Federal appeals court says “ex-gay” pastor can't sue Vimeo for removing conversion therapy videos

James Domen (right) and Vice President Mike Pence — Photo: JimDomen.com A pastor who claims to have successfully changed his sexual orientation through conversion therapy can’t sue Vimeo for banning his account and removing videos he made extolling the virtues of the therapy, a federal court has ruled. A three-judge panel on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that Vimeo is immune under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a 1996 Internet law dealing with private blocking and screening of potentially offensive material. As a result, the company cannot be sued for removing videos that violated its policies regarding what type of content can be shared on the platform. Pastor James Domen, of the California-based Church United, argued that Vimeo had discriminated against him on the basis of sexual orientation when it removed five videos in which he calls himself a “former homosexual.” He sued, only to have his lawsuit dismissed by a federal court. He subsequently appealed the ruling. The 2nd Circuit found that the lower court had ruled correctly in dismissing the lawsuit. The court also found that Vimeo’s actions were not motivated by animus towards Domen’s orientation, but the content of the videos, which…
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