Exclusive: Experts say Alliance Defending Freedom, arguing to revive conversion therapy, ‘profoundly misrepresented’ their work in case threatening trans and queer youth
On Tuesday, a Christian legal group will urge the US supreme court to overturn a ban on anti-LGBTQ+ “conversion therapy” in a case that could erode protections for transgender and queer youth across the country.
Lawyers from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which has opposed abortion and LGBTQ+ rights in high-profile litigation, are representing a woman challenging a 2019 Colorado law that prohibited conversion practices for youth under age 18. The ban applies to licensed clinicians who seek to change a patient’s sexual orientation or gender identity, tactics medical groups have discredited as harmful and ineffective.
ADF’s petition in the case, Chiles v Salazar, cited several scholars to support its argument that conversion practices should once again be permitted. Two of those experts, however, told the Guardian that ADF had “profoundly” misrepresented their research, which discussed the “psychological damage” of conversion therapy.
It was difficult reading this article to see how these Jesus folks were so deceitful. Especially considering how this horrible practice they’re trying to re-introduce is so very harmful to society.
I’m so grateful the scholars are speaking up.
It doesn’t matter, the supreme court hasn’t cared about the actual facts in any of the cases they’ve ruled on in the last decade.
The case about that coach that was forcing his players to pray was distorted as well, just because they wanted a certain outcome (coach claimed it was done voluntary and in private, pictures show it was done in the middle of the pitch), same with the wedding website lady (the supposed gay couple involved had no idea about it and never actually contacted her, there’s no evidence she actually builds websites).
I mean, it matters to me - It gives me an ounce of hope to keep fighting the good fight