Commonwealth Policy Center

The 11th District Circuit Court overturned two laws in Florida that would have banned counselors from helping their patients overcome unwanted LGBT identities. Boca Raton and Palm Beach County banned what is called conversion therapy. Florida counselors Robert Otto and Julie Hamilton successfully argued that their clients had “sincerely held religious beliefs conflicting with homosexuality,” and that the laws violated the First Amendment rights of counselors and patients. The court ultimately sided with religious freedom in a 2-1 decision. This attempt to elevate LGBT identity above religious freedom is not new. Nor is the LGBT lobby’s tactic to ban speech they disagree with. The ruling is encouraging because it upholds the First Amendment. It’s also instructive as helps Kentucky legislators prepare for a similar fight in the next legislative session.