KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, LGBTQ Commission sent a letter to the Jackson County government on Monday, urging the legislature to be the first county in Missouri to ban conversion therapy.
The LGBTQ Commission released the letter on Twitter.
NEW: The Kansas City LGBTQ Commission just sent a letter to the Jackson County, Missouri Government urging them to ban conversion therapy in Jackson County.
— LGBTQ Commission of Kansas City (@LGBTQCommission) January 9, 2023
Our commission, allies, and community partners stand ready to assist in the passage of a county conversion therapy ban. pic.twitter.com/szmQ9DK0Oo
In the letter, the commission says that conversion therapy is "a range of dangerous and discredited practices that falsely claim to change a person's sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or expression."
"Due to continuing discrimination and societal bias against LGBTQ+ people, some practitioners continue to conduct conversion therapy," the letter states.
While no Missouri county has banned conversion therapy, several Kansas City area cities have passed bans for minors:
- Kansas City, Missouri, passed a ban for minors in November 2019.
- Roeland Park became the first city in Kansas to pass the ban in June 2020.
- North Kansas City banned conversion therapy for minors in July 2021.
- In October 2021, the Prairie Village City Council banned conversion therapy on minors.
- In November 2021, Independence banned the use of conversion therapy on minors, after rejecting a ban in July of the same year.
The Jackson County Legislature is meeting Monday morning. Legislation for a conversion therapy ban is not on the agenda.
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