Kentucky lawmakers should reject efforts to revive torture therapy | Opinion
Even in our deeply divided times, there are moments when it is necessary to look beyond party lines to do what is right for the people that you were elected to serve.
This is one of those moments.
We are mental health leaders and experts who have dedicated our lives to protecting the well-being of all people in Kentucky. We come from diverse political backgrounds—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents—but despite our differences, we are speaking together, today, to condemn a dangerous bill being considered by state legislators: House Bill 495, the Conversion Therapy Revival Act.
Proponents are attempting to disguise this bill as a way to “protect therapists’ rights,” but it is not at all about freedom or professional integrity. This bill is a blatant attempt to shield conversion therapy practitioners from accountability, granting them legal protections to continue harming young people in Kentucky.
Conversion therapy, also called “reparative therapy,” refers to any of several discredited practices aimed at changing an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Despite being denounced by every major medical and mental health association in the United States, conversion therapy is administered in many communities nationwide. According to The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ young people, 21% of LGBTQ young people in Kentucky reported being threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy.
To be clear, the current order does not prevent pastors or religious advisors from discussing their deeply held beliefs, and does not apply to clergy who are practicing without a professional license. This bill, however, would allow licensed professionals to reject best practices in favor of ideology—at the direct expense of their patients’ well-being. You don’t have to abandon your moral and religious convictions to agree that subjecting young people to psychological abuse is wrong.
As we witness state legislators attempt to provide legal cover for these harmful practices, we are not only disappointed—we are deeply alarmed.
As Senator Alice Forgy Kerr has stated, conversion therapy is nothing short of torture. Conversion “therapy” methods can be psychological or physical, and many are disturbing. Some practitioners may use counseling techniques that shame individuals into being someone they are not, telling them their feelings are wrong, and creating an environment of fear rather than support.
In more extreme cases, individuals may be subjected to “aversion therapy”, including painful methods such as electric shocks or drugs that induce nausea while exposing individuals to same-sex images. Another cruel tactic used in blaming a person’s close relationship with their mother, suggesting it’s “unnatural” or needs to be severed to “cure” them. This destructive message forces individuals to question their most fundamental relationships.
Every major medical and mental health organization, including the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association and, the American Medical Association, has condemned conversion therapy. Moreover, dozens of former leaders in the conversion therapy movement have denounced these practices as ineffective and harmful.
The statistics about LGBTQ youth mental health are troubling — LGBTQ young people face significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide risk. A 2022 report from The Trevor Project found that 49% of LGBTQ youth in Kentucky seriously considered suicide in the past year. Research also shows that LGBTQ youth who underwent conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report having attempted suicide and more than 2.5 times as likely to report multiple suicide attempts in the past year. However, it is important to note that LGBTQ youth are not inherently prone to suicide—rather, it is the stigma, discrimination, and harmful practices like conversion therapy that put them at greater risk. HB 495 would remove critical protections for vulnerable youth and put them at an even greater risk of harm.
Conversion “therapists” often prey on vulnerable parents, charging large sums of money for pseudoscientific methods that promise change but deliver harm. A therapist’s role is to help their patients better understand themselves, not to impose a particular belief or outcome.
When young people are working to understand their gender or sexual orientation, parents want to do their best to support their LGBTQ child—but they’re not always sure what the right thing to do is. Conversion “therapists” take advantage of parents’ good intentions and mislead them into placing their child in a dangerous environment where the practitioner is pushing an agenda. Not only does conversion therapy not work, but evidence has also consistently shown that it worsens the mental health and overall well-being of LGBTQ youth.
Every child in the U.S., regardless of who they love or how they identify, deserves to live a happy, healthy life, free from discrimination. Conversion therapy takes away the freedom of youth to be themselves, preventing them from achieving their full potential.
Many states across the country have adopted policies protecting minors from these practices including Utah, North Carolina, North Dakota, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania
HB 495 is not about protecting therapists—it is about protecting the ability to harm LGBTQ youth without consequences. As mental health experts, we urge lawmakers to stop this legislation in its tracks. Together, we must ensure that every child is given the opportunity to grow in a safe and supportive environment, free from harm. Our children deserve nothing less.
This piece was signed by the following organizations: The National Association of Social Workers-Kentucky, The Kentucky Psychological Association, The Kentucky Mental Health Coalition, American Academy of Pediatrics-Kentucky Chapter, The Kentucky Society for Clinical Social Work, The Kentucky Association for School Social Work, Mental Health America of Kentucky, Kentucky Psychiatric Medical Association,The Kentucky Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Bridge Counseling and Wellness, and Bridge Academy of Innovative Mental Health