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Kentucky’s Governor, Andy Beshear, recently vetoed a bill that aimed to reverse his executive order prohibiting conversion therapy—a practice intended to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. However, the legislators advocating for the legalization of this controversial practice in Kentucky might still succeed.
Kentucky Republicans are expected to override the governor’s veto when they convene on Thursday, marking the conclusion of their legislative session. This action would contribute to the growing number of attacks against LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly young people, which have intensified in recent years. Over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures for the 2025 legislative session.
Michael Bronski, a Harvard professor specializing in gender studies, states that the current situation is a result of a revitalized coalition of conservative groups, particularly strengthened by elements of Christian nationalism.
As legislative sessions conclude in several states, experts do not anticipate a wave of state legislation overturning existing conversion therapy bans. Cathryn Oakley, Senior Director of legal policy at the Human Rights Campaign, suggests that states are more likely to approach the issue in a slightly different manner.
Oakley anticipates states blurring the lines between banning conversion therapy—which targets abusive practices that contradict medical advice—and preventing transgender adolescents from accessing medically-supported, evidence-based transition-related care. The Supreme Court will soon rule on Chiles v. Salazar, a case challenging Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for youth, which could also impact care for adults.
Medical organizations, including the and the , have discredited conversion therapy, deeming it both ineffective and harmful.
According to a study by the Trevor Project published in the American Journal of Public Health, youth exposed to conversion therapy are more than twice as likely to report attempting suicide. The Trevor Project’s 2024 national research on the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth aged 13 to 24 reveals that nearly 30% of LGBTQ+ youth who attempted suicide in 2023 had been subjected to conversion therapy. A 2024 study by Stanford Medicine researchers also links conversion therapy to increased symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Currently, there is no nationwide ban on conversion therapy. Despite nearly half of the U.S. having laws against it, the practice persists, with registered therapists offering it in Hawaii and Vermont as of 2023. Some conversion therapists circumvent bans by advertising their services as “reparative therapy” or promising to address “unwanted same-sex attraction.”
Experts argue that the ideology behind conversion therapy fuels anti-trans legislation. Casey Pick, Director of Law and Policy at the Trevor Project, emphasizes that restricting transgender children’s access to healthcare relies on the belief that their gender identity can be changed. This belief, central to conversion therapy, implicitly underpins anti-trans legislation.
Earlier this March, the Supreme Court announced it would hear Chiles v. Salazar, a case challenging Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy. The Alliance Defending Freedom, identified as an anti-LGBTQ hate group by , represents the plaintiff, Kathy Chiles, a licensed counselor who claims the ban violates her free speech rights. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit upheld the ban, citing the harms of conversion therapy and asserting that the law regulates therapists’ conduct.
However, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has disagreed. In 2020, the court ruled that a ban on conversion therapy infringed upon the free speech rights of therapists, thus halting bans in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.
The Alliance Defending Freedom did not respond to TIME’s request for an interview.
Some experts are optimistic about the upcoming Supreme Court case, with a ruling expected in June 2026, viewing it as an opportunity for the court to oppose conversion therapy bans, particularly given the circuit split. Pick notes that disagreements exist among courts that have upheld the bans regarding the legal rationale. She suggests the court may find that prohibiting these dangerous practices aligns with historical regulations of medical conduct. She also points out that conversion therapy bans have received bipartisan support, passing in states with Republican governors.
The Trump Administration, however, acted swiftly against the transgender community, passing executive orders limiting their ability to change and access gender-affirming care. Democrats reintroduced a federal conversion therapy ban in 2023, but it did not advance after Republicans gained control of both chambers of Congress.
Bronski argues that the goal of both the Administration and Republicans is clear: the attack on transgender people is the beginning of a broader assault on other groups. The “larger project,” exemplified by practices like conversion therapy, aims to eradicate queer visibility by forcing individuals to conform to cisgender or straight identities.
If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental-health crisis or contemplating suicide, call or text 988. In emergencies, call 911, or seek care from a local hospital or mental health provider.