The Vatican released a report on Tuesday (May 5) that included the testimony of two married gay Catholics and acknowledged the church’s role in “the solitude, anguish, and stigma that accompany persons with same-sex attractions and their families.” The report also reflects…
3 ways churches may respond to the violence of conversion therapy
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court struck down a Colorado law that banned conversion therapy for minors in the state. The court ruled the Colorado law a violation of therapists’ free speech. Only one justice (Ketanji Jackson) dissented, meaning the ruling…
There is no need for conversion therapy
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Colorado’s ban on “conversion therapy” is a harmful setback for LGBTQ Americans. In the 8-1 ruling, the court has failed to recognize the well-documented harm conversion therapy inflicts, especially on vulnerable LGBTQ…
Supreme Court says conversion therapy is protected free speech
Evangelical therapists have a First Amendment right to engage in “conversion therapy” with LGBTQ clients despite solid medical evidence that such treatment is ineffective, according to the U.S. Supreme Court. In an 8-1 ruling March 31, the high court ruled…
Here’s why yesterday’s Supreme Court hearing matters
Around this time last year, Living Hope Ministries was preparing for a 35th anniversary of its work. The organization sprung out of First Baptist Church of Arlington, Texas, and according to its website, its mission is “to proclaim God’s truth…
Kentucky Legislature overrides governor’s veto on conversion therapy bill
Kentucky’s Republican Legislature supports the discredited practice of conversion therapy so strongly that both houses overwhelmingly overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of a bill to allow the practice. House Bill 495 was proposed as an “emergency” measure to reinstate the…
Stakes are high as Supreme Court takes up conversion therapy case
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up a Colorado case that addresses one of the most controversial of all debates about homosexuality and the church: Is so-called “conversion therapy” legitimate or abusive? The largely discredited strategy of helping…
Rosaria Butterfield is not a model for becoming un-gay
Growing up as an independent fundamentalist Baptist, I was taught that loosening any standards meant you were getting on the slippery slope toward becoming gay. If I grew my hair out over my ears, I might eventually reject God and…
West Virginia bill would require ‘curing’ transgender people
In a season of extreme legislation against the transgender community, three West Virginia senators seek to up the ante with what has been called the “most draconian” legislation yet proposed against transgender identity. Senate Bill 194, would ban all gender-affirming…
Supreme Court won’t hear case seeking to overturn conversion therapy ban
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to take up the case of a Christian counselor who claimed a state law in Washington barring conversion therapy for gay youth infringed on his constitutional rights of speech and religion. This ends the…
Undoing the damage of conversion therapy
In 2021, the documentary Pray Away released on Netflix, detailing the history and harms of conversion therapy. It chronicles the rise and fall of Exodus International, whose primary mission was to make people who were “struggling with homosexuality” straight. During…
Review of research underscores harms of conversion therapy and importance of family affirmation
So-called “conversion therapy” or “reparative therapy” for children and teens within the LGBTQ community is “harmful and should never be provided,” according to new research released by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The terms refer to…