Praying the Gay Away 2.0: The Resurgence of Conversion Therapy in 2025

They said it was over. They said the science was settled. They said conversion therapy—the decades-old practice of trying to “fix” LGBTQ+ people through prayer, pseudo-psychology, and shame—was dying out. And for a while, it looked that way.

But in 2025, the monster is back.

A Dangerous Rebrand

According to a recent CNN report, conversion therapy hasn’t disappeared—it’s evolved. Today, it’s less likely to be called “pray the gay away” and more likely to hide under names like gender exploratory therapy or healing ministries. The packaging is new, but the product is the same: telling queer and trans people that who they are is a problem to be solved.

Mainstream medicine has long rejected these practices. The American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and nearly every credible health body agree: conversion therapy doesn’t work. Worse—it causes severe harm, from depression and anxiety to self-harm and suicide. Survivors have spoken out for years, calling the practice abuse disguised as healing.

And yet, it persists.

Why Now?

So why the resurgence? It comes down to two things: politics and fear.

With anti-LGBTQ legislation on the rise—targeting everything from drag shows to trans healthcare—conversion therapy has found fertile ground to re-emerge. What couldn’t be sold as medicine is being repackaged as faith, parental rights, or “protecting kids.” In an America where culture wars have become political currency, these so-called ministries are cashing in.

Some focus specifically on trans youth, pushing “exploratory therapy” as an alternative to gender-affirming care. Others target parents, promising a path back to “normalcy” for children who come out. It’s marketing built on shame and wrapped in scripture.

The Human Cost

The numbers tell the truth. Studies show LGBTQ+ youth who undergo conversion efforts are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide compared to peers who don’t. Survivors describe it as psychological warfare—being told over and over that love is conditional, that God is disappointed, that your family would rather see you broken than authentic.

The trauma doesn’t fade quickly. Survivors often carry it into adulthood, battling shame, fear of intimacy, and mistrust of faith communities. It isn’t just an attack on identity—it’s an attack on the soul.

Resilience and Resistance

But if conversion therapy is back, so is resistance. Organizations like Born Perfect, survivor networks, and affirming faith leaders are mobilizing to fight this resurgence. State bans continue to grow—27 states and D.C. prohibit conversion therapy for minors, though enforcement is uneven. And survivors are louder than ever, refusing to be silenced.

At Icon City, we recognize that this isn’t just about policy. It’s about power. Conversion therapy thrives when communities allow fear and shame to dictate who belongs. But every time a survivor speaks, every time a church affirms, every time a law protects, the lie loses ground.

ICN Take

This moment is a reminder: culture wars aren’t just happening in the headlines. They’re happening in the therapy room, in the sanctuary, and around family dinner tables.

Conversion therapy is back—but so are we.

And here’s what we know:

• You can’t convert what was never broken.

• You can’t legislate away truth.

• And you can’t kill queer resilience—not with prayer, not with politics, not with shame.

So let them rebrand. We’ll keep resisting. We’ll keep rising. And we’ll keep building a world where LGBTQ+ kids don’t need to be “fixed”—because they were divine from the start.

If you or someone you know has been impacted by conversion therapy, visit BornPerfect.org for survivor resources and advocacy.

👉 What’s your take? Have you or someone you know been touched by conversion therapy’s shadow? Share your thoughts in the comments—and subscribe to Icon City News, where we don’t just report culture. We rebuild it.