Kentucky’s Republican lawmakers have passed a bill that would protect conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth and ban Medicaid funds from being used to cover gender-affirming health care for transgender residents of Kentucky.
The House voted on the measure late Friday, just before the midnight deadline for the GOP-majority legislature to pass bills and retain the ability to override any vetoes from the governor. The bill passed after the House accepted the Senate version that prohibits the use of Medicaid for gender-affirming care.
Conversion therapy is a discredited practice that attempts to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity to fit traditional heterosexual or gender norms.
Republican lawmakers voted to lift restrictions placed by Democratic Governor Andy Beshear, who had banned the use of tax dollars to fund conversion therapy for minors last year. His executive order aimed to protect children, directing licensing boards to implement policies to discipline individuals found practicing conversion therapy on minors.
The measure, which was voted on Friday and criticized by Governor Beshear, passed both chambers with veto-proof majorities. Lawmakers are expected to address any vetoes as they conclude this year’s session in late March.
Chris Hartman, the executive director of the Fairness Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group based in Kentucky, called the bill one of the most “shameful” in the state’s history.
Democratic Representative Lisa Willner condemned conversion therapy, describing it as a “discredited, dangerous, suicide-promoting practice.”
David Walls, executive director of The Family Foundation, a socially conservative organization, supported the bill, viewing it as a necessary response to Governor Beshear’s executive action, which he characterized as an attack on free speech and religious freedom.
Knowing they had enough votes for the bill’s passage, Republican House members remained largely silent on the matter Friday night. The bill’s lead sponsor, GOP Representative David Hale, argued that families should have access to the mental health care they choose and stated that the bill would protect mental health professionals, institutions, and religious ministries from discrimination when offering counseling services.
Chris Hartman, executive director of the Fairness Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group in Kentucky, labeled the bill as one of the most “shameful” in the state’s history.
Democratic Representative Lisa Willner criticized conversion therapy, calling it a “discredited, dangerous, suicide-promoting practice.”
David Walls, executive director of The Family Foundation, a socially conservative organization, backed the bill, seeing it as a necessary pushback against Governor Beshear’s executive order, which he described as an assault on free speech and religious freedom.
With the votes secured for passage, Republican House members kept their comments minimal on Friday night. The bill’s lead sponsor, GOP Representative David Hale, stated that families should have the freedom to choose the mental health care they receive and emphasized that the bill would protect mental health professionals, institutions, and religious groups from facing discrimination when providing counseling services.
The debate in Kentucky is part of the larger national conversation surrounding LGBTQ+ rights. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to review a recent case from Colorado to determine whether state and local governments can enforce laws that ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ minors.
Governor Andy Beshear, who is considered a potential candidate for the 2028 presidential race, strongly criticized the bill designed to reverse his actions against conversion therapy.
“Conversion therapy has been discredited by every major medical organization that has examined it,” Beshear said. “It significantly increases the risk of suicide among LGBTQ+ youth. It is akin to torture, and we should not allow it to take place in our state. These are children of God, and they deserve our protection.”
Regarding the Medicaid portion of the bill, Beshear argued that medical decisions should be made by healthcare professionals, not lawmakers.
“We don’t base healthcare decisions on the politics of the moment,” Governor Beshear stated.
On Friday, House Republicans also passed a bill targeting the small number of transgender individuals incarcerated in Kentucky. The legislation would prohibit them from accessing gender-affirming healthcare. This bill has also been sent to the governor for approval.
Supporters of the bill argued that it clearly differentiates between essential medical care and elective procedures. They stated that inmates would continue to receive treatment for legitimate medical conditions, but the state would not fund what they referred to as elective gender transition treatments.
David Walls, an advocate for the bill, argued, “It is outrageous for state taxpayers to cover the cost of gender transition treatments, especially for individuals who have caused harm to our state.”
Chris Hartman criticized the bill, calling the denial of prescribed medications to transgender inmates, under the pretext of saving taxpayer money, cruel and unconstitutional.
In a speech late Friday, Democratic Representative Sarah Stalker expressed that lawmakers should have focused on addressing core issues such as jobs, healthcare, public education, and affordable housing, rather than targeting small, already vulnerable groups of individuals. She emphasized that time could have been better spent on these important matters.