The community worked to ban conversion therapy in Kansas City, Independence, and Jackson County. I lost my first boyfriend, Anthony, to the trauma caused by conversion therapy after he could no longer carry the pain of what was done to him.

Many legal scholars, myself included, believe the Supreme Court ruling was narrow in scope and that Kansas City’s policy could have been amended rather than fully repealed to preserve protections for LGBTQ+ youth. Instead, city leaders abolished it entirely without engagement from the community, the Kansas City LGBTQ Commission, or survivors of conversion therapy.

City leaders argued that repealing the ban was necessary to avoid lawsuits. But if this repeal were truly about “avoiding legal battles,” we would see that same consistency applied to issues like local control of the police department, KCPD funding, and other fights the city has willingly chosen to take on against the state.

Instead, local leaders decided that legalizing conversion therapy in the largest city in Jackson County was preferable to defending vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth in court. Because of Mayor Quinton Lucas and seven council votes, conversion therapy is now legal in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Pride is not performative. It is rooted in resistance, radical protection, and accountability. Politicians unwilling to fight for LGBTQ+ people — including defending these protections in court — should not be allowed to celebrate or parade with our community. The era of performative politics is over. 

This is about accountability. For Anthony, my first love; for survivors; and for the many people we have lost to this barbaric practice, this is about what little justice we can still fight for today. 🌈