In a triumph for LGBT rights, the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from the Liberty Counsel that sought to overturn a law that block all gay conversion therapy for minors in California. Liberty had previously lost twice at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, so it appears that this ban will stay in place.
This is a very good thing. While ex-gay style therapy is increasingly uncommon in the modern era, it does still exist primarily in a religious context. However, a study done by the Williams Institute found that LGB people who received counseling from a religious or spiritual leader were more likely to attempt suicide than those who sought no treatment at all. This effect is more pronounced in the African American community who are more likely than others to seek counseling from faith-based counseling. The study was published in the journal Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior.Â
It is through this lens that we also celebrate the focus of the National Center for Lesbian Rights to end all gay-to-straight therapy in the United States within the next five years. This path has never been shown to be proper “treatment,” and instead leads to self-loathing, hatred, confusion, depression, and numerous other negative effects. The NCLR’s campaign is called #BornPerfect.
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