Christian therapist sues Washington state over ban on ‘conversion therapy’

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A licensed Christian marriage and family therapist has filed suit against Washington state because of its ban on “conversion therapy” (sexual orientation counseling for minors),  the Christian Post reports. Licensed therapist Brian Tingley filed suit in the US District Court of the Western District of Washington at Tacoma on Thursday; the defendants include the state’s Attorney General and Secretary of Health.

Tingley’s lawsuit centers on Washington state’s Senate Bill 5722 which was signed into law in 2018, the Christian Post said. The bill regulates “the professional conduct of licensed health care providers with respect to performing conversion therapy on patients under age eighteen” and classifies this therapy as “unprofessional conduct” for a “license holder.”

According to Tingley, who is represented by the legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom, the legislation amounts to a “denial of free speech rights” that are protected under the First Amendment.

The lawsuit also says the bill “relating to restricting the practice of conversion therapy” violates the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment because it is vague, the Christian Post said.

Tingley has had a private practice in counseling since 2002, the Christian Post said. He has stated he is a Christian whose faith informs his views on human nature and healthy relationships. 

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