The founder of one of the largest conversion therapy organizations has come out as gay and has apologized for his role in pushing the practice.
McKrae Game, 51, the founder and leader of Hope for Wholeness in South Carolina, publicly revealed his sexuality back in June, more than two years after he was fired by the board of directors.
He opened up about the situation in a Facebook post last week, which began: “I WAS WRONG! Please forgive me!”
“I certainly regret where I caused harm,” Game wrote. “Promoting the triadic model that blamed parents and conversion or prayer therapy, that made people believe that their orientation was wrong, bad, sinful, evil and worse that they could change was absolutely harmful.”
“It’s all in my past, but way TOO MANY continue believing that there is something wrong with themselves and wrong with people that choose to live their lives honestly and open as gay, lesbian, trans, etc.,” he continued. “Learn to love yourself and others.”
In an interview with the Post and Courier published Saturday, Game called the process “not just a lie, but it’s very harmful. Because it’s false advertising.”
Nearly 700,000 adults who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual have undergone conversion therapy treatments or counseling, according to a study from UCLA’s Williams Institute last year.
