Maryland's law banning therapies that
attempt to alter the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBT
youth is being challenged in federal court.
Such therapies go by names such as
“conversion therapy,” “reparative therapy,” “sexual
orientation change efforts” or “ex-gay therapy.”
Last week, New York became the latest
state to approve such a ban.
(Related: New
York approves transgender rights bill, bans “ex-gay” therapy.)
Christopher Doyle, a licensed counselor
in Virginia and Maryland, claims in his lawsuit that the ban violates
his free speech rights and the rights of clients “to prioritize
their religious and moral values above unwanted same-sex sexual
attractions, behaviors, or identities.”
Speaking with The Baltimore Sun,
Doyle
said: “If your goal is to change your sexual attraction, that's
not a goal you can have in Maryland. You'll have to work on
something else until you're 18.”
Doyle is represented by the Christian
conservative group Liberty Counsel, which has challenged similar bans
in New Jersey and California. The Supreme Court refused to hear both
cases, allowing the laws to stand.
Liberty Counsel is asking the court to
declare the ban unconstitutional.
Maryland's law went into effect on
October 1, 2018.