Wednesday’s testimony opened with an examination of whether sexuality is something innate and immutable, or a matter of choice. Ryan Kendall, 26, a gay Colorado man, took the stand and described how his life changed as a young teen when his parents discovered his journal in which he wrote about being gay. The defense which argues that there is no constitutional barrier to banning same-sex marriage, tried to block Mr. Kendall’s appearance. James Campbell, a defense lawyer, said it would be irrelevant and anecdotal.

But Judge Vaughn Walker said that the defense has posited that sexual orientation is “a conscious choice,” and ruled that Mr. Kendall could speak.

Mr. Kendall testified that his parents verbally abused him and made him see a Christian therapist in an effort to reverse his sexual orientation. When that didn’t work, they forced him to receive phone therapy and attend group therapy from the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality.

Read the rest of Michelle Quinn’s New York Times article here.