On Monday, the US Supreme Court has rejected a request to review a 2012 California state law challenge on "conversion" or "reparative" therapy on minors, which aims to turn gay people straight, Buzzfeed reported. Without supplying any comment, the justices let a ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals from last August which upheld the law, which is the first of its kind that bans licensed therapists and counselors from engaging in efforts to change an underaged patient's sexual orientation or gender identity.
The law, which was signed by state governor Jerry Brown in September 2012, had been challenged in two cases. The plaintiffs who have frowned upon the ban said it violates the free speech of the practitioners and patients seeking such treatment. Moreover, they argued that the sexual orientation and gender identity of a person could be changed by such treatments as the two are not innate, Buzzfeed said.
Supporters of the state law lauded the Supreme Court's decision, which will now clear the way to enforce the ban in the sunny state. Majority of the leading health and psychological organizations, including American Psychological Association (APA), have called out the therapies, agreeing that they do more harm than good.
In a statement, National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) legal director Shannon Minter said, "This important legislation will permanently improve the health and well-being of California's most vulnerable LGBT young people. We look forward to more states joining California and New Jersey in preventing state-licensed therapists from engaging in discredited practices that offer no health benefits and put LGBT youth at risk of severe harm, including depression and suicide."
Conservative group The Liberty Counsel, who challenged the law, vowed to continue its fight against the ban despite the rejection from the top US court.
Liberty Counsel Mat Staver said, "I am deeply saddened for the families we represent and for the thousands of children that our professional clients counsel, many of whom developed these unwanted attractions because of abuse of a pedophile. The minors we represent do not want to act on same-sex attractions, nor do they want to engage in such behavior. They are greatly benefiting from this counseling."
