LEXINGTON, Ky. —  Zach Meiners was 14 when he first realized his sexual orientation differed from his counterparts’.

"I always knew deep down that I was gay. I didn't necessarily know what that was and when I was around 14 years old, I was outed through a kinda series of unfortunate events," he said.

Meiners' family then decided to send him to conversion therapy. According to the LGBTQ+ activist organization GLAAD, conversion therapy is "is any attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression."

"My experience was mostly talk therapy, but it was a lot of going back into trauma, revisiting trauma, trying to identify what made me gay, and then part of the teaching or curriculum was learning to inflict pain upon yourself anytime you had a gay or sinful thought," Meiners said.

He says the process escalated and, at times, made him want to take his own life. The impact conversion therapy can have on young people is why Lexington Fayette Urban County Councilwoman Liz Sheehan, a member of the LGBTQ community, wants to stop the practice. She has proposed an ordinance like the ones Louisville and Covington have in place.

"Our ordinance - our ban - is for any counselor therapist practitioner that is state-licensed, because as policy maker, I do have to think about what is legally enforceable, so our particular ban focuses on those state licensed practitioners," said Sheehan.

The Human Rights Commission would investigate those who violate the ordinance. The Fairness Campaign, headed by Chris Hartman, is also a strong advocate for the ordinance and would like to see more progress made.

"The state of Kentucky should ban the deadly practice of conversion therapy, which is really conversion torture. Lexington is our second-largest city in the state. They are a pioneer on LGBTQ civil rights and there is no reason they shouldn't pass it right now, so I hope to see more cities after them," he said.

As for Meiners, he's poured himself into his documentary called "Conversion,” which allows people to talk about their experiences. And he says every day gets a little easier. 

"It wasn't until years later, nearly 10 years later, when I came out and learned to really love and accept myself that I began to be able to find healing," he said.

The final vote on the ordinance is set for May 6, and so far, no council members have voiced opposition.