Surprise: Mike Johnson Once Worked With a Conversion Therapy Group That Claimed It Could Turn Gay People Straight

Another day, another horrifying revelation about Speaker Mike Johnson and the very antigay things he said and did before becoming House Speaker—this time involving a conversion therapy group that claimed it could turn gay people straight.

CNN’s KFILE reports that prior to his political career, Johnson gave legal advice to Exodus International, a leader in the “ex-gay” movement that, in its own words, promoted “the message of Freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ” and provided “support for individuals who want to recover from homosexuality.” In addition, Johnson reportedly partnered with the organization on a wildly evil event—started by Alliance Defense Fund, the socially conservative legal advocacy group he worked for—called the “Day of Truth,” which was meant to be a counterprotest to an event designed to bring awareness to the bullying LGBTQ+ are subject to.

Per KFILE:

Exodus International joined ADF’s Day of Truth event in 2006 and the groups worked together on promotional material for the event, including a standalone website which pointed users to Exodus’ conversion ministries. Documents on that website cited the since-repudiated academic work in support of conversion therapy…. Videos put out by Exodus and ADF on their standalone Day of Truth website featured two Exodus staffers speaking about how teens didn’t need to “accept” or “embrace” their homosexuality. The videos featured testimonials of a “former-homosexual” and “former lesbian.”

The website featured a FAQ on homosexuality provided by Exodus and sold T-shirts saying, “the Truth cannot be silenced.” One video featured Johnson, who was later quoted in a press release on Exodus International’s website ahead of the event, saying, “An open, honest discussion allows truth to rise to the surface.”

Promoting the event in 2008, Johnson told a radio host, “I mean, our race, the size of our feet, the color of our eyes, these are things we’re born with and we cannot change. What these adult advocacy groups like the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network are promoting is a type of behavior. Homosexual behavior is something you do, it’s not something that you are.” (Also, in 2008, he said in an interview: “Some credit to the fall of Rome to not only the deprivation of the society and the loss of morals, but also to the rampant homosexual behavior that was condoned by the society.”)

Wayne Besen, the executive director of Truth Wins Out, told KFILE the “Day of Truth” event “directly harmed LGBTQ youth.” And of Johnson, he said: “This is someone whose core was promoting antigay and ex-gay viewpoints. He wouldn’t pander to antigay advocates, he was the antigay and ex-gay advocate.” Exodus was shutdown in 2013. At the time, its founder issued a public apology for the “pain and hurt” the group caused. Medical professionals have widely condemned conversion therapy, calling it the practice pseudoscientific and abusive. Which is probably why it’s banned in numerous countries, with one UN expert saying it can amount to torture.

Johnson’s office did not respond to CNN’s request for comment, and it’s not clear where he stands on the matter of conversion therapy today. But two not very reassuring things to note? In his interview with Sean Hannity last week, the new House Speaker claimed to “love all people…regardless of their lifestyle choices,” indicating he believes LGBTQ+ people are choosing not to be straight. Also? In 2019, i.e., just a few years ago, as chair of the Republican Study Committee, Johnson tried to get Amazon to reverse its ban on conversion therapy books.