Louisville and Covington have banned conversion therapy. Lexington could be next.
Lexington could become the third Kentucky city to ban conversion therapy for gay youth.
The General Government and Social Services Committee of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council will consider on March 9 a proposed ban of the now-discredited practice for gay youth.
“This is a mental health issue,” said Councilwoman Susan Lamb, who is one of two council members pushing the ban. Councilwoman Liz Sheehan is also working on the proposed ordinance.
Under a ban, state-licensed therapists in the city would not be allowed to offer or provide the therapy during which gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals are counseled to change their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“It’s not our intention to focus on religious-based therapists that are not state licensed,” Lamb said.
Lamb said the proposal, which is still being worked on, will model state legislation proposed by Sen. Alice Forgy Kerr, R-Lexington. Kerr’s bill and a companion House bill have not yet been given a hearing in the Republican-controlled General Assembly. Similar bills filed in 2019 and 2020 died.
The discredited practice is uniformly opposed by the nation’s leading medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics,
Lamb said the city had hoped the Kentucky General Assembly would pass a statewide ban. .
“I would love for it to be passed on a state level,” Lamb said. “It’s one of the reasons why we waited until March. Those bills have not been heard. If it’s not going to be passed on the state level, we need to do something on the local level. It’s the right thing to do.”
Twenty states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico have banned the practice for youth. In addition, 84 cities and counties have enacted similar bans.
In Kentucky, Covington was the first city to do so in March 2020. In October, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer signed Louisville’s ordinance banning the practice.
Councilman Fred Brown was the only Lexington council member to vote against putting the issue into the General Government and Social Services committee during a Tuesday work session. Councilwoman Amanda Bledsoe voted in favor of putting the issue into committee but said she preferred the issue be addressed at the state level.
Lamb said she thinks there is enough support on the 15-member council for a local ban.
“I feel confident that there will be a lot of support for this,” Lamb said. “Trying to change someone’s sexual orientation is so damaging.”
This story was originally published February 25, 2021 at 1:47 PM.
