Catholic therapists in Michigan have teamed up with Becket Law to file a lawsuit against the state, fighting for the right to help to people seeking freedom from gender confusion.
They’re aiming to overturn a Michigan law that bans counselors from helping children talk through the underlying causes of their gender dysphoria. Becket says the law instead requires counselors to assist children with a “gender transition.”
In 2023, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bill 4616 into law. It “amended the Mental Health Code to prohibit a mental health professional from engaging in conversion therapy with a minor. Mental health professionals that do so would be subject to disciplinary action and licensing sanctions.”
This legislation, built upon a measure that was launched in 2021 as an executive directive, bans the use of state and federal funds for the pejoratively mislabeled “conversion therapy” services in the state of Michigan.
In their case, representatives from Becket Law argue that HB 4616, “prohibits counselors from offering minors what the state calls ‘conversion therapy,’ {which} includes helping an individual align her behavior or gender expression with her biological sex.” They also document that the bill states, “counseling that provides assistance to an individual undergoing a gender transition is
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