Lawsuit Filed Over Tennessee ‘Religious Freedom’ Law Allowing Counselors to Refuse LGBT People

Two LGBT Activists Sue State Over Anti-LGBT Law

LGBT activists Bleu Copas and Caleb Laieski have filed a lawsuit against Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam over a bill he signed into law that allows mental health professionals to refuse service to LGBT people based on their religious beliefs or personal principles. The law, the two activists claim, violates the United States and Tennessee Constitutions.

“This kind of discrimination sends a message to an already marginalized group of Tennesseans. Beyond the blatant and subliminal ethic code violations, this type of legislation creates barriers at a time when building trust is paramount,” Copas, a Tennessee native who holds a Master’s in counseling, said in a statement. 

The law requires therapists and counselors who refuse service to refer the client to another therapist, but given that one-quarter of Tennessee residents live in rural areas, that could present immediate challenges, especially for LGBTQ youth.

“The goal is to send a clear message to Tennessee that discrimination will not be tolerated, especially when it jeopardizes folks seeking mental health services,” Laieski, a Washington, D.C. resident, adds.

Laieski, according to Metro Weekly, “has been a national advocate for the LGBT community since gaining recognition for his work to combat LGBT bullying.” He “previously sued the Food and Drug Administration over its lifetime deferral — which has since changed to a one-year-deferral period — for men who have sex with men (MSM) and wish to donate blood.”

The American Counseling Association took a strong stand against the bill, urging the governor to not sign it into law. After he did, they moved their 2017 annual meeting, slated for Nashville, out of state. 

The Tennessean reports Gov. Haslam’s spokesperson “says the governor’s office is unaware of any lawsuits challenging the counseling law and has not seen the Anderson County suit.”

When he signed the bill into law, Haslam called it “reasonable” to allow counselors to reject clients based on their personal objections, claiming those clients may be “better served by another counselor better suited to meet his or her needs.”

 

Image by Jimmy Emerson, DVM via Flickr and a CC license