Kentucky Governor Bans Conversion Therapy On Minors

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) on Wednesday signed an executive order banning conversion therapy for minors, adding to the list of 23 other states and the District of Columbia that had banned the controversial practice.

The debunked practice aims to change the sexual or gender identity of those who identify as LGBTQ. The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association and other medical and mental health groups have found that conversion therapy, also referred to as reparative therapy, is harmful and ineffective.

“Kentucky cannot possibly reach its full potential unless it is free from discrimination by or against any citizen ― unless all our people feel welcome in our spaces, free from unjust barriers and supported to be themselves,” Beshear said in a statement. “Conversion therapy has no basis in medicine or science, and it can cause significant long-term harm to our kids, including increased rates of suicide and depression. This is about protecting our youth from an inhumane practice that hurts them.”

According to a 2023 survey by The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the LGBTQ community, 10% of LGBTQ youth across the U.S. have been threatened with conversion therapy, and 5% have been forced to endure it. The same organization also found that 28% of LQBTQ youth who attempted suicide in the previous year had been threatened with conversion therapy. An additional 28% were subjected to conversion therapy.

The number rises in Kentucky, where 21% of LQBTQ youth have been threatened with or subjected to the discredited practice.

“As we continue to witness a historic wave of anti-LGBTQ+ bills being introduced in states across the U.S., this executive order serves as a powerful reminder that LGBTQ+ youth have allies and leaders who support them in every corner of our country,” Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black said in a statement, calling it a “monumental step forward for protecting the health and safety of Kentucky’s LGBTQ+ young people.”

There have been 530 anti-LGBTQ bills proposed throughout the U.S. in 2024 alone.

Meanwhile, opponents argue that the executive order infringes upon religious freedom.

“This executive order disregards the First Amendment rights regarding freedom of religion and speech and violates the fundamental parental rights and responsibilities for their children,” members of the Republican Senate Majority Caucus said in a statement, which does not address the dangers of conversion therapy.

Beshear said Wednesday, “It is not about politics at all,” adding that “it’s not even about gender or sexuality. It’s about protecting our youth from an inhumane practice that hurts them.”