(RNS) — When the U.S. Supreme Court passed down its 8-1 decision against Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy last month, Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez knew exactly what was at stake.
That’s because he spent eight years in conversion therapy, inundated with messages about the need to change himself to be accepted by his evangelical Christian faith community. Even after his exit from the “ex-gay” organization Exodus International, Schraeder Rodriguez continued to work behind the scenes for evangelical powerhouses like Hillsong Church, Willow Creek Community Church and Elevation Church — but soon grew weary of being accepted for what he could contribute to these groups, but not for who he was.
In his debut book, “Conversion Therapy Dropout: A Queer Story of Faith & Belonging,” Schraeder Rodriguez gives an inside look at his attempt to “pray the gay away.”
“Conversion therapy is not a thing of the past,” Schraeder Rodriguez told RNS. “It is a clear and present danger, and data and statistics are one thing, but what changes hearts is people’s stories and their experiences. I hope I am able to help others realize that they can be gay and loved by God.”
RNS spoke to Schraeder Rodriguez about his journey through conversion therapy and how the practice persists today. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
How did you find your way into conversion therapy?
I grew up in the Midwest, in the evangelical Christian culture of the late 1990s, early 2000s. I knew I was struggling with my sexuality but did not feel safe to talk ab …