Garrard Conley

{{Infobox writer

| name = Garrard Conley

| image = Garrard Conley (cropped).jpg

| birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|34|2019|5|14}}

| birth_place = United States

| website = {{url|garrardconley.com}}

}}

Garrard Conley (born {{Birth based on age as of date|34|2019|5|14|noage=1}}) is an American author and LGBTQ activist known for his autobiography Boy Erased: A Memoir, recounting his childhood as part of a fundamentalist family in Arkansas that enrolled him in conversion therapy. The book was adapted for the 2018 film, Boy Erased.{{Cite web |last=Galicia |first=Libni |title=Brilliant film adaptation of Boy Erased by Joel Edgerton |url=https://www.mesapress.com/a-e/2018/12/12/brilliant-film-adaptation-of-boy-erased-by-joel-edgerton-2/ |access-date=January 13, 2023 |website=The Mesa Press}}

Early life and education

Conley was raised first in Cherokee Village and then later in Mountain Home, Arkansas. His father is a Southern Baptist preacher and former car salesman. Garrard "spent years struggling to reconcile his sexuality with his faith". His family had a house on Lake Thunderbird where Conley would spend time on their pontoon boat.{{Cite web |url=https://www.arktimes.com/arkansas/a-qanda-with-garrard-conley-author-of-boy-erased/Content?oid=4413491 |title=A Q&A with Garrard Conley, author of Boy Erased |last=Borland |first=Bryan |date=May 19, 2016 |website=Arkansas Times |access-date=December 17, 2018}}

He attended Lyon College for a semester before returning home after being outed to his parents by a student who had raped Conley.{{Cite web |url=https://people.com/human-interest/boy-erased-gay-conversion-therapy-gerrard-conley/ |title=Gay Conversion Therapy Made Me Suicidal: The Powerful True Story Behind the Film 'Boy Erased' |work=People |access-date=December 17, 2018}} Conley was sent to Love in Action to undergo conversion therapy—the controversial pseudoscientific practice of trying to change someone's sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual using psychological or spiritual interventions—in 2004.{{Cite news |url=https://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2018/02/13/the-man-behind-boy-erased-an-arkansas-experience-coming-to-the-screen-soon |title=The man behind 'Boy Erased,' an Arkansas experience coming to the screen soon |last=Brantley |first=Max |date=February 13, 2018 |work=Arkansas Times |access-date=December 17, 2018}} At Love in Action, he underwent treatments by John Smid, who later left the organization, disavowed conversion therapy, announced he was still gay and stated he had "never met a man who experienced a change from homosexual to heterosexual".{{cite web |url=http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/10288-former-ex-gay-activist-admits-gay-people-dont-change.html |title=Former 'Ex-Gay' Activist Admits Gay People Don't Change |author=Wayne Besen |date=October 12, 2011 |publisher=Falls Church News-Press |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015003443/http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/10288-former-ex-gay-activist-admits-gay-people-dont-change.html |archive-date=October 15, 2011 |url-status=dead |access-date=October 13, 2011}}

Career

In 2016, Conley taught English literature at the American College of Sofia in Bulgaria. He is the author of Boy Erased: A Memoir, which was based on his experiences at Love in Action.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jun/10/i-was-19-gay-and-ready-to-be-cured-by-conversion-therapy |title=I was 19, gay and ready to be 'cured' by conversion therapy |last=Hicklin |first=Aaron |date=June 10, 2018 |work=The Guardian |access-date=December 17, 2018 |issn=0261-3077}} The book was later adapted into the 2018 film Boy Erased by Joel Edgerton, with Lucas Hedges playing Conley.{{Cite news |title=Makers of gay-conversion film say they don't want to 'throw God under the bus' |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/makers-of-gay-conversion-film-say-they-dont-want-to-throw-god-under-the-bus/2018/11/08/d7b4075a-e236-11e8-ab2c-b31dcd53ca6b_story.html |access-date=January 13, 2023 |issn=0190-8286}} He leveraged his newfound fame to "educate the public about the abusive practice of conversion therapy". Conley released a four-episode podcast titled UnErased: The History of Conversion Therapy in America{{Cite web |title=UnErased: The History of Conversion Therapy in America |url=https://www.focusfeatures.com/podcast/unerased |access-date=January 4, 2023 |website=Focus Features |language=en |archive-date=March 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326220254/https://www.focusfeatures.com/podcast/unerased |url-status=dead}} shortly before the release of the film.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bustle.com/p/wheres-the-real-jared-from-boy-erased-in-2018-garrard-conley-is-sharing-his-memories-of-conversion-therapy-in-a-new-way-12975918 |title=The 'Boy Erased' Subject Is Exposing Conversion Therapy In A Brand New Way |last=Florio |first=Angelica |website=Bustle |date=November 2018 |access-date=December 17, 2018}} In 2018, Conley led GrubStreet's Memoir Incubator program.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/movies/2018/09/14/boy-erased-author-garrard-conley-his-story-long-road-screen/DdVC0cPYSyoPlMEw3T6TvM/story.html |title='Boy Erased' author Garrard Conley on his story's long road to the screen - The Boston Globe |last=Kaufman |first=Hayley |work=Boston Globe |access-date=December 17, 2018}} He has continued to travel worldwide telling his story: in 2019, he presented to Southern Utah University, Equality Utah, venues in Germany and Switzerland, and gave a keynote speech for Iowa Safe Schools.

In June 2019, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots,{{Cite web |date=June 1, 2019 |title=Pride 2019: Stonewall 50 Anniversary and History of LGBT People in America |url=https://www.newsweek.com/pride-month-2019-stonewall-50th-anniversary-history-lgbtq-america-history-1440491 |access-date=January 13, 2023 |website=Newsweek |language=en}} Queerty named him one of the Pride50 "trailblazing individuals who actively ensure society remains moving towards equality, acceptance and dignity for all queer people".{{Cite web |url=https://www.queerty.com/garrard-conley-fought-ex-gay-movement-found-courage-forgive-20190514 |title=Garrard Conley fought the ex-gay movement and found the courage to forgive |last=Reddish |first=David |date=May 14, 2019 |website=queerty.com |access-date=June 18, 2019 |quote=Garrard Conley, 34}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.queerty.com/pride50 |title=Queerty Pride50 2019 Honorees |website=Queerty |language=en-US |access-date=June 18, 2019}} Conley is an assistant professor of Creative Writing at Kennesaw State University.{{Cite web |title=KSU {{!}} Faculty Web - Garrard Conley|url=http://facultyweb.kennesaw.edu/gconley3/|access-date=June 10, 2021|website=facultyweb.kennesaw.edu}}

Personal life

Conley lives in New York City with his husband.{{Cite web |title=Gay Conversion Therapy Made Me Suicidal: The Powerful True Story Behind the Film 'Boy Erased' |url=https://people.com/human-interest/boy-erased-gay-conversion-therapy-gerrard-conley/ |access-date=January 4, 2023 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}}