Christie sued on his victory day

By Cliff Kincaid

New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie is the subject of countless stories for his dramatic re-election victory in a Democratic state. But on the same day he was winning, he was being sued in court by parents who object to the governor dictating how they raise their children. This is a major development that casts serious doubt on Christie's "conservative" credentials and ability to win the Republican nomination for president.

At issue is Christie's signing of a bill forbidding licensed professional counselors in the state to "engage in sexual orientation change efforts with a person under 18 years of age." In effect, parents are being told by the state, under homosexual pressure, how they can raise their children.

The suit naming Christie as a defendant was filed by a conservative Christian legal group, Liberty Counsel, on behalf of the parents of a 10-year-old boy who wanted counseling to eliminate his unwanted same-sex attractions. In Chris Christie's New Jersey, such counseling has been declared illegal through legislation which Christie signed, in response to pressure from the homosexual lobby.

For most of the media, who want to push the Republican Party in a leftward direction, this is a non-story. But Christie has a lot to answer for, and the suit guarantees that the media will not be able to avoid covering the issue in the months ahead. It seems Christie pandered to the homosexual-rights lobby, perhaps in a bid for liberal votes, and it has come back to haunt him.

Christie's approach not only undermines parental choice but is clearly unscientific, since change or conversion therapy for people with unwanted homosexual tendencies has worked in literally thousands of cases. Groups of ex-homosexuals do exist, although they are ignored by most of the major media.

Christie said that while he was concerned about "government limiting parental choice on the care and treatment of their own children," he signed the pro-homosexual legislation anyway.

According to the press release about the suit, the 10-year-old boy began contemplating suicide because of gender identity confusion, and had experienced unwanted same-sex attractions. On one occasion, he actually tried to commit suicide. The press release goes on, "After speaking with their son, the family sought counsel from a licensed counselor to address the boy's unwanted same-sex attractions. As a result of the counsel he has received, the boy regained his self-confidence and is now secure in his masculinity. He no longer or almost never experiences same-sex attractions, and he no longer has thoughts of suicide. This young man is certain that change therapy has helped him to overcome his feelings of hopelessness and despair, and he desperately desires to continue to receive the counseling. But under the law signed by Gov. Chris Christie, such counsel is now banned."

Ironically, the wife of the new mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, is a former lesbian, an indication that some people do leave the homosexual lifestyle and can be perfectly happy and lead normal lives as heterosexuals. Chirlane McCray has two children with de Blasio. The legislation Christie signed is based on the dubious notion that sexual orientation cannot be changed and that change therapy creates more problems than it solves.

Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council noted that Christie indicated that in signing the bill, he was accepting the professional expertise of the American Psychological Association (APA). But Sprigg added that the APA falls "prey to political pressure and ideological bias" in this case and has since "actually moved away from asserting certainty about the origins of homosexuality."

"Bans on sexual orientation change efforts represent an assault upon both truth and freedom," Sprigg said.

Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth said it was clear that Christie had "succumbed to homosexual activist propaganda and myths" in signing the bill into law. Christie claimed that homosexuals are born gay, but LaBarbera points out that the "evidence" for the claim consists of "junk science" that cannot be replicated. Sprigg agrees, noting, "The three studies in the early 1990's which were hailed by the media as providing evidence for a 'gay gene' (or at least for an innate and biological cause for homosexuality) have long since been discredited by the failure of any other researchers to be able to replicate those early results."

"Christie win could send strong message to GOP about 2016 presidential bid" is one of several headlines that convey the idea that his re-election victory in New Jersey will propel him into the White House. But the growing controversy over change therapy – and Christie's opposition to parental choice in the matter – casts his potential White House bid in some doubt.

In a related controversy, Christie made headlines when he backed away from his opposition to same-sex marriage in New Jersey. This was described on CNN as Christie being "ahead of the GOP curve on same-sex marriage," but most Republicans oppose such treating of homosexual marriage as the equivalent of the sacred union of one man and one woman.

In response to Christie's decision in that case, Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage said the governor abandoned "any chance of him winning the GOP nomination for president." He said his group was "extremely disappointed" in Christie for withdrawing the state's appeal of a homosexual marriage case, "effectively throwing in the towel on marriage."

Brown added, "The mark of a leader is to walk a principled walk no matter the difficulty of the path. Chris Christie has failed the test, abandoning both voters and the core institution of society."

© Cliff Kincaid