Florida city ordered to pay $885,000 after conversion therapy ban struck down

A city in Florida and its county have been ordered to pay around $885,000 in legal fees after a judge struck down its ban against so-called "conversion therapy" for minors.

Palm Beach County and Boca Raton have been ordered to pay $884,374 in attorney fees and $659 in costs to counselors Robert Otto and Julie Hamilton, who had previously brought a lawsuit against the county's ban, claiming it violated their First Amendment rights. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in their favor in 2022, nullifying the ban and any like it in the state.

Conversion therapy, also referred to as "reparative therapy," has been denounced by the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, World Psychiatric Association, American Medical Association, and every other major medical organization. The World Health Organization concludes that the practice “lacks medical justification and represents a serious threat to the health and well-being of affected people," including significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, self-destructive behavior, suicidal idealization, and suicide attempts.

Related: How the Supreme Court’s conversion therapy case could reshape LGBTQ+ protections across America

While the conversion therapy ban was struck down in Florida, such bans have been upheld elsewhere by the Third, Ninth, and 10th Circuits. The U.S. Supreme Court is currently deliberating in Chiles v. Salazar, brought by Kaley Chiles, a counselor in Colorado, against Patty Salazar, executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, over the state's ban. A decision is expected in June next year.

Twenty-three other states and Washington, D.C. have similar laws barring licensed mental health providers from subjecting minors to practices aimed at changing their sexual orientation or gender identity, according to the Movement Advancement Project.

If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678.