In this entry, I feel it necessary to start with the article introduction that immediately sparked intrigue and confusion on the separation of our nation... "A federal judge cleared the way on Tuesday for California’s new law banning gay 'conversion therapies' for minors, one day after another federal judge, in a separate decision, called the ban an unconstitutional infringement on speech."
This issue is obviously LOADED with controversial topics. It not only deals with gay rights for minors but also freedom of speech...
“There’s a good deal of uncertainty about how to apply the First
Amendment to professional speech to clients and even more uncertainty in
the case of minors,” said Eugene Volokh, a professor and constitutional expert at the U.C.L.A. law school. “It’s not clear how this is ultimately
going to play out.”
So, how does the banning of conversion therapy constitute as a form of speech? I suppose we can look at it as the group's freedom to verbally change a sexual preference. If that definition doesn't quite do it for you, that's probably because I don't fully believe it myself. But, I do understand there is a sense of freedom being taken away by this ban, however immoral the conversions may appear. I suppose the issue reminds me a bit of a program I watched recently, looking into the lives of those living in a religious compound. The culture was bizarre and controversial, leading to the arrest of the leader, Warren Jeffs. The relation I see is the inability to close the compound entirely despite the acts of Jeffs. But I digress...
What's interesting about this issue is the division of support. While one supports the ban of the therapy, another calls for the banning of the ban. This particular issue leaves us with a conflict of bans on bans...on bans. It's headache-inducing. But, if you decide to plant your feet in this matter which has judges divided, where would you stand in this morally grey area?
Reference: "Clashing Rulings Complicate Path of Gay ‘Conversion Therapy’ Law"
No comments:
Post a Comment