Free Republic

In the wake of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that curtailed states’ ability to prohibit so-called “conversion therapy” outright, Colorado lawmakers are advancing a bill to deter the practice through civil liability rather than direct bans. The proposal, House Bill 26-1322, would allow people who say they were subjected to conversion therapy to sue licensed mental health providers, as well as those who employ or supervise them, with no statute of limitations, according to the bill’s text. Lawmakers say that change reflects the reality that many survivors do not come forward until years, sometimes decades, after the harm. The...

A federal judge in Washington state has ordered the Trump administration to immediately disclose any plans to implement its sweeping ban on transgender service members, marking a significant development in Shilling v. Trump, one of the ongoing legal battles challenging the administration’s efforts to kick out trans troops from the military. In a minute order issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington directed the federal government to notify both the court and plaintiffs if the Department of Defense—or any of its branches—issues any policy or guidance enforcing the...

GLSEN, the national nonprofit dedicated to fostering safe and inclusive schools for LGBTQ+ students, has laid off 60 percent of its workforce. The organization’s leader says that the business decision was painful and necessary in response to mounting financial pressures and coordinated right-wing attacks. Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, GLSEN’s executive director, confirmed to The Advocate that 18 employees—more than half of the organization’s staff—were let go on Monday as part of a restructuring effort the organization says is aimed at ensuring the group’s survival and long-term impact. The decision, Willingham-Jaggers noted, was driven by a steep decline in revenue and a broader...