The False Hope of Conversion Therapy

Story by Nidia Torres | Design & Illustrations by Itzel Montoya

Hope. Freedom. Change. These are words you would hear if you were to attend a session with Hope for Wholeness; a faith-based network organization that primarily uses conversion therapy in an attempt to change a person’s LGBTQ+ identity.

Former conversion therapist and founder of the organization Truth Ministry McKrae Game explains he originally founded the organization in 1999, but it was later changed to Hope for Wholeness.

“Hope for Wholeness was primarily an organization trying to encourage people because so many people deal with suicidal thoughts because they have gay attractions,” says Game. “And trying to encourage them to let them know they’re not alone in that.”

Game says he created Hope for Wholeness to provide people a place that would ‘help’ get rid of

same sex attractions. With this therapy, Game’s focus was to reach a point in which his clients accepted themselves in a way that did not contradict their religious and personal beliefs.

This process of conversion therapy is not uncommon in the U.S. and can have many dire consequences.

According to The Trevor Project, an organization that advocates for the LGBTQ+ community, conversion therapy can negatively impact people and impose long-term effects that can lead to suicide, depression and cause trauma.

“What we see is that it increases suicidality, and it increases depression and anxiety,” explains Cindy Bruns, director of counseling at the Student Medical and Counseling Clinic. “But that may all get pushed underground and hidden because they’re trying to be a good kid and preserve those relationships.”

Organizations such as the American Psychological Association and American Psychiatric Association discredited conversion therapy because they believe there is no definite scientific information backing the efficiency of this therapy.

Bruns confirms that the efficacy of conversion therapy is non-existent. “Most people who experienced it at some point kind of come back out as what their true identity is … [They’re] left with a lot of really harmful psychological consequences as a result,” she explains.

This was the case with Game; after having been a leader and conversion therapist at Hope for Wholeness, Game came out to the public as gay.

Bruns says that youth who are subjected to conversion therapy are more affected because they are more reliant upon their families.

“Growing up is a time of identity exploration,” she says. “That is what our youth are supposed to be doing right now, is figuring out the initial stages of who they are and what matters to them and who they want to be in the world.”

For some, identity exploration is not an option because of their religious upbringing. “The only thing that matters to them is what God thinks, what their church family thinks,” explains Game. “If their actual family is religious, then they’re going to be extremely concerned with what their family thinks.”

Game says he was in the same religious thought process for 28 years. After leaving his foundation, Game realized the harm conversion therapy has on individuals.

Bruns says LGBTQ+ youth are often torn between what is true to them and what their family wants. “When families try to impose a certain identity on their child through conversion therapy or through just denial of their expressed identity in terms of being LGBTQ+, then the person is stuck between, ‘Do I please my family and still have a place to live?’”

These factors all contribute to the feelings of doubt and unsureness adults and especially youth have when they’re thinking of coming out or not according to Bruns.

David Alvarez, program assistant for the Science and Math Learning Center at Seattle Center College, says he is a member of the

LGBTQ+ community but had difficulty coming out.

He says that a person’s background, religious beliefs, political upbringing and status of class are some aspects that set people back and discourage them from coming out.

“I understand why people are afraid to come out … depending on who you are and where you’re from, it is a risk. I see that more in people of color communities than I do in white affluent communities for the most part,” explains Alvarez.

Overtime, these factors can affect a person’s life because they can become afraid of their family’s reactions.

“I had come to a realization that I no longer believe and accept what those people taught me,” says Game. “That is a big reason why I’m able to have the peace that I do today because I don’t follow that framework that used to make me feel terrible.”

Game adds that people who suffer from accepting their true self and sexual identity face many hardships from their family, friends, church and society.

Alvarez says he has had friendships change after coming out. Although there were moments like these that changed Alvarez, he explains he also got to experience and meet new people within the LGBTQ+ community.

“I also had some friendships where it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re queer, I’m also queer. Okay, now we’re best friends,” says Alvarez.

Over the years, the LGBTQ+ community has begun developing a prominent voice that embraces themselves. Organizations like the Trevor Project, Born Perfect, PFLAG National, the Gay and Lesbian Association Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the National Center for Transgender Equality are some organizations that advocate for LGBTQ+ youth.

Alvarez’ love for his LGBTQ+ community is exemplified through support, acknowledgement and involvement he’s shown as a member of the community. He encourages others to not be afraid to come out.

“I would say just go be who you are and that there’s not really a right or wrong way to be queer as long as you identify it and are not criticizing others on their own queerness,” says Alvarez.

