Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signs executive order banning conversion therapy
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order banning the scientifically discredited practice of so-called conversion therapy on minors in the state.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order Wednesday banning the scientifically discredited practice of so-called conversion therapy on minors in the state.
The state now joins 23 others where the debunked mental health treatment, which aims to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ people, is banned for minors, according to the LGBTQ think tank Movement Advancement Project. The executive order went into effect immediately.
"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, a Democrat, 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.”
LGBTQ advocates have denounced the disputed treatment for years, citing research that shows conversion therapy can increase risks of mental health issues.
As many as 15% of LGBTQ youths have been subjected to or threatened with conversion therapy, according to a 2023 survey of more than 28,000 queer Americans ages 13 to 24 by The Trevor Project, an advocacy group that aims to prevent suicide among LGBTQ youths. The same survey — which the governor's office cited in its statement — found that 54% of the LGBTQ youths who attempted suicide in the year prior were threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy.
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