Gay Conversion Therapy Organization Rebrands, Expands Mission

A rose by any other name would smell...

As more states debate legislation banning the practice of gay conversion therapy on minors, noted ex-gay organization International Healing Foundation (IHF) has re-branded to expand their mission to approach prevention and family counseling. Don't worry though, the organization, now named the Institute for Healthy Families (also IHF) will still pray the gay away as long as its legal.

"Moving forward, our message of healing will not change, but will only increase in scope and outreach to meet the demand of an ever hurting family and culture," wrote IHF executive director Christopher Doyle. "We are witnessing record-high numbers of divorce and infidelity among couples of faith, and more and more of our children are experiencing sex addiction, gender and sexual identity confusion, drug and alcohol abuse, and other emotional problems."

In addition to being executive director for IHF, Doyle is also head of ex-gay advocacy and civil rights groups Voice of the Voiceless and Equality and Justice for All. The annual ex-gay pride events that draw tens of participants to Washington, D.C. is his brainchild.

"We will not abandon our mission to help individuals and communities that struggle with unwanted same-sex attraction and gender identity confusion," Doyle writes. "Rather, we will be expanding our outreach to help restore hope to hurting homes ...while also focusing on a broad range of sexual and relational issues, in light of the current cultural changes and problems in our society.

The IHF is located in Maryland where a bill seeking to ban ex-gay therapy on minors was withdrawn in 2014. Currently there are bans on conversion therapy for minors in California, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington, D.C..