Black Community News News and Commentary for Christians
The state of Virginia wants licensed counselors to affirm a confused child’s “gender identity” rather than using talk therapy to heal them.
Naturally, Christian therapists have a problem with affirming the “gender identity” of children pretending to be the opposite sex. But leftist lawmakers consider talking through these issues to be “conversion therapy,” which the state bans.
There is some good news for Christian counselors who actually want to help children. A Virginia circuit court has struck down the talk therapy ban against Christian counselors if they’re counseling religious clients. From Liberty Counsel (LC):
The Virginia state legislature passed HB 386 in 2020 which banned talk therapy defining it as “any practice or treatment that seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.” Under the law, helping children align their identities and desires to their biological sex was regarded as unprofessional conduct whereby licensed professionals could be disciplined.
Under a consent decree, the Virginia Department of Health Professions will not enforce the ban against Christian therapists.
“Laws that restrict counselors and clients to only one viewpoint violate the First Amendment,” said Mat Staver, LC founder and chairman. “Talk therapy is speech, and the government has no authority to restrict that speech to just one viewpoint. Counselors should have the freedom to help clients treat unwanted behaviors and desires free of government censorship.”
A Catholic therapist in Michigan filed a lawsuit against the state because of a new law that requires her to affirm and assist confused children rather than use talk therapy to actually help them.
The Trump administration in May recommended talk theory for minors confused about their sex instead of affirming the use of drugs or surgeries that could render them permanently sterile. From the previous post:
“In the 409-page report (PDF), Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria, the authors contend that the so-called gender-affirming model of care includes ‘irreversible endocrine and surgical interventions on minors with no physical pathology.’ The risks include infertility and sterility, sexual dysfunction, surgical complications, and more — including regret.”
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