FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's Republican lawmakers have successfully passed a controversial bill aimed at protecting conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youths while also prohibiting the use of Medicaid funds for gender-affirming healthcare for transgender residents. This legislation was voted on late Friday, just hours before the midnight deadline, allowing the GOP-supermajority legislature to retain the ability to override any potential vetoes by the governor.
The measure emerged after the Senate's version, which specifically banned Medicaid expenditures for gender-affirming care, was accepted by the House. Conversion therapy, which is widely discredited by medical professionals as a harmful practice intended to change one's sexual orientation or gender identity, was previously restricted under an executive order by Democratic Governor Andy Beshear. Last year, Beshear prohibited the use of taxpayer dollars for this practice on minors, asserting the need to protect children from its detrimental effects.
The bill received significant pushback from Governor Beshear, who criticized it as harmful and regressive. It passed both chambers of the legislature with veto-proof margins, demonstrating strong support among Republican lawmakers. Prominent advocates against the bill included Chris Hartman, the executive director of the Fairness Campaign—an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization in Kentucky. Hartman referred to the legislation as among the most "shameful" in Kentucky's history, highlighting its potential negative impact on vulnerable populations.
Democratic Rep. Lisa Willner labeled conversion therapy as "discredited, dangerous, suicide-promoting practices," further emphasizing the bill's detrimental implications for mental health among LGBTQ+ youths. Conversely, supporters of the legislation, including David Walls, executive director of The Family Foundation, characterized the measure as a necessary correction to what they viewed as an overreach by the governor regarding free speech and religious freedoms. They insisted that families should have access to the mental health care choices they deem appropriate.
This debate in Kentucky reflects a larger, national conversation regarding LGBTQ+ rights, with the Supreme Court poised to rule on a case that will determine if state laws banning conversion therapy for minors are enforceable. In his statements, Governor Beshear reiterated the consensus among major medical organizations that conversion therapy is harmful and increases suicide risks among LGBTQ+ youths. He described the practice as "equivalent to torture," advocating for the protection of vulnerable children.
In addition to the conversion therapy provisions, the House also advanced a bill that would restrict transgender individuals in Kentucky prisons from accessing gender-affirming healthcare. Proponents of this measure argued that it delineates between essential medical care and what they classify as elective procedures, stating that inmates would still receive necessary treatments for legitimate medical conditions but not for gender transition.
Walls criticized the idea of taxpayers covering the costs for gender transition for individuals, particularly for those who have committed crimes. On the opposing side, Hartman argued that denying prescribed medications to transgender inmates is not only inhumane but also potentially unconstitutional. Democratic Rep. Sarah Stalker expressed disappointment in the legislature's focus on such issues rather than pressing matters like public education, job creation, and health care accessibility.
The state legislature is expected to address the potential vetoes from the governor as it wraps up its session in late March, signaling ongoing contention over these issues in Kentucky.
