Independence bans gay conversion therapy for minors on third try – WIBW

November 16, 2021 News Editor

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (WIBW) – The City of Independence, Mo., on the outskirts of Kansas City, has passed a measure to ban gay conversion therapy for minors on its third try.

KCTV5 reports gay conversion therapy has been banned for minors in Independence, Mo., as of Monday night, Nov. 15, following the City Council’s third try to outlaw the practice.

Previous efforts have been thwarted after language used to craft the measures raised concerns about potential limitations on therapists and counselors who are legitimately attempting to help someone without trying to convert them away from homosexuality.

After the ordinance’s language was reworked, the proposal was unanimously passed on Monday night with cheers from the crowd who gathered to watch.

Under the new ordinance, a licensed therapist can be prosecuted if they attempt to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Anyone convicted of breaking the measure could be fined up to $500.

City Prosecutor Mitch Langford said the ordinance would be difficult to prosecute in real-world scenarios.

“You’re not going to get the State of Missouri to pass anything like this anytime soon, so it’s going to be up to the municipalities, and it’s a very powerful message to send regarding our stance as a city,” Langford said.

The ordinance states conversion therapy is ineffective and dangerous and that being gay or transgender is not an illness or shortcoming. It defines conversion therapy as the practice or treatment used to change or eliminate behaviors like attractions, feelings or behaviors based on a person’s sexual orientation.

The measure follows Prairie Village’s ban about a month earlier. Other Kansas City area municipalities have also passed bans on conversion therapy like Roeland Park, Kansas City and North Kansas City.