U.S. top court rejects 'gay conversion' therapy ban challenge

[DonViejo]

Source: Reuters

Mon May 1, 2017 | 9:57am EDT

By Andrew Chung

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday left intact California's ban on "gay conversion" therapy aimed at turning youths under age 18 away from homosexuality, rejecting a Christian minister's challenge to the law asserting it violates religious rights.

The justices, turning away a challenge to the 2012 law for the second time in three years, let stand a lower court's ruling that it was constitutional and neither impinged upon free exercise of religion nor impacted the activities of clergy members.

The law prohibits state-licensed mental health counselors, including psychologists and social workers, from offering therapy to change sexual orientation in minors. The Supreme Court in 2014 refused to review the law after an appeals court rejected claims that the ban infringed on free speech rights under U.S. Constitution's the First Amendment.

California outlawed gay conversion therapy in 2012, calling it ineffective and harmful. New Jersey, Illinois, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico and the District of Columbia have similar laws on the books, according to the Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The Supreme Court turned away a challenge to New Jersey's law in 2015.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-gayconversion-idUSKBN17X1SJ

[SpankMe]

1. Well, even a broken clock is right twice a day. n/t

[Odoreida]

2. Religious quackery is still protected, just not medical quackery.

For all that it's considered right wing court, the primary issue here is medical quackery, and they really don't want to open the floodgates.

Yes the RW spins it as a religious freedom issue, but really they will still be allowed to pretend to pray the gay away.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Mind Control slippery slope

that would have segued into drugs to control people's thoughts.

Americans are nothing if they're not telling people what to do

[47of74]

4. This world would be a much better place if reich wing religious types...

...learned to mind their own fucking business.

[Liberalagogo]

5. Does the SC

tell who decided to turn the case away and who wanted to take it?

[former9thward]

11. It takes four votes to take a case.

The SC does not say who voted to take a case or who voted not to take a case.

[Deuce]

6. Good...

[J_William_Ryan]

8. The California law

is necessary, proper, and Constitutional regulatory policy.

[Honeycombe8]

9. Good. That's the right logical decision.

If a person is in the mental health business, whatever techniques he uses need to be based on studies showing that such a condition exists in the first place. I don't think there are any legitimate studies showing that being gay is caused by a mental issue, so there is no legitimate mental or behavioral therapy based on homosexuality being a mental issue.

[CentralPA]

10. Bans Being Implemented

Conversion Therapy bans in CT, NM, and NV have been implemented as well now!