KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Jackson County Legislature will vote Monday on an ordinance that would ban conversion therapy.
Back in January, the Kansas City LGBTQ Commission approached the legislature, urging Jackson County to become the first county in the state to ban the practice.
Conversion therapy, also referred to as reparative therapy, claims to “change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression,” per the KC LQBTQ Commission.
In the last few years, ordinances banning the use of conversion therapy on minors have been passed across the metro. Cities that have approved such legislation include:
- Kansas City, Missouri
- North Kansas City
- Independence
- Roeland Park
- Prairie Village
“Our community's youth are especially vulnerable, and conversion therapy has led to a life of depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness, and suicide,” the KC LGBTQ Commission said in a statement Sunday.
The Jackson County Legislature’s vote on county ordinance 5711 will be open to the public. It is set to begin at 3 p.m. March 20 on the second floor of the downtown county courthouse building in the legislative chambers — 415 E. 12th St., Kansas City, Missouri, 64106.
Moving forward, the legislature’s meetings will regularly take place at 3 p.m. on Mondays at the courthouse.
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