Conversion Therapy & Kansas City
For the first episode of Believe in KC, Wes Rogers, candidate for Kansas City Mayor, sits down with Valerie Hughes, a Kansas City licensed therapist who specializes in human sexuality. They start with conversion therapy: what it actually is, why it so often targets kids, and the lasting harm it leaves behind. From there the conversation opens wide. Fear, faith, and the economics underneath the backlash. How people really change their minds, and why curiosity beats arguing. Social media. Housing as the one lever that moves everything else. Getting more of Kansas City's LGBTQ residents onto the boards and commissions that run the city. Criminal justice, mental health, and who we lock up. It is honest, funny, and wide-ranging, and it ends with a message to anyone who has been through conversion therapy: in Kansas City, you are welcome. Reach Valerie Hughes at valeriehugheslpc@gmail.com.
