Washington’s Conversion Therapy Ban Faces Renewed First Amendment Challenge

Washington state's ban on so-called conversion therapy is facing renewed legal scrutiny after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling opened the door for a Washington counselor to revive his First Amendment challenge. Washington marriage and family therapist Brian Tingley has challenged the state's 2018 conversion therapy law, arguing that it unlawfully restricts what licensed counselors can say during conversations with minor clients involving gender identity, gender dysphoria and same-sex attraction. Alliance Defending Freedom, which represents Tingley, argues Washington's law amounts to government-enforced viewpoint censorship. Tingley's attorneys contend that counselors may support a minor seeking a gender transition but face restrictions when counseling a client who wants to become more comfortable with his or her biological sex. Tingley's earlier legal challenge was unsuccessful, but a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Chiles v. Salazar involving a similar Colorado counseling law has given his case new life and another opportunity for review. Washington State Sen. Marko Liias, the prime sponsor of Washington's 2018 legislation, is standing behind the law. Liias argues conversion therapy can be harmful and ineffective and says Washington's restrictions are intended to protect minors while still providing an exemption for religious counseling. The renewed case sets up another major debate over the First Amendment, free speech, gender identity, LGBTQ counseling, parental rights, licensed therapists and the government's authority to regulate professional counseling in Washington state. Washington in Focus Daily examines what the Supreme Court ruling could mean for Washington's conversion therapy law and hears directly from both sides of the growing legal battle. #WashingtonState #SCOTUS #SupremeCourt #FirstAmendment #FreeSpeech #ConversionTherapy #GenderIdentity #ParentalRights #WashingtonPolitics #WashingtonNews #BrianTingley #TheCenterSquare