Quick Takeaways

• Christian parents often hear confusing claims about gender theory and feel torn between honoring scripture and protecting their children

• Conversion therapy is marketed as a solution, yet its promises rely on unproven ideas that often break trust within families

• Parents increasingly choose approaches that keep relationships intact and avoid harmful practices

• Christian families can respond to gender or sexuality questions with biblical grounding without turning to programs linked to emotional harm

• Understanding how organizations like Alliance Defending Freedom use cases like Chiles v. Salazar helps families see why discernment is needed

A Growing Conversation in Christian Homes

Families nationwide are hearing more about schools, counselors, and online voices discussing gender theory. These conversations often feel rushed and complicated. For many Christian parents, the instinct is to slow down, pray for wisdom, and guide their children with love and truth.

In this environment, some organizations present conversion therapy as a way to "correct" or "resolve" questions about gender or sexuality. These programs are commonly framed as faith-aligned, yet their foundation relies on claims that a person's attractions or sense of self can be changed through pressure or behavioral training. Parents who have explored these programs often find they do not lead to stronger faith or healthier relationships.

Parents deserve trustworthy information, not treatments advertised for decades without evidence of success.

Why Families Are Turning Away from Conversion Therapy

Many Christian parents feel misled by programs promising outcomes they cannot deliver. The economic protection message speaks directly to this. Research from the Williams Institute shows that nearly 700,000 US LGBT adults have experienced conversion therapy</a>, with families reporting they paid large sums for methods built more on ideology than pastoral care or clinical understanding.

Parents also describe the relational harm created when a child feels blamed, monitored, or shamed in these settings. When trust is broken, spiritual conversations become harder. Instead of helping families grow closer, conversion therapy often creates distance at moments when connection matters most.

Christian parents want something better. They want to remain faithful to God while protecting their child's emotional and spiritual health. They want guidance that strengthens family bonds rather than turning them into battlegrounds.

How Gender Theory Gets Pulled into the Conversation

Some programs rely on fear-based explanations of gender theory to draw in worried parents. They present gender-related questions as signs that a child is being "captured" by cultural agendas. This framing can overwhelm families and make them vulnerable to services that overpromise.

It helps Christian parents to remember that many children who ask gender-related questions are simply trying to sort out the world around them. Curiosity is not a crisis. When families respond gently, children often feel safe enough to share more honestly.

Parents can create a calm environment anchored in biblical teaching without resorting to practices that attempt to force an outcome. Prayer, patience, relational warmth, and open conversation align closely with Christian values and give families room to navigate these questions together.

Why ADF and Chiles v. Salazar Matter for Families

Alliance Defending Freedom has played a major role in national debates about conversion therapy. In Chiles v. Salazar, ADF is challenging Colorado's protections for minors by arguing that professionals should be allowed to offer conversion therapy under the umbrella of private counseling.

The case illustrates how legal strategies can shift public understanding. ADF frames conversion therapy as a free speech issue, while many families who have experienced it recognize it as a set of practices that can cause emotional harm. Parents should understand that overturning these protections could permit more unregulated programs to target vulnerable families with promises they cannot fulfill.

Explaining the case in simple terms helps parents see what is at stake. If protections are removed, it becomes harder for families to distinguish trustworthy guidance from risky or manipulative services.

Faithful, Compassionate Paths Forward

Christian parents do not need to choose between honoring scripture and loving their child well. Families can hold firm beliefs while avoiding methods that research has repeatedly shown to be ineffective and harmful.

Healthy, faith-aligned support for Christian parents focuses on listening, building trust, and keeping the parent-child relationship strong. Pastoral counseling grounded in compassion and scripture offers a very different experience from conversion therapy. Parents who choose these gentler paths often report stronger communication and a clearer sense of God's presence during difficult conversations.

Rejecting conversion therapy is not a rejection of faith. It is a choice to protect the family and pursue truth with humility and love.

FAQs

What is conversion therapy in simple terms?
It refers to programs that claim they can change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. These claims have not been proven and often cause emotional strain.

Why are Christian parents turning away from conversion therapy?
Many families discover that the methods do not work, can strain relationships, and rely on promises not supported by evidence or biblical teaching.

How does gender theory relate to this conversation?
Gender theory is often used by some groups to heighten fear and urgency. Parents who respond with calm and scripture-centered guidance avoid being pushed into unsafe programs.

What is ADF's role in promoting conversion therapy?
ADF has defended conversion therapy in court, including in Chiles v. Salazar, by arguing it should be protected as a counseling option despite concerns about harm.

Are there faith-aligned alternatives for families?
Yes. Many parents turn to pastoral counseling, family conversations, prayer, and supportive Christian communities that focus on relational health rather than forced change.