Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) on Wednesday signed an executive order banning “conversion therapy” for minors — skirting the Republican-led state legislature and setting up a likely legal challenge.Beshear said the new policy, which goes into effect immediately, is an overdue step to protect children from a widely discredited medical practice that attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
“Kentucky cannot possibly reach its full potential unless it is free from discrimination by or against any citizen — unless all our people feel welcome in our spaces, free from unjust barriers and supported to be themselves,” said Beshear, who is one of two Democratic governors in the South.
Major professional medical organizations — including the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association — have denounced conversion therapy as harmful and ineffective, citing research that shows the controversial treatment leads to increased risk of suicide and depression.
Previous attempts to ban conversion therapy in Kentucky have stalled or failed in the state legislature.
Opponents have argued that prohibiting the practice tramples parental rights and infringes on freedom of speech.
On Wednesday, a slew of legislators and conservative groups took aim at Beshear’s use of his executive powers to override Kentucky’s legislative branch — and some vowed to challenge the ban in court.
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