"Ex-gay" ministry
files lawsuit against Tennessee

The "ex-gay" ministry Love in Action has filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Tennessee in response to state officials ordering the group to obtain a license or shut down. Love in Action made national headlines last May when 16-year-old Zach Stark was forced by his parents to enter the ex-gay program and voiced his concern on his Web log. Tennessee health officials ordered Love in Action to get licensed by September 30 or cease operating. The state says it regulates any facility that houses clients with diagnosed mental illness and administers medications for their treatment. A pair of state inspections determined that Love in Action was housing two clients clinically diagnosed with mental illness and that the clients' medications were kept in a locked cabinet, to be dispensed by Love in Action personnel. Love in Action responded to the order by filing suit against the state in federal court Friday. Nate Kellum, attorney for Love in Action, believes the state does not have the right to regulate faith-based organizations "It's repugnant for a faith-based institution, a Christian ministry, to come under the regulation of the state," he said. State of Tennessee spokeswoman Lola Potter said the department will show that the organization's programs address mental health concerns. She called the lawsuit unfortunate and unnecessary. (James Lehmann, Sirius OutQ News)