The end of 'ex-gay' conversion therapy

California has banned the controversial treatment. Now, the biggest ex-gay group, Exodus, is disbanding

Carri Jo Anderson protests in front of a Chick-fil-A in Pompano Beach, Fla., in August 2012. The company's Christian owners are against same-sex marriage.
(Image credit: AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Earlier this week, a Pew Research Center report raised the possibility that the remarkably quick shift toward public approval of same-sex marriage might be mostly a product of media hype. On Wednesday, two things suggested that, quite the opposite, we're seeing a real, deep societal shift on attitudes about homosexuality.

First, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) became the third sitting Republican senator to publicly back gay marriage. Then, late Wednesday, the most prominent "ex-gay" advocacy group, Exodus International, announced that it was disbanding. Before that unexpected announcement, Exodus chief Alan Chambers issued a long apology to "members of the LGBTQ community" for "the pain and hurt many of you have experienced."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.