KC leaders unveil new plan to ban conversion therapy after backlash
The City Council will soon consider a new ban on conversion therapy in Kansas City to replace its recently repealed version that was likely no longer enforceable.
Mayor Quinton Lucas and 6th District Councilmember Johnathan Duncan unveiled the proposed ordinance on Tuesday. It comes after both promised to enact new legislation amid backlash over the City Council repealing its original version last month. Lucas and Duncan say their new version complies with new Missouri laws and would withstand potential legal challenges.
Lucas’ office said in a news release that the proposal aims to ban therapeutic practices “that have proven to lead to suicide, self-harm, and depression among patients, particularly LGBTQ youth.”
Unlike the city’s earlier ban, the proposed legislation does not specifically reference conversion therapy, the scientifically discredited practice of attempting to change a gay or transgender person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Instead, it prohibits “dangerous and life-threatening therapeutic practices in exchange of compensation.” It also outlines $1,000 fines for each violation of the ordinance and the allowing for suspending or revoking business licenses.
The City Council is expected to consider the proposal later this month.
“With our revised ban, Kansas City will have the strongest new municipal protections in the country, outlawing discredited therapeutic practices that have harmed generations of youth and adults,” Lucas said in the news release.
The City Council repealed its previous ban on May 21. The decision 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 previous ordinance unenforceable.
Council members narrowly passed the ordinance repealing the ban with a 7-5 vote, with some voting against the measure as a form of protest. Lucas voted to repeal the ordinance and was joined by council members Ryana Parks-Shaw, Darell Curls, Melissa Robinson, Nathan Willet, Kevin O’Neil and Duncan.
Duncan faced significant backlash from constituents after the vote and later said in a social media post that he “made the wrong decision.” He told The Star that he planned to work with the LGBTQ community to create a new version.
“This introduction is the result of collaboration and collective genius of people in our community who have faced the horrors of this practice firsthand,” Duncan said of the proposed ordinance. “Great legislation happens when it is reflective of the lived experiences of impacted people. I’m proud to support legislation that uplifts the voices of our community and look forward to the continued work ahead.”
The fallout from repealing the original ban also led to an online petition — led by Justice Horn, a candidate for the Jackson County Legislature — that aimed to ban Lucas and six council members from participating in Kansas City’s Pride Parade.
Horn said in a news release on Monday that plans to create a new ban showed that repealing the original version was unnecessary.
“Now the mayor is championing a new ordinance that would once again ban conversion therapy while standing up to the same legal challenges,” Horn said in the news release. “That is exactly what many advocates, legal experts, and community members were calling for before the repeal ever happened. This is why accountability is important.”
