Spaces of Exception: Conversion Therapy Camps in the United States

• In Event: Gender, Sexuality, and Resistance

Abstract

This paper discusses conversion therapy camps in the United States as spaces of exception, where legal protections and personal autonomy are systematically suspended under the guise of religious freedom and neoliberal practices. Drawing on theories by Giorgio Agamben, Desmond King & Gary Gerstle, and Judith Butler, the paper conceptualizes these camps as sites where queer individuals, particularly minors, are stripped of their agency and subjected to coercive practices, contributing to broader debates on sovereignty, legal exclusion, and the marginalization of queer identities. Theoretical insights into bare life, abjection, and localized exceptions frame the analysis of conversion therapy's function within U.S. legal and social frameworks. The research employs a qualitative approach, including a review of legislative records and survivor testimonies. The analysis suggests that conversion therapy persists despite partial bans, exploiting legal loopholes, particularly religious exemptions, to sustain harmful practices. Conversion therapy camps exemplify the interplay between religious and neoliberal forces, fostering spaces of exception where queer lives are rendered abject. These camps perpetuate a dual dynamic of exclusion and regulation, enabling the state and private actors to enforce heteronormative ideals under minimal oversight.

Author

• Aline Van Neutgem, CUNY Graduate Center