Husband Considers Divorce After Wife Suggests Sending Their Gay Son To A Conversion Camp

Every parent wants the best for their child, but when it comes to supporting their child’s identity, what happens when both parents are not on the same page?

This Redditor found themselves in an impossible position when their wife suggested sending their 16-year-old son to a “conversion camp” to change his sexuality. Their son, who had come out as gay, became the center of a growing divide in their marriage.

Despite the Redditor’s efforts to explain the harmful effects of such practices, their wife refused to back down, insisting their son wasn’t truly gay. Now, with feelings of betrayal growing, the Redditor wonders if staying in the marriage is even possible, or if they should protect their son by walking away. Read on to see how this family crisis unfolds.

What began as a routine conversation became the moment this father stopped recognizing his wife

A week later, OP posted an update:

Here’s the second update:

Here’s the third update:

One of the cruelest betrayals a parent can face is when the person they trusted most starts seeing their child’s identity as a problem. The moment someone you love proposes forcing your child into a so‑called “conversion camp,” love becomes fear. OP’s horror when his wife suggested conversion therapy for their son is not just confusion; it’s gut‑wrenching disbelief.

Emotionally, this story pits parental love against parental prejudice. The son came out as gay. The father accepted him; the mother rejected him. She labeled his orientation “confusion,” then suggested conversion therapy, a proposal that turns home from safe space to a battleground.

For OP, watching that unfold erases the comfort of a shared marriage and replaces it with a sense of moral betrayal.

Understanding the psychology helps but only to clarify how destructive this path really is. For many parents, the inability to accept a child’s sexual orientation stems from fear, social or religious conditioning, or aversion to an identity they don’t understand. Rather than responding with empathy, they resort to shame and control.

In suggesting conversion therapy, the wife wasn’t offering love, she was trying to overwrite her child’s core self to match her beliefs.

Expert consensus confirms what many survivors know: conversion therapy does not work and it harms. The American Psychological Association (APA) clearly rejects attempts to change someone’s sexual orientation. Their Task Force concluded that so‑called “sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE)” are “unlikely to be successful” and carry real risks of harm.

Recent research by Stanford Medicine strengthens that verdict: a large 2024 study of more than 4,400 LGBTQ+ individuals found those who underwent conversion practices had significantly higher rates of depression, post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidality compared with those who did not.

Viewed like this, the wife’s suggestion is not a difference of opinion; it’s a proposal to inflict psychological trauma, possibly with lifetime consequences. OP’s anger, disgust, and sense of betrayal make sense. Choosing to stand by a child’s identity rather than betray it is an act of protection, not selfishness.

When a parent’s love for their child is weaponized under the guise of “help,” the family stops being a refuge. In that light, OP’s doubts about staying in the marriage are not just understandable, they may be essential.

Protecting a child’s mental and emotional well‑being sometimes means drawing firm boundaries, even when those boundaries cost you the familiar.

Here’s how people reacted to the post:

These commenters slammed conversion therapy as abuse, urged OP to divorce immediately

This group praised OP for defending his son, described the wife as harmful or bigoted, and encouraged OP to take strategic legal steps

This commenter recommended family counseling, LGBTQ+-affirming therapy, peer support groups, and individual counseling for the wife

These commenters used sarcasm or dark humor to highlight how absurd the wife’s stance is, criticizing conversion ideology

Do you think the father should fight for full custody and protect Noah from further harm, or is there room for reconciliation through therapy? Let us know your thoughts below!