| 1973 | The American Psychological Association declassifies homosexuality as a mental illness. |
| | Love in Action (LIA), a nondenominational fundamentalist Christian organization, rejects APA’s decision and opens its doors in San Rafael, California, promising to cure LGBT congregants of their “sexual addictions.” |
| 1976 | The first ex-gay conference takes place in Anaheim, California, where more than sixty-two attendees form what becomes Exodus International, the largest ex-gay umbrella organization in the world. LIA is its flagship program. |
| 1977 | Jack McIntyre, a four-year member of LIA, commits suicide, prompting one of the group’s founding members, John Evans, to condemn the program. In a suicide note, McIntyre writes: “To continually go before God and ask for forgiveness and make promises you know you can’t keep is more than I can take.” |
| 1982 | Exodus Europe, an independent organization working in coalition with Exodus International, holds its first ex-gay conference in the Netherlands. Ministries now exist in Australia, Brazil, and Portugal. |
| 1989 | Exodus expands its mission to include the Philippines and Singapore. The organization, which at its peak supported more than two hundred ministries across the United States, has reached mainstream attention, with spots on national television and radio. |
| 1990 | John Smid takes over as director of LIA. |
| 1993 | John Evans, a cofounder of LIA, writes an article for the Wall Street Journal denouncing ex-gay therapy: “They’re destroying people’s lives. If you don’t do their thing, you’re not of God, you’ll go to hell. They’re living in a fantasy world.” |
| 1994 | Under John Smid’s direction, LIA moves its headquarters to Memphis, Tennessee, purchasing five acres of land to house its residential program. |
| 1998 | Ex-gay leader John Paulk, soon to be featured on the cover of Newsweek with his ex-lesbian wife, founds Love Won Out, a series of yearly ex-gay conferences. |
| 2000 | First Latin American Exodus Conference is held in Quito, Ecuador. Ministries are now in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan. |
| 2003 | LIA opens its controversial Refuge program, bringing together teenagers and adults suffering from various sex-based “addictions.” |
| 2004 | My ex-gay story begins. |
