Petition calls for Kansas City mayor, 6 council members to be banned from Pride
More than 250 people have signed a petition launched Friday for Kansas City Pride to bar Kansas City Council members, including Mayor Quinton Lucas, who voted to repeal the city’s conversion therapy ban.
The online petition, led by Justice Horn, a candidate for the Jackson County Legislature, reads, “Politicians unwilling to fight for LGBTQ+ people — including defending these protections in court — should not be allowed to celebrate or parade with our community.” Horn is also a former chair of the City of Kansas City Government’s LGBTQ Commission.
As of Sunday afternoon, the petition had 260 signatures.
One supporter wrote in the comments, “To vote for something that intentionally harms others because they don’t meet your beliefs or agenda is sick and hateful as well as ignorant.”
Kansas City repealed conversion therapy ban
On May 21, the City Council narrowly passed the ordinance repealing the conversion therapy ban, along with removing language in the city’s anti-discrimination ordinance establishing penalties for business owners and employees who refuse to use a person’s preferred pronouns.
Mayor Quinton Lucas, who led the effort to adopt the initial ban, joined the 7-5 majority along with Ryana Parks-Shaw, Darell Curls, Melissa Robinson, Nathan Willet, Kevin O’Neil and Johnathan Duncan.
Some of the dissenting council members said they voted against the measure as a form of protest.
Missouri Attorney General’s lawsuit
The City Council’s vote came as the Missouri Attorney General’s Office is suing the city on behalf of a group of Christian counselors.
The case against the city was bolstered by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in March that found a similar ban in Colorado is unconstitutional for limiting free speech. It also likely made the city’s ordinance unenforceable.
Lucas said, “It isn’t potential litigation. We’re in active litigation.”
“I would always be happy for us to write a new piece of legislation that avoids the types of legal challenges coming our way,” Lucas said, adding that it “would be difficult” to do so.
The Star’s Dylan Lysen and Matthew Kelly contributed.
