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Residents and advocates urge Morgantown council to preserve conversion-therapy ban as council pauses revisions
Summary
Public commenters and LGBTQ advocates told Morgantown City Council on June 2 that amendments to the citys conversion-therapy ban risk harm to youth; councilors acknowledged procedural mistakes, said theyll pause and rework the language, and will pursue more public input and outside coordination.
Several residents told the Morgantown City Council on June 2 that proposed changes to the citys ordinance banning conversion therapy risked concrete harm to LGBTQ youth and should be tightened or left intact.
At the public-comment period, Paige Rearing of Spruce Street said clinicians' and survivors' accounts show even "talk therapy" forms of conversion practices cause lasting damage, citing national reporting and research and warning, "children will die and it's not acceptable." Human Rights Commission member Annie Cronin York and other speakers urged the council to slow down, increase outreach and preserve protections the city previously adopted.
Kayla McClung, the citys newly appointed LGBTQIA+ liaison, told council she has seen "targeting now more than ever" and urged the city to ensure resources are available for youth. Lesie Wilbur and Harrison York said the councils handling of the ordinances amendment felt rushed and undermined trust; York told the council that if members "choose to be our enemy, we'll fight you, too," reflecting strong sentiments from speakers.
Councilors responded in the meetings debate and later reports, acknowledging they erred in process and committing to slow the change. Several members said the second reading of the amendment is not on this meetings agenda and that they will work with outside groups including the ACLU and Fairness West Virginia to refine language and public engagement before any vote. The council described the earlier move to amend the ordinance as a mistake in timing and said they intend to take additional time for consultation and revision.
What happens next: Councilors said they will pursue additional community outreach and legal review before returning a revised ordinance for consideration; no final vote on the amendment was recorded at the June 2 meeting.
