Kentucky's governor has signed an executive order banning the use of "conversion therapy" on minors. The widely discredited practice tries to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity through counseling.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear banned the use of “conversion therapy” on minors in Kentucky on Wednesday, calling his executive order a necessary step to protect children from a widely discredited practice that tries to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity through counseling.

The governor took action using his executive powers after efforts to enact a law banning the practice repeatedly failed in the state’s Republican-dominated legislature. Beshear signed the executive order during a statehouse ceremony attended by activists for LGBTQ+ rights.

“Let’s be clear: conversion therapy has no basis in medicine or science, and it has been shown to increase rates of suicide and depression,” Beshear said in a statement. “This is about doing what is right and protecting our children. Hate is not who we are as Kentuckians.”

The executive order signed by Beshear bans the practice and makes it illegal to use state or federal funds to provide the therapy on minors. It also gives the state’s board of licensure the authority to take action against anyone found to have practiced conversion therapy on minors and gives the board the authority to bring disciplinary action against anyone found in violation of the order.

  • wolf_2202
    291·
    3 months ago

    Read in good faith, this seems to be a prediction that conservatives will litigate against doctors who perform gender affirming care by leveraging clever wordplay: “converting” from one gender to another using hormones and surgery as “therapy”. It misses the point that “conversion therapy” is a very specific practice removed entirely from the concept of gender-affirming care.

    • kitnaht@lemmy.world
      143·
      3 months ago

      How anyone took my reply to mean anything different than this is fucking wild on Lemmy. You seem to have understood, but holy crap. Look at how many people thought I was being disparaging…

      Lawyers are NOTORIOUS for using wording to flip the meanings of things, and with the supreme court packed the way it is, this could easily be flipped on its head to discriminate against people.