“Lies with a Straight Face: Exposing the Cranks and Cons Inside the Ex-Gay Industry”
by Wayne R. Besen
Independently Published, 2023, 455 Pages

At A Glance: “Lies with a Straight Face” exposes the falsehoods and failures of the “ex-gay” industry and the ongoing battle against conversion therapy.

Overview: “Lies with a Straight Face” by Wayne R. Besen critically examines the controversial “ex-gay” conversion industry, detailing its rise and eventual decline. The book is anchored by the story of the 1998 Truth in Love ad campaign, where major Religious Right organizations claimed that 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals could be converted to heterosexuality through prayer and therapy.

Besen explores the aftermath of this campaign, the fate of its “ex-gay” representatives, and the modern purveyors of these disproven and damaging practices. By combining historical analysis with current events, the book serves as both a narrative and a resource for understanding and combating the ongoing misinformation spread by the “ex-gay” industry.

“Lies with a Straight Face” is a sequel to Besen’s previous work, extending the critique to recent developments and reinforcing the importance of learning from past mistakes to address present-day issues surrounding conversion therapy.

Also by this author:
“Anything but Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth”

Thoughts from Readers: