Jackson Frost, who went through conversion therapy, recounts his experience with it. Below is his story in his own words.
Conversion therapy is a more focused version of "praying the gay away."
While daily prayer is still very much a part of it, there are often other elements (electroshock, heterosexual porn, etc.) that are used to get the people involved to be heterosexual.
It’s often facilitated by unlicensed evangelicals or “Christian counselors,” which is usually the same thing.
I went through it during my time in college. I was 20. I was raised to be a straight little Jesus lover and felt like it was the logical next step since I couldn't seem to make myself straight. I was forced when the Bible college I was at found out I was gay. I did it so that they wouldn't throw me out.
For me, it was meeting once or twice a week to discuss my attractions, failures, successes, and a lot of blaming my father for not being around. I was also told to watch as much straight porn as I could, and we constantly prayed that God would change my attractions.
At this point, it sucked, but I was kind of in the beginnings of deconstruction of my faith. It felt like going through the motions and being degraded on a weekly basis just to appease people that didn't want me there.
I stopped showing up when I got fed up with the bulls*** surrounding the stuff we talked about and the words the therapist would try to put in my mouth.
To me, it's just a waste--time and anguish that didn't have to happen. I want conversion therapy to be banned around the globe.
‘You're failing.’ This is not how to love others.
My name is Jackson Frost. I'm a trans man with religious PTSD, but I'm alive.
