“My faith teaches me that all children are children of God,” said Governor Andy Beshear.
In a significant victory for LGBTQ+ young people, Kentucky’s Democratic Governor, Andy Beshear, signed an executive order this week banning the practice of conversion therapy on minors. This therapy, often deemed hazardous by medical experts, is already prohibited in 22 states and Washington, D.C.
Governor Beshear utilized his executive authority to override a Republican-dominated legislature, which had consistently blocked legislative attempts to outlaw the practice.
“My faith teaches me that all children are children of God,” Beshear declared during his signing ceremony. “When practices endanger and harm our children, it is our duty to intervene. The so-called ‘conversion therapy’ causes real harm to our kids.”
It’s heartwarming to witness leaders genuinely protecting children!
Beshear’s decision comes amid a national climate where existing safeguards against the practice face frequent challenges.
The decision has garnered some bipartisan support. For instance, Republican state Rep. Killian Timoney endorsed the ban and was seen shaking hands with Governor Beshear at the ceremony.
However, the decision has faced criticism from conservative circles. The Family Foundation, a social conservative group in Kentucky, branded Beshear’s action as “unlawful,” arguing that he overreached his legal bounds and infringed on parental rights.
“This executive order, like previous unsuccessful legislative efforts, aims to advance false LGBTQ ideologies while preventing Christian counselors, therapists, and pastors from assisting children grappling with sexual orientation or gender identity issues,” stated David Walls, the group’s executive director.
Governor Beshear clarified that his move “does not impose any ideology on anyone” but “merely halts a so-called ‘therapy’ deemed harmful by the medical community and detrimental to our kids.”
There’s a broad consensus within the medical field: conversion therapy is harmful.
Both the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association stand against its use.
Research highlighted by these organizations indicates a correlation between conversion therapy and increased risks of suicide and depression. A particular UCLA study found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals who underwent conversion therapy almost doubled their suicide attempt rates.
Experts, including the United Nation’s Victor Madrigal-Borloz, argue that the practice can “amount to torture.”
Every day, LGBTQ+ youth face escalating challenges as legislatures persist in proposing laws that threaten the community’s hard-won rights.
Hence, it’s imperative to have lawmakers like Beshear who passionately defend LGBTQ+ youth’s rights.
In 2020, Beshear made history as the first Kentucky governor to attend the statehouse’s annual gay rights rally. The previous year, he also sparked controversy by vetoing a bill that aimed to restrict transgender youth’s access to gender-affirming care.
Chris Hartman, the executive director of the Fairness Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group based in Kentucky, remarked that the governor’s order conveyed a powerful message to LGBTQ+ children in the state: “You are perfect as you are.”
