TAMPA, Fla. — A federal court ruling is expected on Friday over the city of Tampa's conversion therapy ban, a practice where counselors help kids work through issues of gender identity and sexual orientation.
- Lawyers against the ban says it violates the First Amendment
- City of Tampa would not comment about the issue
Tampa approved its current ordinance in 2017, and the same year three counselors sued the city, claiming the ordinance was a First Amendment violation.
At issue is a counselor's ability to use "talk therapy" as a means to help children who are confused about their sexuality or orientation.
Liberty Counsel is representing two Tampa counselors in the current lawsuit. It is a Christian non-profit organization based in Orlando.
Liberty Counsel says Tampa's conversion therapy ban only allows for counseling of kids involved with gender reassignment surgery or hormone replacement, but not kids they say are simply confused.
"It really chills the First Amendment rights of the counselor, the First Amendment rights of the children and teenagers that want that counseling, and it is really an unfair and really unnecessary demand that children can only consider change in one direction," said Roger Gannam, assistant vice president of Legal Affairs for Liberty Counsel.
The city of Tampa would not comment for this story, saying it could not as the litigation is still on-going.
A federal judge is expected to e-file a ruling on Tampa's ordinance by the end of the day.
Liberty Counsel expects the city of Tampa to appeal the ruling if the conversion therapy ban is overturned.
Liberty Counsel currently has two active appeals pending nationwide. One against the city of Boca Raton in South Florida, and the other against the state of Maryland.