Catholic charities sue over Michigan's ban on conversion therapy on LGBTQ+ minors
Religious groups have filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging Michigan’s ban on conversion therapy, alleging a law signed last year by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer violates free speech.
A complaint filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan states the law violates the free speech rights of counselors “based on its content and viewpoint and cannot satisfy strict scrutiny in the state.”
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee and Hillsdale Counties and Emily McJones, a Lansing-based therapist. Attorneys with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a nonprofit legal group that aims to defend religious expression, are representing the plaintiffs.
Last year, Democratic lawmakers and Whitmer banned licensed mental health professionals in Michigan from practicing conversion therapy on LGBTQ+ minors. Conversion therapy is the practice of trying …