Definition: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Change Efforts (SOGICE) are interventions that attempt to modify an individual’s sexual attraction or gender expression to match heteronormative and cisgendered norms. SOGICE, such as in the forms of conversion or reparative “therapy,” has been linked to highly-detrimental social and health outcomes.
Recent Updates
- Policy Work: Gender-Affirming Care in Michigan – Ensuring everyone has full access to medical care, despite authoritarian orders – Feb 13, 2025
- Podcast: The Cost of Conformity: SOGICE, Pastoral Harm, and Queer Resistance – Talking about the harms of overt and covert conversion therapy and how to spot a fundamentalist – Feb 03, 2025
Research and Work
Sipling, Willow. 2024. “Coding Anti-LGBTQ Fundamentalist Pastoral Care Interventions: Identifying the Culture Behind Reparative and Conversion Therapy.” Paper presented for Association for Humanist Sociology Conference, October 24, Rochester, NY.
Sipling, W. 2021. “Modern Digitally-Mediated ‘Prophets of Deceit’: Heuristics of ‘Agitator’ Identification through Lowenthal and Guterman’s Analysis.” In How to Critique Authoritarian Populism: Methodologies of the Frankfurt School, edited by Jeremiah Morelock. Boston, MA: Brill Publishers.
Sipling, W. 2018. “Fundamentalist Pastoral Care.” In Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion, edited by David A. Leeming. New York, NY: Springer US.
Fundamentalism and SOGICE in Higher Ed Christian Religious Employers
More about SOGICE
Though social scientific research has demonstrated the dangers of severe SOGICE interventions (the kinds of interventions that UN experts refer to as “torture”), there remains a notable gap in SOGICE studies, because there is not an empirically-verified identification criteria tool which allows for the classification and measurement of less-directly-severe forms of SOGICE. One of the critical challenges in SOGICE identification, ranking, and categorization is the strategic use of euphemisms and vague language employed by religious groups and other organizations who use SOGICE. These groups often avoid explicit labels such as “conversion therapy” to circumvent legal and social scrutiny. Further, some less-directly-severe forms of SOGICE (such as anti-LGBT+ sermons or the requiring of “confession” of non-heterosexual sexual activities) simply have not been classified or studied (Sipling 2024).
There is overlap between SOGICE and “fundamentalist pastoral care,” which helping professions and ministries that derive methods and techniques from biblical exegesis or application within the context of church and pastoral interventions. An example of these applied fundamentalist pastoral care is found in the practice of conversion therapy, an approach which describes LGBT+ experiences as sinful and disordered, and seeks to provide pastoral interventions to “convert” behaviors and thought processes into traditional fundamentalist ethics (Sipling 2018).
How I Help
SOGICE is much more than just an 8+ year research interest — I’m personally a survivor of SOGICE, and I’m intrinsically motivated to prevent torture and harm like this through social science and direct practice.
- Research and Program Support: If you and/or your lab, research team, public policy coalition, or advocacy org are looking for a co-investigator subject matter expert, I’m your girl. With expertise in social scientific research and sociology of religion, I’ve demonstrated excellence in subject areas as diverse as theological interpretation, survey design, and science communication.
- Coaching, including Adverse Religious Experience Coaching, LGBTQ+ Coaching, Recovery Coaching, Conversion Therapy Recovery, Faith Deconstruction, Religious Trauma Coaching, and more. I only use evidence-based approaches and best practices in human services. I also work with clinics, social/human services orgs, and individual clinicians to provide consults on matters of SOGICE and LGBTQ+ clients.
- Speaking, podcasting, media appearances: As I mentioned, science communication is as important to me as “doing science.” I am happy to “guest” on podcasts, YouTube channels, local news, national and international media outlets, blogs, panels, and more — all to raise awareness, provide warnings, and shift public perception to recognize the extreme dangers of the public health crisis caused by SOGICE.
- Faith-Based Consulting: If you’re an individual religious leader, or if you represent a church or denomination, and you’re working towards full affirmation and inclusion of queer folks, let’s talk. Navigating away from an un-affirming denomination, or ex-gay (including “Side B”) partnerships? I can help. Or, maybe you’re already affirming, but want to be more welcoming — then I also offer LGBTQ+ Competency Training, DEI consulting, and more.