Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear on Wednesday announced a ban on “conversion therapy” on minors in Kentucky, a long-awaited step to protect children from the discredited practice of changing their sexual orientation or gender identity through counseling. More than 20 states now have similar bans.
Governor Beshear Stands Up for Children: Kentucky’s Conversion Therapy Ban Is a Step Toward Safety
The governor used his executive powers to make the decision after repeated attempts to pass a bill to ban the practice failed in the Republican-dominated state legislature.
“My faith teaches me that every child is a child of God,” Beshear said at a signing ceremony at the Kentucky State House. “When certain practices endanger or harm these children, we have an obligation to take action. So-called ‘conversion therapy’ is harming our children, and that is unacceptable.”
As Beshear was about to sign the order, one person in the audience shouted out an objection, saying, “This is taking away the right to affirmative therapy.” However, LGBTQ+ and mental health activists drowned out the protest with loud cries of support.
Soon after, the conservative Family Foundation of Kentucky issued a sharp criticism of Beshear, arguing that his actions violated parental rights and restricted freedom of religious expression.
“This order, like previous failed bills, seeks to advance false LGBTQ ideas and prevents Christian counselors, therapists, and pastors from helping children struggling with their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said David Walls, the organization’s executive director.
Anticipating criticism, Beshir clarified that his order “does not promote any ideology.”
“He is simply ending a so-called ‘therapy’ that the medical community has condemned as harmful to our children,” the governor added.
The executive order signed by Beshear completely bans conversion therapy on minors and makes it illegal to use state and federal funds to fund it. It also gives the state licensing board the authority to prosecute those who practiced the therapy on children and imposes disciplinary measures for those who violate the order.
The practice has been widely discredited and condemned by, among others, the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association, which point to studies linking it to an increased risk of depression and suicidal ideation.
In December 2023, the Supreme Court declined to hear a case involving conversion therapy, upholding the lack of a nationwide ban on the practice. However, nearly half of the states, including the District of Columbia, have already banned its use on minors, Gov. Beshear’s office noted.
Minnesota, Others Reject Conversion Therapy: Beshear Takes New Step to Protect LGBTQ+ Rights
In 2021, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Harris’ vice president, signed an executive order banning conversion therapy in his state, and in 2023, Minnesota enshrined the ban in law.
Outside the US, countries such as Germany, France and Canada have already abandoned the practice, according to Statista, although it is still permitted in many other parts of the world.
LGBTQ+ activists welcomed Beshear’s executive order, signed Wednesday.
In a statement posted online, Trevor Project CEO James Black expressed his support, saying, “This order is a powerful reminder that LGBTQ+ youth have allies and leaders ready to support them across the country.”
The statement also cited a study published in the American Journal of Public Health that found that LGBTQ+ youth who had undergone conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to attempt suicide.
Chris Hartman, head of the Fairness Campaign, which supports LGBTQ+ people in Kentucky, praised Governor Beshear for his bold move to protect young people from harmful practices. He added that the move sent a clear message to LGBTQ+ children and their families: “You are perfect just the way you are.”
