Ninth Circuit Court Upholds Ban on Gay Conversion

SAN FRANCISCO — On Jan. 29, the Ninth Circuit Court denied a rehearing en banc on Pickup v. Brown, which deals with Senate Bill 1172, a California measure that repeals the practice of gay conversion therapy for minors.

An en banc session is a session where a case is heard before all the judges of a court – in other words, before the entire bench – rather than by a panel selected from them. The ruling upholds the measure, authored by Sen. Ted Lieu.

“Supporters of equal rights can now rest more easily,” said Lieu, in a released statement. “Today’s decision is cement over the nail in the coffin of the bogus practice of ‘reparative’ therapy.”

Joining Lieu in praising the decision was John O’Connor, executive director of Equality California, sponsor and defender of SB 1172.

“We are grateful to Sen. Ted Lieu for authoring it and to Gov. Brown for signing it,” O’Connor said.

“We are also grateful for medical and mental health associations that supported the law and helped to educate the Legislature about the serious dangers posed by scientifically baseless efforts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender expression. No ethical professional should put a young person’s life and well-being at risk by engaging in these ineffective and dangerous practices. Every young person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and to be valued for who they are.”