California’s Gay Cure Therapy Ban Put On Hold

California’s conversion therapy ban has been place on hold after a federal judge issue a temporary injunction on the matter. The “gay cure” therapy claims it can help turn a homosexual person straight.

The gay cure bill in California was the first of its kind in the United States, according to CNN. The ban on conversion therapy was reportedly intended to prevent minors from being subjected to the controversial style of treatment, The Jewish Daily Forward notes. Prior to the federal injunction, the ban would have gone into effect on January 1.

US District Judge William Shubb ruled on Monday that the ban could offend the First Amendment rights of therapists to share their views about homosexuality. Three individuals field a federal suit to argue that the gay cure ban as unconstitutional.

In November, four gay men who participated in the gay cure therapy filed a civil lawsuit in against the counseling group offering the treatment in New Jersey. According to court documents, the men claim they were deceived and cited the Consumer Fraud Act in the lawsuit.

A statement on the American Psychological Association website has this to say about conversion therapy:

“To date, there has been no scientifically adequate research to show that therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation, sometimes called reparative or conversion therapy, is safe or effective. Furthermore, it seems likely that the promotion of change therapies reinforces stereotypes and contributes to a negative climate for lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons.”

Reparative therapy treatment techniques detailed in the New Jersey lawsuit allegedly include instructing patients to strip in group sessions, intimate cuddling with members of the same sex, visiting bath houses to be with nude a father figures, ben galled gay slurs, and beating an effigy of their mothers with a tennis racket.