Surviving Conversion Therapy: A Gay Pastor’s Story of Church Harm and Healing

In this episode of The Inclusive Faith, Kade Rogers sits down with his husband, Dr. Gregory S. Neal, for a deeply personal conversation about surviving conversion therapy. Greg shares what it was like growing up gay in 1980s Texas, being forced into conversion therapy as a teenager, and living with the lasting harm of religious trauma, church harm, shame, fear, and spiritual abuse. He also shares how faith, love, and the support of one deeply faithful family member helped him survive. This is a longer and difficult conversation, so please take care of yourself as you listen. Conversion therapy does not heal LGBTQ+ people. It harms people. LGBTQ+ people are not broken, not mistakes, and not in need of being fixed. If you have ever been told you needed to change in order to be loved by God, we hope you hear this clearly: You are not broken. You are not a mistake. You are already beloved. Content note: This episode includes discussion of conversion therapy, religious trauma, emotional abuse, aversion therapy, suicidal ideation, and church harm. Listen to The Inclusive Faith wherever you get podcasts. Learn more at theinclusivefaith.com. Subscribe for more honest conversations about faith, LGBTQ+ inclusion, church harm, healing, and hope.