Garrard Conley was enrolled in the now defunct Love in Action conversion therapy program in Memphis, Tennessee, at age 19. He was sent there by his parents after a classmate disclosed his sexual orientation to them following an assault. Conley grew up in a deeply religious family in rural Arkansas. He says he had to attend the program or face rejection from his family, and he ultimately agreed to enter the program.
Conley talks to Business Insider about the long-term harms of the practice, how it remains legal in much of the US, and how a new Supreme Court case threatens to strip away the few protections that currently exist.
In 2016, years after leaving the program, Conley published a memoir titled “Boy Erased,” which was later adapted into a film. He’s since reconciled with his parents and has dedicated much of his work to educating the public on the dangers of conversion therapy. His educational podcast, “Unerased,” traces the history of the conversion therapy movement. The final episode features John Smid, the former director of Love in Action, who has since disavowed the practice and come out as gay.
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https://www.instagram.com/gayrodcon/?hl=en
If you are a survivor of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-4673) or visit its website to receive confidential support.
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