The New Fight to Legitimize Conversion Therapy
Parents, clinicians, and anyone who cares about LGBTQ+ young people should be paying attention, writes Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez.
In 2026, the fight to legitimize conversion therapy continues, as groups like the CHANGED Movement seek to reshape laws and protections around the practice. The CHANGED Movement's website promotes a "New Way Forward" for those who wish to alter their LGBTQ+ identity, claiming that embracing such an identity locks individuals into "a life of unhealed trauma."
Elizabeth Woning, co-founder of CHANGED, testified before a federal advisory committee about the American Psychological Association's Commission on Accreditation, urging them to suspend the commission's federal recognition for one year. Woning argues that counselors are being trained to affirm LGBTQ+ identities without respecting those who want to live differently.
However, major medical and mental-health associations, including the APA, have rejected efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity as ineffective and harmful. Research has shown that LGBTQ+ youth subjected to conversion therapy are more likely to attempt suicide. Despite this, CHANGED and similar groups continue to seek government permission to run their programs, often with individuals lacking proper qualifications.
Written by urgent.news from Time's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
