According to the GA Voice:
A lesbian, Amanda Booker, is suing the Bartow (Georgia) County Sheriff’s Department and others after she alleges her constitutional rights were violated when she was taken to a private residence for ex-gay conversion therapy rather than to a court-mandated psychiatric hospital for her drug abuse.
This, of course, is “ex-gay” therapy in practice. It is a dishonest and coercive practice by nature and it ought to be banned. If found guilty, everyone involved should be fired and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
If this “therapist” has a state license it should be revoked. Most “ex-gay therapist” claim to be “religious counselors” (who are not licensed by the state). Any licensed psychologist or counselor can get into hot water doing any therapy to change someone’s orientation unless they give a very good informed consent (and document it) that the client was told that change is not likely and not empirically supported. Potential clients have a legal and ethical right to be told this up front. If an insurence company was billed for this “treatment” by a licensed provider that can constitute fraud as well, as insurence only pays for “medically necessary” psychotherapy while unproven “therapy” to change sexual orientation is not deemed medically necessary.In contrast, therapy for depression or anxiety is deemed medically necessary as they are legitimate medical disorders. Thanks for all you do to combat this harmful “treatment” that cruelly gives a false hope of change to innocent people.
I hope she sues the hell out of the Sheriff’s Dept. and wins. Though I must say I wasn’t surprised when I read it was Georgia.