Most of these gay conversion outfits trace back to Straight Inc, which picked up their cult techniques at a Synanon clearance sale. (The rattlesnake in the mailbox, shaved head ones.) Initially for drugs, naturally they used the same techniques in the War on Gay.
After a string of deaths, kidnappings, suicides, they closed that end of the business and became Republican fundraisers, ambassador to Italy, and lobbyists.
Meanwhile, clone groups pop up, kill people, shut down. Rise, repeat.
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/how_a_cult_spawned_the_tough_love_teen_industry.html
