Pacific Justice Institute is a non-profit Christian legal institution that operates only on donated funding. They were the team defending Proposition 8, and are now fighting against legislation that will force the gay agenda on Christian Counselors, Schools, and Christian Institutions.
The following is the latest letter from Brad Dacus, the President of Pacific Justice. . .
Dear Friends of Liberty,
I wanted to let you know about the latest court developments in our ongoing battle to defend Christian counselors against an unprecedented effort to silence their speech.
Those of you who have been following PJI's work for the past year know that we have lead the effort in both the Legislature and the courts to stop SB 1172. This law prohibits counselors, therapists, psychologists, and other mental health providers from approaching the topic of same sex attraction with minors in any way that does not affirm homosexual behavior. This law would apply even to professionals who serve on church staff (like our lead plaintiff in this case, Dr. Welch), and even when the young patient is specifically seeking help to reduce these attractions.
In early December of last year, we succeeded in getting the federal district court to grant a preliminary injunction to our plaintiffs that currently prevents this law from restricting their speech. The state of California appealed this ruling to the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. We filed extensive briefs, and PJI attorney Kevin Snider argued the case in April. This month, the Ninth Circuit asked for additional briefing to address a highly technical procedural question that could determine the outcome of this case. This shows that the Ninth Circuit is taking this case very serious, and carefully weighing their options. Yesterday (Tuesday) our attorneys filed this new legal brief with the Ninth Circuit to further defend the free speech rights of Christian counselors.
Please join us in praying for the outcome of this case as the Ninth Circuit considers our new brief. As God leads, please prayerfully consider also sending a special financial gift to assist us with the mounting litigation costs of this important case.
Those of you who have been following PJI's work for the past year know that we have lead the effort in both the Legislature and the courts to stop SB 1172. This law prohibits counselors, therapists, psychologists, and other mental health providers from approaching the topic of same sex attraction with minors in any way that does not affirm homosexual behavior. This law would apply even to professionals who serve on church staff (like our lead plaintiff in this case, Dr. Welch), and even when the young patient is specifically seeking help to reduce these attractions.
In early December of last year, we succeeded in getting the federal district court to grant a preliminary injunction to our plaintiffs that currently prevents this law from restricting their speech. The state of California appealed this ruling to the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. We filed extensive briefs, and PJI attorney Kevin Snider argued the case in April. This month, the Ninth Circuit asked for additional briefing to address a highly technical procedural question that could determine the outcome of this case. This shows that the Ninth Circuit is taking this case very serious, and carefully weighing their options. Yesterday (Tuesday) our attorneys filed this new legal brief with the Ninth Circuit to further defend the free speech rights of Christian counselors.
Please join us in praying for the outcome of this case as the Ninth Circuit considers our new brief. As God leads, please prayerfully consider also sending a special financial gift to assist us with the mounting litigation costs of this important case.
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The following are articles on their website and at the Washington Times about the battles going on. . .
PJI Launches New Effort to Save Scouts, Students from “Gender Insanity”
03/22/2013
Sacramento, CA--The Pacific Justice Institute is announcing the launch of a new website and resources designed to counter two legislative bills that threaten the existence of the boy Scouts and would mandate some of the most aggressive invasions of privacy, freedom of association and religious freedom ever proposed in the name of LGBT rights.
The new site, www.GenderInsanity.com, spotlights two bills pending in the California legislature. Senate Bill (SB) 323 threatens to revoke tax exemptions from the Boy Scouts and many other non-profits, including religious schools, that do not affirm transgender or homosexual lifestyles. Meanwhile, Assembly Bill (AB) 1266 would require that K-12 public schools allow any student to use any “facilities” such as bathrooms and locker rooms, and join any sports team, based solely on the student’s subjective “gender identity,” not anatomical gender.
Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, explained, “Forcing boys and girls to share bathrooms, locker rooms and sleeping arrangements is not equality; it is insanity. We are taking the extraordinary step of launching this new website and leading this fight because we see these mandates as a line in the sand we cannot afford to cross. Almost every family in California will be affected to some degree.” Dacus further explained the need for united action. “We can defeat these bills, but it is going to take parents being willing to write letters and make phone calls to their legislators. It is going to take Boy Scout troops showing up at the Capitol. Our greatest enemies are not rogue politicians, but complacency and a false sense of inevitability.”
New Bill Pushes Scouts, Little League, Religious Groups to Accept LGBT, “Gender Identity”
02/21/2013
Sacramento, CA – A new bill introduced this week in the California Senate would take some of the most aggressive action to date to force youth organizations to embrace homosexuality and “gender identity.”
SB 323, sponsored by Equality California and introduced by Sen. Ricardo Lara (D – Long Beach) threatens to revoke tax exempt status for a wide range of “youth groups” unless they agree to abandon any criteria related to gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and other categories.
The bill was designed to pressure the Boy Scouts to accept homosexuality, but its sweep goes much further. The bill specifically targets groups ranging from the Scouts to Special Olympics, Little League, Pop Warner, 4-H, Future Farmers of America, as well as youth sports in general. It also references private schools and “youth groups.”
Attorneys with Pacific Justice Institute are assessing all the potential implications of SB 323 and will be vigorously opposing it. “From the plain text of this bill, it is clear to us that SB 323 is one of the most outrageous bills we have seen in California—and that’s saying a lot,” said Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute. “We have been warning for years that the gay lobby would eventually use tax exemptions to force non-profits to capitulate to their demands, but it’s still shocking to see it actually in print and on its way to becoming law.”
Because SB 323 would have the effect of a massive tax increase on non-profits that stand by their principles, it requires 2/3 approval in both Senate and Assembly. This higher threshold makes it even more important that Californians call and visit their legislators to protest. PJI will provide updates throughout the legislative process.
Second suit filed against California’s gay-change therapy ban
Two sets of parents and their teenage sons are among the plaintiffs in a second federal lawsuit filed Thursday to block a new California law on counseling from going into effect.
Beginning Jan. 1, California minors will be prohibited from receiving “sexual-orientation change efforts” (SOCE) regarding their sexual orientation, behavior and gender expression, according to SB 1172, which was signed Sunday by California Gov. Jerry Brown.
This means that only therapies that are supportive or affirming of same-sex attractions will be permitted for underage clients. Therapists who disobey the law risk being disciplined for unprofessional conduct.
Gay-rights groups and many California mental health organizations either sponsored or endorsed the law, saying SOCE is unfounded and harmful to people.
But traditional-values groups and counselors and clients who support SOCE argued against it.
SB 1172 “is an astounding violation of the right to free speech and religious liberty,” said Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, a legal-defense organization that filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of California in Sacramento.
The law is wrong “because it is telling a client that he or she may not receive a specific viewpoint in counseling,” even if that viewpoint aligns with their religious or moral values, said Mr. Staver. “And, for the first time, it is telling a counselor, ‘You can only give one viewpoint and not another, even though your client requests the other viewpoint.’”
The Liberty Counsel plaintiffs include the American Association of Christian Counselors; National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality; NARTH President Christopher Rosik; NARTH co-founder Joseph Nicolosi; marriage and family therapist David Pickup; and two California couples who have teenage sons who wish to continue SOCE counseling for unwanted same-sex attractions. The families are not identified.
Earlier in the week, the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) also filed a lawsuit against SB 1172 in the same federal court.
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Brad Dacus was the guest on my Constitution Radio Program last August to talk about the work his organization does. (go to Podcast Page and find the August 18, 2012 episode to listen to it).
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Donate to Pacific Justice Institute to help them in the great work they are doing.
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