Q&A With McKrae Game

Former Conversion Therapist & Founder of Hope for Wellness

Contributions by Nidia Torres | Design by itzel Montoya

Q: What was the main goal Hope for Wholeness wanted to achieve?

A: It’s primarily trying to help people to live according to their own religious framework. Basically, helping them to live life that is congruent with their religious and personal beliefs. It’s not trying to make people straight.

Q: How was the faithbased approach supposed to help people?

A: Ex-gay ministry or conversion therapy is not just limited to Christian faith. It’s also in Catholicism and Mormonism … It’s all very similar in that people that are firm believers in their faith, that is what they live their lives by. That was the primary reason for starting Truth Ministry and Hope for Wholeness was because at the time, that was my biggest focus and it was always the biggest focus of the people that would come to see us.

Q: When you were a therapist, did you know that conversion therapy was illegal in other states?

A: Conversion therapy is actually not illegal in any state … There’s no state that has banned it. There is no restriction against nonprofit religious organizations, even to minors … Most all of the conversion therapy [and] ex-gay organizations are not professionally licensed therapists, so that rule does not have any bearing against them.

VISIT CWUPULSEMAGAZINE.COM TO READ MORE!

DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER

Contributions by Spencer Clifton & Kim Nguyen Photos by Lexi Wicks Design by Sara Roach

Admit it. We all have seen someone and associated them with a stereotype in our mind at least once or twice in our life, sometimes even without us knowing it. While many stereotypes represent some truth, not every person is best represented by the stereotype they are associated with.

If you’ve ever been called a raging liberal or overly Christian, then this photo story is for you. Keep reading to see how we debunk many common stereotypes.

Democrats + Republicans While political tension rises in America, it may be easy to associate positive and negative traits among the two parties depending on where you personally fall on the political spectrum.

Many Democrats have been made out to be far-left wing associates, when in reality, Democrats fall among many different categories such as progressive or moderate. Conservative Democrats exist in the world as well!

Republicans, like Democrats, also may have negative stigmas surrounding their political views. Many may associate these political affiliations with being anti-LGBTQ+ or anti-

immigration. In reality, not all Republicans practice such extreme views, and many have a more moderate standpoint.

Whether you are a Democrat or Republican it is important to remember that each political side is not best represented as the extremist side that they are often associated with.

Kassandra Eller, senior Studio Arts major shakes hands across the aisle with Angela Kyle, senior IDS: Social Science major, illustrating agreement between republican and democrat.

Protestors You have probably heard about protests all over America from many different news stations. With some violent protests breaking out recently, many people may associate Black Lives Matter (BLM) protestors and others with violent criminals.

While some protestors may have incited violence, a majority

of the protests going on currently are peaceful, according to The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). Many people choosing to exercise their First Amendment right, are fighting for the justice that they believe in and are doing it in a safe and respectful way.

Elijah Taylor, junior double majoring in Accounting and Human Resource Managment models as a protestor.

Different Religions Religion is commonly referred to as a person’s spiritual belief system. Nowadays, some religions are used as adjectives to describe the appearance of a person. Some even go further than appearance, to generalize the personalities of others, all based on their religious beliefs.

A couple of common religions members that face

stereotypes are Christians and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called Mormonism). Members of these religious groups are sometimes described as always carrying a cross and a bible, wearing neutral colors and covering clothes. Now recall the image of your friends and family who believe in these religions, you will have an answer to yourself if they are as described above.

It is not entirely wrong as there are individuals who dress that way, but that is solely for their comfort and respect for their belief. Believers come in all appearances and one’s characteristics should not be judged by the way they dress or what they believe in.

Abigail Patterson, junior Psychology major models as a religious woman.

Gender Roles From a young age, most boys and girls go through the process of socialization where they begin to form associations with certain toys and actions held by different genders. While girls are busy learning about makeup, boys can be seen playing with trucks.

Gender roles are developed over time and although they are beginning to fade, many stereotypes still exist about the role of men and women in society. Jokes about getting back to the kitchen or someone needing to ‘man up’ are just two examples of how even these stereotypes are shown through our language.

As more people begin to break these roles, new standards are being set for how men and women behave are being created every day. Women can be the breadwinner and men can choose to stay home with their children. These are simply individual decisions that really don’t have any connection to one’s gender.

Addisyn Fowlks, daughter of PULSE Photographer Angela Kyle poses as a young girl breaking gender roles.