Court rejects challenge to law banning gay therapy

Associated Press ^ | Jun 30, 2014 9:52 AM EDT

[Olog-hai]

The Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to California’s law that bars mental counseling aimed at turning gay minors straight.

The justices on Monday let stand an appeals court ruling that said the state’s ban on so-called conversion therapy for minors doesn’t violate the free speech rights of licensed counselors and patients seeking treatment. …

[HiTech RedNeck]

A pastor familiar with the issues might be the best prospect.

[GeronL]

Amazing.

Denying therapy to someone who needs and wants it is okay?

[trisham]

I don’t think that she’s at all religious, which I believe is an important piece of the puzzle.

[Ronaldus Magnus]

The group's litigation counsel, Daniel Schmid, said Monday that the Supreme Court's refusal to consider a challenge to California's law, as opposed to issuing a ruling on the merits, has no bearing on Liberty Counsel's case in New Jersey, which is scheduled to be heard by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on July 9.

"We hope to get a good ruling out of the 3rd, which will hopefully get us back up to the Supremes," he said.

It sounds as though that by refusing to rule on the merits of the case the Justices have NOT established a precedent on this topic for other states and laws. They might just be pausing for further research to be published before considering another future case such as the one coming out of New Jersey. This future ruling would the have precedent over all laws like this, including the California law at issue in this case, so there is still hope that these bans will eventually be ruled unconstitutional.

The only analogy I can think of to these laws would be have the Tavern League and Adult Beverage lobby get a law passed which banned drug and alcohol therapy. Chris Christie should be laughed out of the Republican Presidential Primary for signing a law like this one.

[MaxMax]

Very powerful and appropriate.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Oddly enough, one doesn’t have to be religious at ALL in order to have a personal encounter with the Lord. Sometimes, being religious can actually HURT because the person will think it’s about following their church’s rules.

[HiTech RedNeck]

... Basically it’s closer to being spiritual, or even mystical, than it is about being religious.

[HiTech RedNeck]

That’s how ferocious the “gay monster” has gotten.

[GeronL]

bump