New York’s openly gay City Council speaker Corey Johnson has introduced a bill to repeal the city’s ban on LGBT “conversion therapy” in fear that the Supreme Court would overturn it.
Johnson a former blogger who has aspirations to run for NYC mayor told the New York Times that he supports the city ordinance but also fears that it could give “right-wing groups” ammunition to take similar laws down nationwide. This comes after the anti-LGBT hate group the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of the ban.”
“Obviously I didn’t want to repeal this,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to be someone who is giving in to these right-wing groups. But the Supreme Court has become conservative; the Second Circuit, which oversees New York, has become more conservative. We think this is the most responsible, prudent course. The sad reality is the courts have changed considerably over the last few years, and we cannot count on them to rule in favor of much-needed protections for the LGBTQ community.
The ADF filed a federal lawsuit in January on behalf of Dr. Dovid Schwartz, a licensed psychotherapist and member of the orthodox Chabad Lubavitch Jewish community.”
Currently 18 states ban conversion therapy.
Is Johnson right in trying to repeal the ban on the dangerous practice of gay conversion therapy that has harmed and in some cases driven its victims to suicide out of fear of what “might” happen?
Leave your opinions in the comment section below.
What does one say to a person such as this? “Is Johnson right in trying to repeal the ban on the dangerous practice of gay conversion therapy that has harmed and in some cases driven its victims to suicide out of fear of what “might” happen?” No he isn’t right. Let’s protect as many of our children as we possibly can for now until it does happen if it does. Just think if our brave liberation fighters were afraid to fight back over what might happen. We have a ban here in Ct.
I fail to see the logic behind his move. He wants to prevent the Supreme Court removing the ban on conversion therapy by removing the ban on conversion therapy? That would just remove the ban in America’s largest city, and there is nothing to prevent an identical suit in another venue. I see no point in his proposed action.
Yes, let’s preemptively abandon the field whenever the Talibangelicals file a lawsuit challenging our rights and protections. This moral cowardice is why so many Americans see Democrats as weak — because our elected officials act weak! One thing I do know: ADF will add this attempt to repeal the bill to its lawsuit: “See, SCOTUS, even the gays in NYC want to repeal this law!”
This is idiocy. Johnson should be pilloried for this move.
This council member seems to think he’s doing what will help gay kids in the long run, but backing down in the face of opposition isn’t how we’ve conducted our campaign for equality over the past 60+ years, and we shouldn’t start now.
No, he’s entirely wrong to do this. Anytime the far right are accommodated, appeased or encouraged in their bigotry, they take it further. Capitulation is not the answer. Fight back and resist any and every move the make to roll back our hard won rights.