But when Gronlund caught wind of gay conversion therapy practices and, in particular, a situation that has been going on in New Jersey, he said those practices are upsetting and can lead to “false ideas of homosexuality.”

According to The New York Times, in New Jersey on Tuesday, four men who were clients of a conversion therapy center took it to court and testified against particularly abusive conversion therapy. During the sessions, they were “emotionally scarred by false promises of inner transformation” and its embarrassing methods.

These gay conversion or reparative therapies mostly are religiously based exercises designed to convert an individual’s homosexuality into heterosexuality, James Madison College associate dean and professor Julia Grant said.

Grant said the operations have proved to be ineffective and can lead an individual to personal turmoil, adding layers of “stigma and shame.”

The conversion therapy center in the case reported it will not stop doing what it believes to be right because of the lawsuit, according to CNN.

Gronlund said the subject is very sensitive, but he feels the center is entitled to its religious beliefs.
Sometimes religion can be a motivator for conversion therapy, but there are religious groups supportive of LBGT people.

In the New Jersey case, Grant said it was a Jewish Orthodox group involved in the conversions, but many Jewish groups are very open to homosexuality.

John Herzog, president of People Respecting the Individuality of Students at MSU, an inclusive LBGT student group, said he was subject to some pressures from the Catholic church, never to necessarily convert his sexuality. But he said he never felt at home and welcomed at the church.
“I know that doesn’t apply to all followers of Catholicism, or religion for that matter, (and) I am definitely open and (welcoming) to all forms of beliefs,” Herzog said.

Grant said instead of encouraging conversion therapy, society would be better off trying to support people who are part of the LGBT community.

“(Conversion therapy) is reinforcing the idea that there is something wrong with being gay or lesbian or bisexual,” Grant said. “I don’t think that is where we want to go right now.”