Governor Andy Beshear signed an executive order banning the use of conversion therapy on minors in Kentucky on Wednesday last week. Previously, only three cities in the state had a ban on the practice: Covington, Lexington and Louisville.
The bill prohibits the use of state and federal funds to be used for the practice of conversion therapy and specified that state agencies must report the use of the practice to “the appropriate professional certification or licensing board” for “potential disciplinary action.”
The Trevor Project, a non-profit for suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth, describes conversion therapy as “any of several dangerous and discredited practices aimed at changing an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Northern Kentucky University senior James Renton has been an advocate for the ban in the past and said that the executive order is “an amazing victory for the community.”
A few years ago, Renton said they were asked to speak with Highland Heights’ City Council as a voice from the NKU community advocating for a bill that would ban conversion therapy. They were able to share their story and the harms of conversion therapy with the council but the bill did not move forward.
“When I was closeted, I was worried about possibly being sent to a conversion camp, and I had friends who unfortunately were sent to conversion camps, that of course, failed,” said Renton. “So it became an issue that was fairly important to me.”
In a study published by The Trevor Project in 2020, research found that “LGBTQ youth who underwent conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report having attempted suicide,” compared to those who had not underwent the practice.
Some organizations are for the use of conversion therapy and against bills aimed to ban it. The Family Foundation, a Christian organization in Kentucky, said that bans against conversion therapy “attack religious freedom and the very heart of the Christian message.”
“Conversion therapy essentially forces one single ideology upon people and tells them that they cannot be loved and supported as they are,” said Renton. “It is a completely barbaric practice that has no place in the United States.”
In a post on the official Kentucky governor’s Instagram (@govandybeshear), Beshear wrote, “We’ve heard the voices of LGBTQ Kentuckians and we stand with them… No child, regardless of their sexuality, should be subjected to harm.”
While Renton said the executive ban is a win for the LGBTQ community, they also acknowledge that there are still “many battles to fight.”
“When your identity is under attack from literally every single direction, it’s hard to celebrate victories,” they explained. “So right now, it’s a win, but the question is, is this going to be a win that lasts.”