Today, a federal district court in Florida refused to grant a preliminary injunction in the case of Otto v. Boca Raton that would have stopped the cities of Boca Raton and Palm Beach, FL from enforcing their ordinances protecting LGBTQ minors from conversion therapy at the hands of licensed mental health professionals.
“We’re glad to see a strong decision from the court recognizing the importance of laws protecting youth from conversion therapy,” said Sam Brinton, Head of Advocacy and Government Affairs for The Trevor Project. “We were proud to file an amicus brief in this case sharing our experience of supporting LGBTQ youth who reach out to The Trevor Project for support because of the harms caused by conversion therapy. Today’s decision is in line with multiple other federal courts—including the Third and Ninth U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals—that have upheld similar laws, despite continuing attacks from pro-conversion therapy activists. We will continue to defend these laws, and fight for new bills, until LGBTQ youth are protected from conversion therapy in all 50 states.”
The Trevor Project’s 50 Bills 50 States campaign works to introduce legislation to protect LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy in every state in the country. Because The Trevor Project has witnessed firsthand the devastating impact that conversion therapy can inflict on LGBTQ youth, we can provide a unique and important perspective for the court regarding the potential harm of granting a preliminary injunction stopping enforcement of Boca Raton’s anti-conversion therapy ordinance.
The Trevor Project was represented in this matter by pro bono counsel from Gibson Dunn, including Stuart Delery, Douglas Dreier, Lora MacDonald, Corey Singer, and Dione Garlick.
