Supreme Court asked to rule on law prohibiting therapists from counseling patients against gender transitioning
"Washington’s counseling censorship law violates freedom of speech," explained one civil rights advocacy firm.
Supreme Court / Cordon Press.
A nonprofit civil rights firm on Monday asked the Supreme Court to rule on a Washington state law that prohibits therapists from encouraging their patients to avoid gender transition.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling that upheld a court's dismissal of a challenge to the law that they claim only allows for a one-way discussion of gender transition.
"For example, it allows counseling conversations that aim to steer young people toward a transgender identity but prohibits conversations that aim to help that same person return to comfort with his or her sex," the group's lawyers said.
ADF explained that mental health providers licensed to provide therapy to minors should be able to counsel them to treat gender dysphoria.
"The government can’t control a counselor’s speech. Washington’s counseling censorship law violates freedom of speech and harms counselors as well as clients," the firm explained, noting that the law threatens fines of $5,000 per violation, suspension of their practice and even possible permanent revocation of a counselor's license.
The ADF has already explained that counselors' conversations are private and that the government should not dictate "what personal goals a client can pursue in counseling."
A teenager regrets her transition
Recently, the case came to light of a now 18-year-old girl who decided to sue the medical group and the health center that performed a double mastectomy on her when she was only 13 years old.
"I don't think I should've been allowed to change my sex before I was legally able to have sex. I don't think I'm better off for the experience, and I think transitioning just completely added fuel to the fire that was my preexisting conditions," Layla Jane opined. Like her, there are more and more cases of people who regret not having been counseled on the possible repercussions before approving a sex transition.
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