The following comes from a December 20 story on LifeSiteNews.com.
Charles LiMandri, the president and chief counsel of the Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund has announced that he has accepted the role of lead defense counsel for Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing (JONAH) in a precedent-setting lawsuit filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
JONAH is a Jewish organization that offers assistance to men and women seeking to resolve their sexual conflicts, focusing specifically on unwanted same-sex attractions.
The poverty center filed a lawsuit against JONAH, alleging the group is guilty of “consumer fraud,” because the therapy will fail to change some people’s sexual orientation.
In taking on the case, Charles LiMandri stated, “The lawsuit is ill-conceived and legally untenable for multiple reasons. It seeks to violate the First Amendment freedoms of speech, religion, and association—not only of JONAH and the other defendants, but also untold numbers of people in need that stand to benefit from their services.”
LiMandri pointed out that since its founding more than 12 years ago, JONAH has helped hundreds of people live the lives that they want, consistent with their personal values.
Arthur Goldberg, JONAH’s co-director, has stated that his organization will vigorously defend itself against a lawsuit that he called “without merit,” and “designed to create a chilling effect upon speech and programs that assist people in overcoming unwanted same-sex attractions.”
The Freedom of Conscience fund noted that JONAH has never been the target of a lawsuit until now, and this lawsuit is apparently the result of the poverty center advertising in the media for people willing to be named as plaintiffs against JONAH.
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council called the assertion that reparative therapy is a fraud, because not everyone is “cured, equally “as ridiculous as suing Weight Watchers because they promised you’d lose weight and you didn’t.”
“The only people guilty of fraud are the ones who claim people with same-sex attractions can’t change,” he said.
Mr. LiMandri indicated that the Freedom of Conscience fund is teaming up with the Alliance Defending Freedom to litigate the case, which was filed in New Jersey, with the assistance of Michael Laffey, a highly respected New Jersey attorney who is experienced in freedom of speech and religious liberty cases.
The Freedom of Conscience fund is a national public interest law firm that specializes in defending freedom of religion and conscience by providing legal services at the trial level.
To read LifeSiteNews story, click here.
Of course same sex attraction can be changed. Most adolescents are ambivalent, and many corrupted by pederasts. The Poverty Center is an Evil group of anti-American godless lawyers.
It seems incomprehensible to me that the Southern Povery Law Center would have anything to do with special counseling on homosexual issues since this is in no way a poverty issue. Has the homosexual juggernaut performed a Sherman’s March through the political sensibiliites in the South to such an extent that the Law Center would take on a cause unrelated to its raison d’etre?
Dan,
If I know LiMandri, and I do, they will be sorry that they took him on!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Lawsuits should be headed the opposite direction toward the public school system for presenting same sex relationships as a “healthy” lifestyle alternative.
SPLC is gratifyingly overplaying its hand, doubling down on stupid.
The hysterical radical gender left wishes to raise on this one?
Let them.
It is about time these lunatics got themselves slapped down.
The First Amendment is a difficult thing even for the homosexualist fascist movement to intimidate.
2013 is going to be a very bad year for the gender fascists.
Rick DeLano,
Re.: “2013 is going to be a very bad year for the gender fascists.”
Oh how I hope and pray that your are right!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Live and let live, I say. Peace be upon your house!
Drudge Report:
LGBT Group Takes Issue with Hagel Nomination, Urges Obama to Abandon
3:04 PM, JAN 4, 2013 • BY DANIEL HALPER
A pro-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender group issued a statement today urging President Barack Obama not to nominate Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense.
“GetEQUAL strongly opposes the potential nomination of Chuck Hagel to become the next Secretary of Defense. Hagel has, time and time again, taken every opportunity to lambast and denigrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans, and the Cabinet is no place for this kind of disrespect,” writes the chair GetEQUAL’s board Tanya Domi.
Hagel’s recent apology for his insulting comments about the nomination of James Hormel as U.S. Ambassador to Luxemborg were hollow, politically expedient, and nakedly gratuitous. The Defense Department has made important strides toward creating an inclusive Armed Forces, but has miles left to go — nominating Hagel to lead the Defense Department would be a staggering step backward for the LGBT community and an upheaval of President Obama’s past support for the LGBT community.
During his years in Congress, Hagel consistently opposed the advancement of civil rights for LGBT Americans. A Hagel nomination would throw President Obama’s support for LGBT civil rights into deep suspicion. Following yesterday’s signing of an NDAA that includes a new “conscience clause” designed to permit discrimination in the military by chaplains, the LGBT community is looking for leadership at the Defense Department that will remove discriminatory practices from the Armed Forces — not cement those practices.
God bless Charles Li Mandri and Arthur Goldberg for trying to help people live normal, decent and healthy lifestyles. If people want to use the services of JONAH what business is it of anyone else.
GREAT STORY, MAGNIFICENT RESPONSE TO THAT BUNCH OF LEFT-WING FRAUDS IN THE SOUTH BY CHUCK LIMANDRI. SPLC SHOULD’VE BEEN THOROUGHLY DISCREDITED LONG AGO! AND I FOR ONE WILL SAY A ROSARY FOR THE SUCCESS OF FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE DEFENSE FUND, AND THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF REPARATIVE THERAPY. GOD BLESS ALL, MARKRITE