Kentucky Governor Bans ‘Conversion Therapy’ for LGBTQ+ Youth
On Wednesday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear issued an executive order banning “conversion therapy” for “LGBTQ+ youth.” The order prohibits practices aimed at changing a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity, which would presumably include telling children they are their biological sex rather than the gender they identify with.
The executive order specifically defines conversion therapy as “any practice, treatment, or intervention that seeks or purports to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender.”
Under the new regulations, therapy that is permitted must remain neutral regarding a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity. It must focus on supporting the child’s “coping, social support, and identity exploration and development,” as long as the therapy does not attempt to change the child’s gender identity or sexual orientation.
Governor Beshear defended the order, emphasizing the importance of protecting LGBTQ+ youth from what he referred to as “inhumane practices.”
“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,” he 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.”
Opponents of the order, however, have argued that the executive order is undermining parental rights, particularly from parents who want to implement certain religious values in their family. David Walls, executive director of The Family Foundation, criticized the order in a statement, calling it an “unlawful action that will hurt children, trample the fundamental rights of Kentucky parents, and suppress free religious expression.”
Walls added, “This order, like previous failed legislative efforts, is designed to promote false LGBTQ ideologies and muzzle Christian counselors, therapists, and pastors from helping children struggling with sexual orientation or gender identity confusion. Kentucky parents and their children should be free to seek the faith-based counseling on sexuality and identity issues that they need. The Christian message on sexuality and human dignity is not harmful, it is life-bringing.”
