An appeals court has reversed a lower court's ruling that upheld a ban on counseling minors in Missouri concerning their sexual orientation and gender identity. The case highlights the ongoing debate over so-called conversion therapy.
● The 8th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of two counselors, Wyatt Bury and Pamela Eisenreich, challenging a Kansas City and Jackson County ordinance that restricted counseling aimed at changing a minor's sexual orientation or gender identity.
● This decision references the Supreme Court's ruling in Chiles v. Salazar, which stated that Colorado could not ban therapists from providing such counseling.
● Justice Neil Gorsuch emphasized that the First Amendment protects various forms of speech, including the counseling sought by the plaintiffs.
● Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Bryan Neihart, representing the counselors, argued that the ordinances unfairly limit free speech and the options available to families and young people regarding counseling.
● Neihart claimed the ordinances allow counselors to affirm LGBT identities while prohibiting conversations to help minors accept their biological identities.
The appeals court's ruling invites a closer examination of the constitutionality of such bans, reinforcing the importance of free speech and the choices available to families seeking counseling options for their children.
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