifestyle because of an unjust law.
Mathew Thankachen O.Praem
8 months ago
unlike Asia and Africa, Homo sexual/ Lesbian tendency and their net work is a wide spreading, a contagious malady in Europe and America, the reasons for which are yet to be studied. However, taking into account the ground realities, it would be catastrophic to " ban such sexual re-orientation' through counseling centers. As the saying goes, 'prevention is better than cure", it is imperative for the whole society and the Church to evaluate of their ' psychic, family health impact". As man is a " trinity of body, mind and soul", any lopsided emphasize would jeopardize the " integral growth ". For instance, homosexuality was not a major crisis in the middle ages of Europe where the ' family bond' based on Agrarian economy was strong, supplemented by strong Religious faith. we see how gradually the industrial and scientific revolution bring about " social and family revolution' where God and Church was " locked out side" the home, closing the windows of life and permitting " individualism" to creep in. Later, the ' nucleus family' with their " auto-playing child", parents finding " no time for the children" and abandoning at home, often their " spiritual, psychical, affective ego got stunted. As every male and female is the combination of xy chromosome, inherited from both the parents, " the Dominant gene within" fail to grow due to ' socio- family atmospheric pollution' while the Sub- dominant( Opposite within) .began to show off. Thus, In a boy the girlish nature and in a girl, the boyish nature began to socially express. As a matter of fact, the " ought to be Dominant gene" begins to attract towards the " same" in the other who undergoes the " same fate". such development possibility points out the " influence of atmosphere on the seed" and vice versa. It is observed that in those continents where family life is very strong, backed by Religious faith, this tendency is not a major crisis. As a matter fact, a " total counselling" of family with the victim/ client can over come this disease like any other through proper counseling.
Mathew Thankachen O.Praem.
vance
8 months ago
Calif Gov Moonbeam Brown and his ruling Party of Death and Deceit are about as sick as it gets. It takes a sick demographics to elect a sick pervert like Moonbeam Brown. California is in a downward spiral going down the sewer and bankruptcy.
Randy
8 months ago
More intrusion by the government is not what we need in this country. I am glad someone with the means is standing up to the bullies.
Andrew
8 months ago
This is calculated to take religion out of psychology and counseling, relegating religion in still a more private place of our culture.

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