Conversion therapy (sometimes called “reparative therapy” or “sexual orientation change efforts”) refers to a range of harmful practices that attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. These efforts are based on the false belief that being LGBTQ+ is something that needs to be “fixed” or “healed.”

Despite being condemned by every major medical and mental health organization in the U.S., conversion therapy continues to harm thousands of people often under the guise of religious counseling or “faith-based” programs.

Survivors describe long-lasting emotional, psychological, and spiritual trauma.

Conversion therapy has existed in various forms for more than a century.

Early versions were rooted in outdated psychology that pathologized homosexuality as a disorder. In the 1960s, religious groups adopted similar methods, framing them as “ministries” to help people “overcome” same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria.

By the 1990s and 2000s, Exodus International, a powerful ex-gay movement, supported by some major evangelical denominations popularized the idea that LGBTQ+ people could change through prayer, counseling, or “discipleship.”

Even though many of its leaders have since renounced those beliefs, the movement’s influence remains widespread.

While public awareness has grown and some high-profile “ex-gay” organizations have shut down, conversion therapy hasn’t disappeared, it’s just evolved.

Many programs have rebranded under names like “biblical counseling,” “sexual integrity ministries,” or “healing prayer.”

In some cases, these practices continue informally through churches, camps, or individual counselors who operate outside of licensed regulation. Because they’re often couched in religious language, they can be harder to identify and regulate.

Yes, in much of the United States and around the world.

As of today, more than 20 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have laws banning licensed professionals from performing conversion therapy on minors. But in other states, it remains legal or bans are under threat through ongoing legal challenges, like Chiles v. Salazar.

Religious leaders and unlicensed counselors can still perform these practices in nearly every state under the guise of pastoral care for anyone seeking to change their sexuality because of their religious beliefs, meaning many LGBTQ+ youth remain vulnerable to coercion and harm.

Conversion therapy is not therapy—it’s psychological abuse. Research consistently shows that people who experience it are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and self-hatred. Beyond the data, survivors speak of deep spiritual wounds, family estrangement, and years spent unlearning shame that was never theirs to carry.

Learn, listen, and advocate.

Educate yourself about the realities of conversion therapy, support survivors, and get involved with organizations working to end it like The Trevor Project, Born Perfect, and The Human Rights Campaign.

Many Christians have been taught that the Bible condemns same-sex relationships or gender diversity, but that interpretation doesn’t reflect the full story of Scripture or the heart of the Gospel.

The verses often used to justify conversion therapy come from ancient contexts that don’t refer to loving, mutual same-sex relationships or modern understandings of gender.

A growing number of theologians, pastors, and Christian communities believe that being LGBTQ+ is not a sin or something to be changed, but a reflection of God’s diverse creation. Scripture calls us to love, truth, and authenticity and for many, embracing their identity has deepened their faith, not weakened it.

See a list of helpful resources to consider below.