Inside the movement to resurrect conversion therapy

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Support our nonprofit journalism]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     May 15, 2024 It's been years since the height of the "ex-gay" movement. But some counselors are still practicing a form of talk therapy that looks and sounds a lot like conversion therapy. That's what my colleagues Madison Pauly and Henry Carnell report in a [terrific feature that just published](, diving deep into a Las Vegas conference put on by a group—the Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity—that advocates overturning conversion therapy bans. "Mindfulness." "Gender-exploratory therapy." These are just some of the phrases Madison heard at the conference where the anti-LGBTQ movement is attempting to rise again. But this time, instead of "ex-gay" they're pushing "ex-trans." Here's a [glimpse of what Madison witnessed]( when the conference's organizers played a "mindfulness" video in which a young adult client, played by an actor, sits nervously across from Joseph Nicolosi Jr., the son of the Alliance’s now-deceased co-founder. Nicolosi Jr. asks him to describe his ideal sexually attractive man. The client responds that the man would be strong, confident, informal. “I would definitely say a guy who’s like, um, on the taller side,” he says. Then, Nicolosi Jr. asks the client what he would change about himself: Shorter or taller? Stronger or weaker arms? More or less confident? He urges the client to compare himself to the imagined man, and the client says he feels inadequate. “How do you feel about the fact that you feel that inferiority, weakness?” Nicolosi Jr. asks. “Sadness,” the client says. “Feel your sadness as you continue looking at that guy,” Nicolosi Jr. urges. “And as you hold them together right now, zero to 10, how strong is your sexual attraction toward him?” Definitely recommend that you take some time to read their report. —Inae Oh Advertisement [Oxford University Press]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Under Cross-Examination, Michael Cohen Spills About His Past With Trump]( "Don’t worry, I’m the president," Trump allegedly told his fixer as the walls closed in. BY RUSS CHOMA SPONSORED POST     [Sponsored Content]( [Navigating Farm and Ranch Transfers to a New Generation]( An ambitious program supports land access as many farmers approach retirement, posing challenges for America’s food system. THIS CONTENT WAS PAID FOR AND SPONSORED BY [AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST](. [Trending] [House Dems launch investigation into Trump’s meeting with oil executives]( BY DHARNA NOOR   [West Virginia voters reject January 6 rioter running for Congress]( BY STEPHANIE MENCIMER   [Learning to love my trans self after conversion therapy]( BY HENRY CARNELL   [A tax guru explains why Donald Trump may finally be in trouble]( BY MICHAEL MECHANIC Advertisement [Oxford University Press]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [First they tried to "cure" gayness. Now they're fixated on "healing" trans people.]( Inside the movement to resurrect conversion therapy. BY MADISON PAULY WITH HENRY CARNELL MOTHER JONES MEMBERSHIP UPDATE   An important update on our finances We’re falling behind our online fundraising goals—and we can’t sustain coming up short on [donations]( month after month. It is [impossibly hard]( in the news business right now, and the [crisis]( facing journalism and democracy isn’t going away anytime soon. Neither is Mother Jones. Which is exactly why, despite the challenges we face, we just took a big gulp and [joined forces]( with the Center for Investigative Reporting, which creates the amazing podcast and public radio show [Reveal]( and other investigative projects. It’s going to be hard making it all work, and we simply can’t afford to fall behind our fundraising targets month after month. If you can part with even just a few bucks, [please support Mother Jones and investigative journalism with an urgently needed donation today](. And thank you so much to everyone who recently has. We’re grateful. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Share it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755