The Small Beginnings that Transformed the Landscape of LGBTQ+ Religious Harm in Australia

The pivotal role of the Exex-gay group, Freedom2b, and Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International (ABBI)

For decades, LGBTQ+ people of faith suffered in silence. Behind church doors and in confidential pastoral sessions, thousands were told their sexuality or gender identity was “broken,” “sinful,” or “in need of healing.” These messages fuelled the rise of the ex-gay movement — programs, ministries, and counsellors built on the belief that people could change their sexual orientation or suppress their gender identity through prayer, repentance, or “discipleship.”

But alongside this global phenomenon, another story was quietly unfolding — one that began not in church halls or conference centres, but in the early days of the internet. It was a story of survivors seeking each other, supporting each other, and eventually transforming an entire national landscape.

In Australia, it began with one Yahoo Group.

The Foundations of Harm: 1940s–1990s

Throughout much of the 20th century, homosexuality was treated as a pathology. The psychiatric profession practiced aversion therapy, shock treatments, and other coercive practices in a misguided attempt to “cure” same-sex attraction. When homosexuality was finally removed from the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual in 1973, the medical model began to fall away — but the ideology simply migrated into religious spaces.

From the late 1970s through the 1080s and 1990s, “ex-gay” ministries flourished across the world, including Australia. These groups promised transformation through prayer, repentance, masculinity or femininity training, exorcisms and “inner healing.” They provided certainty to churches, but inflicted profound harm on many who trusted them.

2000: A Quiet Revolution Begins — Exex-gay

In 2000, at a time when very few people openly questioned the ex-gay narrative, Having recently found personal resolution of his faith and sexuality, Australian conversion “therapy” survivor and former Pentecostal preacher Anthony Venn-Brown created Exex-gay, an online Yahoo private email group for individuals leaving “ex-gay” programs. The vast majority of these people had been involved with Exodus-affiliated groups, some for years, attempting to be transformed into “normal” heterosexuals. It was modest in structure but radical in impact.

Nearly 400 members joined, and at its peak the group processed over 400 messages every month. For the first time, survivors found a space where they could:

  • validate one another’s experiences
  • share the psychological and spiritual impacts
  • understand the systemic nature of the harm
  • articulate what they were never allowed to say in their churches
  • support one another

It became Australia’s first structured survivor support community, and one of the earliest in the world. It was the birthplace of the modern survivor movement in Australia.

2004: A Life of Unlearning breaks the silence

In 2004, Anthony Venn-Brown published A Life of Unlearning, the first Australian conversion “therapy” -survivor memoir. The book shattered the illusion that ex-gay ministries were harmless or effective. Through one man’s story, thousands recognised their own.

The memoir:

  • exposed the flawed theology behind “change is possible” teachings
  • revealed the psychological toll of trying to alter one’s sexuality
  • humanised a conversation that had long been abstract
  • became required reading for survivors, pastors, media and academics

It was a watershed moment.

2005–2011: From hidden conversations to visible community — Freedom2b

Building on the success and energy of the Exex-gay froup, Anthony helped establish Freedom2b, a community for LGBTQ+ people from Christian backgrounds. Unlike the Yahoo group, Freedom2b operated publicly — hosting forums, regular meetings, Mardi Gras parades and involved in conferences.

It became:

  • a visible network of LGBTQ+ people from Christian backgrounds
  • a place where people discovered they were not alone
  • a safe pathway out of shame and secrecy
  • a resource for the media, families and faith leaders

This era turned survivor stories into community momentum.

2012: ABBI is born — transforming advocacy into national impact

Anthony founded Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International (ABBI) officially in 2013. It represented a major evolution: from support and storytelling to a structured organisation focused on advocacy, cultural change, and bridge-building.

ABBI’s mission centred on:

  • deconstructing the ex-gay myth
  • educating churches and faith leaders
  • documenting Australia’s conversion-practice history
  • supporting survivors and families
  • training professionals and community organisations
  • building bridges between LGBTQ+ people and faith communities

ABBI became the first Australian organisation dedicated specifically to the intersection of sexuality, gender identity, faith, and harm within Evangelical and Pentecostal contexts.

2014–2020: Exposing harmful organisations — and watching them fall

Through continuous research, writing, survivor engagement, and public education, ABBI:

  • tracked ex-gay organisations and leaders across Australia
  • documented the harms caused by their teachings and programs
  • exposed harmful practices through articles, interviews, and media collaboration
  • worked with churches willing to distance themselves from ex-gay ideology
  • supported journalists investigating religiously motivated harm
  • helped survivors speak publicly and safely
  • directly contributed to the closure, decline, or rebranding of ex-gay groups nationwide

By the late 2010s,  every major ex-gay organisation in Australia had collapsed, lost legitimacy, or ceased operations — and ABBI’s influence was undeniable.

Survivors finally had the evidence and language to dismantle the myth that “change is possible.”

2018–2023: From documentation to legislation

ABBI’s research and Anthony’s lived expertise became essential during state-based inquiries into conversion practices. Across multiple jurisdictions, ABBI contributed to:

  • government consultations
  • parliamentary inquiries
  • survivor submissions
  • policy drafting
  • professional training
  • media education

This work directly supported the development of legislation in:

  • Victoria
  • Queensland
  • ACT
  • New South Wales
  • South Australia

For the first time in Australian history, LGBTQ conversion practices were recognised in law as harmful, ineffective, and abusive.

2020s: A national leader with global influence

Today, ABBI continues to be a trusted source of expertise for:

  • governments
  • legal bodies
  • mental health professionals
  • religious institutions
  • universities
  • media outlets
  • survivors and families

Through training, keynote presentations, publications, and collaborative work, ABBI remains at the forefront of understanding and preventing LGBTQ+ religious harm — and continues to support thousands navigating the intersection of faith, sexuality, and identity.

Anthony Venn-Brown OAM is now recognised internationally as a pioneer in this space — a survivor whose personal story sparked a movement that reshaped a nation.

A Movement that Changed a Country

The arc of the last 25 years can be traced clearly:

The Exex-gay group → Freedom2b → ABBI → National reform → Cultural transformation

What began as a small online group of survivors in 2000 grew into a national conversation, influenced public policy, closed down harmful organisations, and helped build safer pathways for LGBTQ+ people of faith.

It is a story of courage, community, resilience, and change — and a testament to the power of survivors leading their own liberation.