dailyloe.com – The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a lower court’s decision on Monday. This action leaves in place a Washington state law banning ‘conversion therapy’ for minors. The practice aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
The court’s decision represents a legal setback for conservative legal groups. They had sought to challenge the law on First Amendment grounds. The case was brought by a therapist and a Christian counseling group.
Washington’s law prohibits licensed therapists from performing the practice on minors. Over twenty states and numerous municipalities have enacted similar bans. Medical and mental health associations widely condemn the practice as harmful.
The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the appeal means the state ban remains enforceable. It does not set a national precedent but reinforces existing lower court rulings. Similar challenges in other circuits may still reach the high court in the future.
This ruling maintains the legal status quo for state-level protections. It allows existing bans on the controversial practice to continue. The decision was announced without comment from the justices.[]
Source: CNN
