In a shameless and alarming move, Missouri Attorney General, Andrew Bailey, this week filed a lawsuit to reverse the protective bans on conversion therapy in Kansas City and Jackson County.
This legal battle threatens to expose LGBTQ youth in the state to discredited, dangerous practices that have long been debunked by medical professionals and mental health experts.
Conversion therapy, an attempt to “change” someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity, has caused irreparable harm to countless LGBTQ individuals.
Justice Horn, a former chair of Kansas City’s LGBTQ Commission, GLAAD Media Institute alum, and an outspoken activist, was instrumental in securing the passage of the Kansas City and Jackson County conversion therapy bans.
He called the Attorney General’s lawsuit a dangerous step backwards: “By attempting to legalize child abuse, this lawsuit not only threatens the safety of LGBTQ youth, but also sends a message that their lives are expendable,” Horn said.
“We will fight, we will resist, and we will protect our LGBTQ youth—because their lives, their safety, and their futures are non-negotiable.”
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The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, targets both the Kansas City and Jackson County governments, challenging local ordinances passed in 2019 and 2023, respectively. These ordinances, which have overwhelming bipartisan support, were passed with one clear goal: to protect children and teenagers from conversion therapy—a harmful practice that has been repeatedly condemned by every major medical and mental health organization in the U.S.
Since Kansas City passed its ban in 2019, and Jackson County followed suit in 2023, these ordinances have represented a crucial step in affirming the right of LGBTQ people, particularly youth, to live authentically and free from coercion or abuse. They reflect an understanding that conversion therapy causes devastating harm, contributing to depression, anxiety, homelessness, and tragically, suicide. Studies show that 25% of LGBTQ youth who had undergone conversion therapy had attempted suicide within the previous 12 months—a stark reminder of the irreversible damage these practices cause.
According The Trevor Project, nearly 1 in 3 LGBTQ young people said their mental health was poor most of the time or always due to anti-LGBTQ policies and legislation, including conversion therapy.
The legal challenge by Missouri’s Attorney General could have devastating consequences for LGBTQ youth, who are already at higher risk for mental health struggles and violence. Experts agree that rather than helping individuals, conversion therapy compounds the emotional and psychological trauma faced by LGBTQ people, particularly young people who are still finding their identity.
In the face of these efforts to roll back protections, the LGBTQ+ community is standing firm. Advocates are doubling down on their commitment to protecting LGBTQ+ youth, ensuring that harmful practices like conversion therapy have no place in Missouri—and beyond.
This fight isn’t just about one city or one county—it’s about the rights of LGBTQ people everywhere to live without fear of harm or discrimination. The community’s response has been swift and resolute: “We will not allow our youth to be subjected to this abuse. We will continue to fight for their safety and dignity,” Horn stated.
The movement to end conversion therapy is gaining momentum across the country, with more and more states passing laws to protect LGBTQ youth from these discredited practices. But the Missouri lawsuit serves as a stark reminder that the fight for LGBTQ rights is ongoing, and that progress must be fiercely defended.
As the case unfolds, the LGBTQ community remains united in its commitment to ensuring a future where all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, can live their truth without fear of rejection, harm, or violence.