Catholic group sues to block Michigan’s conversion therapy ban

A Catholic group operating in Michigan has sued to block the state’s ban on so-called “conversion therapy” for minors.

According to the Detroit Free Press, attorneys with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed the lawsuit on Friday, July 12, on behalf of Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee, and Hillsdale Counties and Lansing-based therapist Emily McJones.

Related:

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs ban on conversion therapy for minors

Michigan now joins 21 other U.S. states that have banned the pseudoscientific form of psychological torture.

The suit argues that Michigan’s H.B. 4616 violates the plaintiffs’ rights to free speech and free exercise of religion, despite the fact that the law does not apply to religious institutions.

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“Because Plaintiffs are chilled or prohibited from discussing issues of human sexuality and gender identity, their clients are denied access to ideas they wish to hear and to counseling that would help them live consistently with their own personal, religious, and life goals,” the lawsuit states, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Signed into law by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) in July 2023, H.B. 4616 bans licensed mental health professionals in the state from practicing so-called “conversion therapy” on minors. Providers who violate the law could face discipline from state licensing boards, including revocations of their professional licenses.

“Conversion therapy” is now widely considered to be a form of psychological torture. The practice—which can involve aversion “therapy” as well as patients being instructed not to masturbate, to exercise, and to study the Bible—has been debunked as harmful and pseudoscientific by the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and American Medical Association as well as many other professional healthcare associations.

According to Equality Michigan Executive Director Erin Knott, 15 percent of Michigan’s LGBTQ+ youth have reported being threatened with or subjected to “conversion therapy.” Knott also reported on the high rates of suicidal thinking among LGBTQ+ youth with unsupportive parents and communities. These rates can be worsened by mental healthcare professionals who tell LGBTQ+ youth that their identities are a “mental illness” that needs to be “cured.”

But religious organizations like Catholic Charities want to be able to continue the practice nonetheless. As the Detroit Free Press notes, the plaintiffs in the suit are seeking a preliminary injunction blocking the law ahead of a jury trial. A spokesperson for out Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office told the outlet that they are reviewing the suit.

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