One would hope that in 2026 the world would have moved past trying to force LGBTQ+ individuals to change who they are. The reality is though that conversion therapy remains an active and legal practice in Ireland and the UK, even if it not often heard of. Conversion Practice: Justin’s Story is a TU Dublin School of Media audio-documentary, hosted by Amelhyne O’Reagan-Fairneau, which provides insight into activist Justin Hardie’s experience with conversion therapy in the UK.

From the minute the documentary starts, it hooks you in with Justin saying, “People are laying hands on you, shouting, screaming in tongues” while ominous whispers are faintly heard in the background. The introduction creates an unsettling tone and establishes that this will not be an easy story.

Amelhyne O’Reagan Fairneau shares vital context around conversion practices in the present day, referencing a 2023 study by Trinity College which found that around 14% of all individuals interviewed had undergone some form of it. Justin Hardi’s story is one example of the devastating personal impact behind this statistic.

A major theme of Justin’s story is religion and how it relates to LGBTQ+ identity. He describes growing up in a highly religious environment as an Evangelical Pentecostal Christian, which contributed to a deep sense of shame when he began to question his sexuality as a teen.

This shame led him to seek out conversion practices in the hopes he would be “cured of his sin”. His experience highlights how conversion therapy is greatly ingrained with religious dogma, which often teaches queer people that there is something fundamentally wrong with them that needs to be fixed.

Justin is also incredibly vulnerable about the trauma caused by six years of conversion therapy from the age of 17 to 23. A moment that stands out is when Justin says, “Nobody in the six years of my experience ever pulled me aside or put their arm around me and went ‘Justin, you’re just gay and that’s okay’”. The lack of acceptance he faced destroyed his mental health and left him feeling completely isolated, showing that the outcome of conversion therapy is not salvation but instead deep-rooted trauma.

What is so resonant about Conversion Therapy: Justin’s Story is how it also explores resilience and empowerment through pain and trauma. For example, Justin shares his journey with traditional therapy, which helped him heal, finally find self-acceptance, and eventually rebuild his spirituality. A particularly powerful reflection he makes is: “I want to bring into this space all the people that didn’t make it. To honour them and their lives, to honour their stories, because there was nothing wrong with those people and they should still be here”.

Ultimately, Conversion Practice: Justin’s Story is a must-listen audio-documentary that will pull at your heartstrings and give you hope that things can get better, no matter how dark life seems. It reminds us why it is so vital for conversion therapy to be made illegal, so what happened to Justin does not happen again.

For more information on the current laws regarding conversion therapy practices, check here.

If you have been affected by this story or are looking to reach out to someone for support or advice or just to talk, there are numerous services available for LGBTQ+ people, listed below, and many offer instant messaging support. 

Samaritans
SpunOut.ie
The Switchboard
Dublin Lesbian Line
Belong To
TENI
LGBTQI Pavee Point
Man2Man
HIV Ireland
Aware
Pieta House
Jigsaw
Mental Health Ireland
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre
Garda Confidential Line