Shut Down the Arizona Deliverance Center: End Abusive Conversion Therapy in Phoenix
The Issue
The Arizona Deliverance Center is a Christian counseling center located in Phoenix, Arizona. I visited the facility frequently when I was 17-19 years old. Because I am gay, I was told I was possessed by demons. I was young and impressionable enough to believe that for years. That's why any rational person will agree that this place needs to be shut down. This 'ministry' targets more than just same-sex attraction; they claim to be able to cure a broad array of 'vices.' Whatever your hang-up may be, the solution this facility offers is forcing people into the degrading practice of retching into a plastic wastebasket, desperately hoping to spew out imaginary devils. This practice is harmful, scientifically baseless, and constitutes clear psychological and physical abuse.
A broad consensus among major medical and mental health organizations—including the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the American Academy of Pediatrics—holds that conversion therapy is ineffective, scientifically discredited, and highly harmful. Science completely refutes the premise that homosexuality is abnormal. A landmark genome-wide association study published in Science in 2019 that involved approximately half a million people confirmed that same-sex attraction is influenced by genes. The study demonstrated that it is polygenic, meaning multiple (perhaps thousands) genetic variants contribute to sexual preference (a biological reality that is just as true of heterosexuality.) Other non-genetic prenatal conditions, such as hormone exposure, were also shown to play a role.
So we know beyond a reasonable doubt that sexuality is immutable. Therefore, the efforts of conversion therapy are consistently linked to severe psychological distress, including suicidality and self-harm. Children and teenagers (such as I was) are especially susceptible. The 2026 Trevor Project National Survey concluded that LGBTQ+ youth who underwent conversion therapy were found to be three times more likely to attempt suicide within the same year compared to peers who did not experience these practices. A 2024 study conducted by Stanford Medicine involving some 4,000 participants found that programs designed to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity are directly linked to depression, PTSD and suicidality. Links to these studies are included in this petition.
And I'm no exception. I bear still the scars of this psychological abuse. The trauma of being forced to retch and heave into a basket in an effort to cure myself of something that's demonstrably normal is not merely psychological; it took its physiological toll as well. Experiencing this dozens of times over the course of approximately three years affected my ability to function normally in various areas of my life, including maintaining stable employment and relationships. It has taken me years to process and overcome the impact of this abuse and I am sure that there is more ground to cover. I know I'm only one of thousands that this place has affected. No one should have to endure this. That's why I urge everyone to join the call to hold this facility accountable and have it shut down.
We call on local authorities, licensing boards, and community leaders to investigate the Arizona Deliverance Center and protect the youth of Phoenix.
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The Issue
The Arizona Deliverance Center is a Christian counseling center located in Phoenix, Arizona. I visited the facility frequently when I was 17-19 years old. Because I am gay, I was told I was possessed by demons. I was young and impressionable enough to believe that for years. That's why any rational person will agree that this place needs to be shut down. This 'ministry' targets more than just same-sex attraction; they claim to be able to cure a broad array of 'vices.' Whatever your hang-up may be, the solution this facility offers is forcing people into the degrading practice of retching into a plastic wastebasket, desperately hoping to spew out imaginary devils. This practice is harmful, scientifically baseless, and constitutes clear psychological and physical abuse.
A broad consensus among major medical and mental health organizations—including the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the American Academy of Pediatrics—holds that conversion therapy is ineffective, scientifically discredited, and highly harmful. Science completely refutes the premise that homosexuality is abnormal. A landmark genome-wide association study published in Science in 2019 that involved approximately half a million people confirmed that same-sex attraction is influenced by genes. The study demonstrated that it is polygenic, meaning multiple (perhaps thousands) genetic variants contribute to sexual preference (a biological reality that is just as true of heterosexuality.) Other non-genetic prenatal conditions, such as hormone exposure, were also shown to play a role.
So we know beyond a reasonable doubt that sexuality is immutable. Therefore, the efforts of conversion therapy are consistently linked to severe psychological distress, including suicidality and self-harm. Children and teenagers (such as I was) are especially susceptible. The 2026 Trevor Project National Survey concluded that LGBTQ+ youth who underwent conversion therapy were found to be three times more likely to attempt suicide within the same year compared to peers who did not experience these practices. A 2024 study conducted by Stanford Medicine involving some 4,000 participants found that programs designed to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity are directly linked to depression, PTSD and suicidality. Links to these studies are included in this petition.
And I'm no exception. I bear still the scars of this psychological abuse. The trauma of being forced to retch and heave into a basket in an effort to cure myself of something that's demonstrably normal is not merely psychological; it took its physiological toll as well. Experiencing this dozens of times over the course of approximately three years affected my ability to function normally in various areas of my life, including maintaining stable employment and relationships. It has taken me years to process and overcome the impact of this abuse and I am sure that there is more ground to cover. I know I'm only one of thousands that this place has affected. No one should have to endure this. That's why I urge everyone to join the call to hold this facility accountable and have it shut down.
We call on local authorities, licensing boards, and community leaders to investigate the Arizona Deliverance Center and protect the youth of Phoenix.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on October 30, 2026