“Gay Conversion” and the First Amendment
At The Atlantic, Garrett Epps considers a recent ruling in California that puts on hold a law outlawing “sexual orientation change efforts” (SOCE) by licensed therapists for patients under the age of 18. The new ruling states that the original law violated the First Amendment. Despite the fact public opinion is against the use of this therapy, Epps believes that opponents should have to prove their case: “His opinion, however, did not say that SOCE isn’t harmful. It said that the government has to prove the level of harm before it can ban it.”