Group lobbies for conversion therapy ban in Kentucky

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) — A lobby day for House Bill 211 which would ban conversion therapy for minors in Kentucky took place at the State Capitol Thursday morning.

“Conversion therapy is a variety of tactics to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity,” says director of Ban Conversion Therapy Kentucky, Tanner Mobley.

The group met with legislators to educate them on the practice and explain just how dangerous these methods can be.

“All kinds of crazy things making people snap rubber bands on their wrist when they think of people the same sex,” says Mobley. “Showing children pornographic images and making them sit on ice.”

And they say with these tactics, it’s not just physically painful, but also emotionally.

“I met someone who was told they were the last gay person on earth and they were seven years old when they went through these processes,” says Mobley. “And they were told if they didn’t change they would die of aids.”

Tuesday Meadows, chair of Lexington Fairness, says she had a friend who was sent away to a camp by his parents to “fix his gay”.

“He said it was very torturous and he was there for three weeks,” says Meadows. “He said the counselors put pillows over this head and there was some real physical torture involved.”

Keith Elston is legal director for Kentucky Youth Law Project which provides free legal advice and counsel to LGBTQ youth in the state.

He says many people he works with are homeless because of family rejection.

“And conversion therapy is seen by many of them as the ultimate rejection by their family and loved ones,” says Elston.

Conversion therapy for minors is banned in 15 states and in Washington D.C.

HB 211 supporters say they hope Kentucky will be next.