Kentucky Gov. Beshear Bans Conversion Therapy, Defying Anti-Trans Campaign Ads Against Him
The Governor, who was on the short list for Harris potential VP pick, vetoed a gender affirming care ban last year. Far-right organizations ran millions in anti-trans ads against him.
On Wednesday, Governor Andy Beshear signed an executive order banning the use of conversion therapy in Kentucky. The order prohibits efforts to change an LGBTQ+ youth’s gender identity or sexual orientation and will be enforced through licensure boards and public funding. Additionally, it directly refutes the anti-transgender claim that gender-affirming care constitutes “conversion therapy.” With this action, Kentucky becomes the 28th state to ban such practices.
“I have refused to wait when others won’t do what is right… My faith teaches me that all children are children of God, and where practices are endangering and even harming those children, we must act. The practice of so-called conversion therapy hurts our children, and it’s something I have spoken out against time and time again. It has no basis in medicine, and has no basis in science,” said Beshear in a press conference before signing the order.
The executive order cites statements from the American Psychological Association and the American Counseling Association, which both call the practice unethical for licensed members to engage in. It also cites research by the Trevor Project, which states that 28% of LGBTQ+ youth who attempted suicide report being threatened with conversion therapy and an equal amount being subjected to such practices.
You can watch a video of Beshear's statements here:
The ban will be enforced through several different mechanisms:
The Cabinet for Health and Family Services will prohibit direct or indirect use of state and federal funding for the practice of conversion therapy on minors, including Medicaid, K-Chip, child welfare services, and juvenile justice programs.
State agencies that receive reports that a provider licensed to practice in Kentucky engages in conversion therapy will report the provider to certification and licensing boards.
All departments will explore practices and procedures to prevent minors from being subjected to conversion therapy.
All professional certification and licensing boards will be encouraged to implement professional conduct policies that bar conversion therapy.
The executive order importantly rebukes a prominent anti-transgender talking point, often used to push transphobia to left-leaning audiences, that claims gender transition is a form of “gay conversion therapy.” This argument, most notably featured in Pamela Paul’s first major anti-trans article in the New York Times earlier this year, suggests that transgender individuals are “just gay kids.” This claim ignores the fact that gender identity and sexual orientation are distinct, that attitudes toward transgender people are significantly more negative than toward gay individuals, and that most transgender people identify as lesbian, bisexual, gay, or queer after transitioning.
Beshear’s executive order blocks the use of such arguments to justify banning gender-affirming care, clarifying that the conversion therapy ban does not include “any practice, treatment, or intervention that assists an individual seeking to undergo a gender transition or an individual who is in the process of undergoing a gender transition.”
Kentucky has been particularly harsh toward transgender and queer individuals. Many school districts have banned books about LGBTQ+ people, citing Senate Bill 150, an anti-queer and anti-trans omnibus bill passed in 2023. The bill also prohibits gender-affirming care for transgender youth. It was rushed through a hearing after being deceptively announced with the microphone off during the House lunch hour. Although Governor Beshear vetoed the bill, it was ultimately forced into law through a party-line veto override. Beshear faced $2 million in anti-trans advertisements from the American Principles Project for vetoing the bill, yet still won reelection by a larger margin than his original victory.
While the executive order marks a significant step in preventing conversion therapy in Kentucky, the state remains home to some of the most restrictive anti-LGBTQ+—particularly anti-transgender—laws in the country. These laws are currently being challenged in court, with a pending Supreme Court case from Tennessee expected to have a direct impact on Kentucky’s gender-affirming care ban by the end of the year or early next year. Despite a GOP supermajority intent on targeting LGBTQ+ rights, Governor Beshear continues to demonstrate his commitment to protecting the LGBTQ+ community, pushing back against these attacks as much as his authority allows.
Makes me glad he didn't get picked for VP- he still has several years left in his term, and he's already where he can do the most good: kneecapping the GQP's culture war right in his own backyard.
A good example of why we shouldn't write off the "red states".