On May 21, in a 7-5 vote, the City Council of KCMO voted to repeal its ban on conversion
therapy for children, a practice of using cruel, manipulative methods intended to force queer
children to comply with the narrow views of gender and sexuality held by Christian nationalists.
This practice has been widely condemned as tantamount to torture.
The following Councilmembers voted in favor of the repeal:
● Mayor Quinton Lucas
● Kevin O’Neill
● Nathan Willett
● Melissa Robinson
● Darrell Curls
● Ryana Parks-Shaw
● Johnathan Duncan
In 2019, KCMO passed a bill banning the practice of conversion therapy. In 2023, they passed a
non-binding resolution declaring KC to be a “safe haven” for LGBTQ+ individuals, protecting
those seeking gender affirming care. The recent City Council decision makes clear that their
“safe haven” resolution was little more than an empty promise which the city had no intention of
fulfilling.
Council members have claimed that they voted in favor of this repeal because of the MO
Attorney General’s lawsuit against the city, citing SCOTUS’s recent decision that conversion
therapy is “free speech.” While it may be true that the MO courts would force the city to repeal
the bill, the city’s decision to comply in advance is a damning sign of their willingness to roll
over any time fighting against fascism becomes an inconvenience to them.
Over the past year, the queer community of both Missouri and Kansas have watched their rights
and protections be stripped away day-by-day. As is their common practice, Democratic officials
have once again thrown the queer community under the bus. The leaders of KC have willingly
stepped aside without resistance, doing the work of the fascists for them.
In the comment section of a social media post (a place where he spends an inordinate amount of
time), Mayor Quinton Lucas defended his decision to lead the repeal effort, stating, “We got sued
on First Amendment grounds. The US Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of the view that
conversion therapy bans violate the Constitution.” He went on to express concern about the
potential damages that the city could incur from the litigation. This sudden concern for fiscal
responsibility led City Council to shift the risk from themselves onto the shoulders of queer
children.
Lucas’ statements expose a fundamental flaw in the liberal approach to politics: an underlying
assumption that the Constitution is anything other than a device for the ruling class to block
democracy. For decades, we have watched the GOP use the Constitution exactly as it was
intended to be used: as a minority check to overturn democratic decisions and maintain the
power of the ruling class. Liberal politicians continue to operate as if the Constitution and its
courts can be used for the sake of the citizens it governs.
Ultimately, the courts do not protect citizens. The courts have not failed; they are functioning
exactly as designed. We have watched the courts at every level of American government
throughout the history of this country used for the same purpose: to enforce the will of the ruling
class against the people—especially against the most vulnerable. However, City Council could
have acted as a roadblock to fascist consolidation of power so that the queer community and
allies could regroup for a sustained fight on multiple fronts. Instead, this repeal was quietly
rushed through City Council with little media coverage or public statement from the city and the
community was caught off-guard.
By the power of the Constitution and its courts, the ruling class builds concentration camps for
Black and Brown people, tramples on the freedoms of Indigenous peoples, kills queer children,
wages genocidal wars and prosecutes those who speak out against them. Under this system, the
owning class decides the law. The liberal response to this fundamentally anti-democratic system
is to roll over at the first sign of pressure, throw their hands up in defeat, and tell us to fend for
ourselves. This is why liberalism will always lead to fascism—it relies on the very same system
of power through property ownership.
The Socialist response is to offer something better: a new constitutional order which places
power in the hands of the working class rather than the owning class. The fight to construct a
true democracy must be waged at every level of American society. As fascism reaches its
tentacles into KC’s municipal government, the KCDSA will not accept the rulings of fascist
courts. We continue to fight for a democratic society and the complete dismantling of the
capitalist order.
Councilmember Johnathan Duncan, who had voted in favor of repealing the ban, later expressed
regret for his vote and reiterated his commitment to listen and learn from the broader queer
community. While this repeal was a step backwards, we acknowledge his willingness to accept
responsibility for this decision and we will continue to hold him and other allies in leadership
accountable. This is a moment to course-correct and to use the power of City Council to wage an
even greater fight against fascist consolidation of power.
We call on City Council to put forward a real plan to protect trans and queer youth and the
broader queer community. We demand that the city’s leaders put actions behind their claims of
allyship and work with their constituents to make Kansas City a true sanctuary city. We look
forward to working with all councilmembers who wish to join us in the fight against fascism and
to bring forward legislation to ensure Kansas City steps up for its Trans residents and the wider
queer community.
A better world is possible, but only if we fight for it.
Kansas City DSA Steering Committee
May 27, 2026
