The Bluegrass State shook on Tuesday as Governor Sarah Thompson signed an executive order that prohibited conversion therapy for minors. The action, applauded by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual commuters and psychologists, has turned the Bluegrass State a part of the 23rd nation that banned the practice.

Conversion therapy or reparative therapy or sexual orientation change efforts are a nonexistent therapy that aims at changing thesexual orientation and/or gender identity of the patient. It has been declared unethical and ineffective by all leading medical and mental health bodies, such as the APA and the AMA.

At a press conference which the Governor conducted on the steps of the State Capitol in Frankfort, he pointed at the significance of the measure regarding Kentucky youth. “Today we fight for the welfare and human dignity of all our children,”she said. Why Conversion Therapy Is Not Only Harmful But Ineffective? Am not a doctor, am not a psychiatrist, but as a governor it is my responsibility to let our children know that they should not engage in activities that cause depression, anxiety even leading to suicide.

The executive order bars state-licensed mental health professionals from practising conversion therapy on minors. It also prohibits the spending of state money on every program involves conversion therapy practices. However, the order does not extend to the religious practice or to the personal discourse between two people and a spiritual guide.

There has been a proliferation of comments on the governor decision making process. LGBTQ+ rights organizations across the state have also welcomed the move as a positive change of events. Marcus Rodriguez, executive director of Equality Kentucky: The decision is a win for each and every queer youth and trans youth in our state who deserves to grow up knowing they are innately perfect. What Governor Thompson is doing will cut down the number of people who will die.

Support for the bill has been provided also by representatives of the mental health professions. Dr. As president of the Kentucky Psychological Association, Emily Chen said, “This order can be justified by the weight of research that tells us that conversion therapy does not work and is actually a danger to individuals who undergo it.” This is a great move towards achieving proper and right engagement of mental health services to all the people of Kentuckians.

However, the decision has been receiving some criticism for some conservative groups as well as religious organizations. In his views, The Kentucky Family Values Coalition leader, Reverend Thomas Baker said that it was disappointing that the order would eliminate rights of parents to raise their children and also deny religious principles. We are going to be discussing legal remedies in regard to this overreach.”

Legal scholars are in a deadlock as to extended effects of the executive order. According to Professor Linda Hawkins from the University of Kentucky Law School, “Well, I will say that executive orders are significant in case, that being said, their effect alters with the change in administration. For more permanent protection, only legal measures would required.”

The effect of this ban is expected to be great. A report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law published in 2018 estimated that 346,600 (14.8% of) LGBTQ+ adults in the USA have undergone conversion therapy: 51 % of these were treated as teenagers. Another discovery made by the study was that young members of the LGBTQ+ who underwent conversion therapy are at least 2 and half times more likely to attempt suicide than those who did not.

When word got around that the order had been signed, spontaneous rallies erupted in many cities across Kentucky. In Lexington, members of the community met at Triangle Park to wave rainbow flags and to share their stories. Sarah Jenkins, a 19-year-old student, choked as she said, “I wish it had been there when I was young.” It would have saved me time and my family lots of problems. It makes me happy that future generations will be safe.”

The order is expected to go into effect on the day of signing it while the specific implementation and enforcement powers are to be held by the state licensing boards. Those breaking the order would be faced with disciplinary action with the possibility of revocation of their practice licenses.

With Kentucky being the latest addition to the list of states that is coming up with corrective measures against conversion therapy, people in this region expect coming up with federal legislation. Legislation called the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, which would put conversion therapy in the category of fraudulent treatment, has been proposed to Congress but not yet enacted.

As the sun set on a historic day in Kentucky, the message from the governor’s office was clear: every young person in kentucky should feel welcome, valued and safe regardless of whether they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or have other orientation. There may yet be further challenges to this order in the future, but for now people in this state can celebrate what they have now: progress toward equality and casting light on mental illness.