Last week, a powerful reunion of truth-tellers and freedom advocates unfolded in the heart of California’s capital. The Changed Movement, in partnership with California Family Council, hosted a two-day event marking the seventh anniversary of the withdrawal of AB 2943, a proposed law that would have banned counseling for individuals seeking freedom from unwanted LGBTQ identities.
The Truth About Gender Ideology
The event began in the morning with an insider briefing for movement ministry leaders titled “Silencing Change: Resisting Orwellian Restrictions on the Freedom of Speech,” by constitutional attorney Dean Broyles, president of the National Center for Law and Policy. Then the afternoon continued at the Sheraton Grand Hotel with a session titled “The Truth about Gender Ideology.” Experts from diverse fields, including medicine, theology, and journalism, addressed the harms caused by radical gender ideology. Speakers highlighted the pseudoscientific roots of the “born this way” narrative, the role of trauma in identity confusion, and the need for truth-telling in an increasingly censorious culture.
Presenters included Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse and Rev. Dr. Paul Sullins of the Ruth Institute; as well as Dr. Jennifer Bauwens with the Family Research Council; Dr. Christopher Rosik, a clinical psychologist with Link Care Center; Andre Van Mol, MD, with
Christian Medical and Dental Association; Endocrinologist Michael Laidlaw, MD; and journalist Brandon Showalter with the Christian Post, each offering data-driven and biblically rooted critiques of prevailing LGBTQ narratives.
Freedom on the Capitol Steps: A Legacy Renewed
The following morning, Changed Movement leaders and allies gathered on the West Steps of the California State Capitol for a press conference titled “Speak Out: Freedom. Can’t Be Silenced.” This was no ordinary media event. It marked the seventh anniversary of a 2018 press conference held on the same steps, a historic gathering that birthed the Changed Movement.
Back in 2018, dozens of formerly LGBTQ-identified individuals publicly shared their stories for the first time in defiance of AB 2943, legislation that would have effectively made it illegal for pastors, counselors, or friends to help someone leave an LGBTQ identity. The testimonies from that day helped ignite a grassroots movement that ultimately led to the bill’s dramatic withdrawal.
This year’s anniversary gathering carried the same spirit of bold love and personal freedom. Over a dozen individuals, each once immersed in LGBTQ lifestyles and now transformed by Jesus Christ, courageously told their stories. Their message was simple: change is possible, and freedom should never be criminalized.
The press conference served as both a remembrance and a recommissioning. Changed Movement co-founders Ken Williams and Elizabeth Woning were joined by figures like Joe Dallas, Pastor Jim Domen, Dean Broyles, and Sophia Lorey. Each offered a unique perspective on why the state must respect individual freedom, religious liberty, and the right to pursue healing and wholeness.
A Word from California Family Council
Jonathan Keller, President of California Family Council, welcomed attendees and shared:
“I’m just so thrilled to be partnering together with these great organizations to provide true hope and restoration for the people of California. My hope and prayer is that everybody listening would hear with a curious heart and an open mind… that you hear the compassion and the love we have for our brothers and sisters… and the fact that we love you, we care about you, and we want you to live a whole, authentic life.”
Freedom on the Horizon
With the U.S. Supreme Court set to hear Chiles v. Salazar, which challenges California’s ban on counseling for minors, momentum is building to restore conscience rights and freedom of speech. The voices that spoke out on the Capitol steps are living proof that healing is not only possible, it is happening.
