Christopher Vasquez

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Statement on Denial of Preliminary Injunction for Florida SB 254’s Restrictions on Healthcare for Transgender Adults

A Florida federal district court judge today issued an order denying a motion to temporarily block state restrictions on access to healthcare for transgender adults contained in SB 254 while the legal challenge to the law continues. Attorneys for the plaintiffs issued the following statement: “The state’s restrictions on well-established health care in SB 254 serve no purpose other than to intentionally prevent transgender people from receiving the care they need. This case is far from over and we will continue to take every legal step to challenge this law that takes away Floridian’s ability to make important decisions about […]

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Transgender Floridians Seek Emergency Block on Adult Healthcare Restrictions in SB 254

Four Florida residents filed a motion in federal court yesterday seeking an emergency block on provisions in SB 254 that have created arbitrary, harmful and medically unjustified restrictions on medically-necessary healthcare for transgender adults. Olivia Noel, Kai Pope, Lucien Hamel, and Rebecca Cruz Evia, are all facing dangerous disruptions in their ongoing medical care due to the Florida law. The motion for preliminary injunction filed yesterday follows the filing of an amended complaint on July 21 expanding the case, Doe v. Ladapo, to challenge state law SB 254’s restrictions on medical care for transgender adults and seeking class-wide relief for […]

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New SAMHSA Report Underscores the Harms of Conversion Therapy & Importance of Affirmation for LGBTQ Young People’s Mental Health

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 The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ young people, and Born Perfect, the National Center for Lesbian Rights’ program to end conversion therapy, released the following statements in response to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) new report published today: “Moving Beyond Change Efforts: Evidence and Action to Support and Affirm LGBTQI+ Youth.” Statement from Kasey Suffredini (he/him), Vice President of Advocacy and Government Affairs for The Trevor Project: “These latest report findings punctuate much of what we already know about the dangerous and discredited practice of so-called conversion ‘therapy’: it doesn’t work, it is associated with […]

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Utah House Unanimously Passes Bill to Protect Youth from Conversion Therapy

In a historic vote, the Utah House of Representatives unanimously passed HB 228 – legislation that would prohibit therapists from subjecting youth to conversion therapy, a dangerous practice that seeks to change a young person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The Utah Senate passed the bill earlier this month, which means it is now on its way to Utah Governor Spencer Cox, who has pledged to sign it. Today’s vote marks the first time that a state legislative body has voted unanimously in favor of a bill prohibiting conversion therapy for minors. In 2020, the Utah Division of Professional Licensing adopted a […]