Dad Made National Headlines When He Came Out and Denounced ‘Conversion Therapy’ He Led. Now He’s in Love 

McKrae Game still remembers when his phone began “blowing up” in late 2019 with media requests and social messages — partly thanks to Andy Cohen.

The Bravo host had shared an article on X about Game, a former “conversion therapy” practitioner who came out as gay and publicly apologized for his past involvement in the discredited practice, which the American Psychological Association has deemed “not evidence-based.”

Now 57, Game says he anticipated some attention when he came out — but not the tidal wave that followed.

“My best friend was like, ‘Do you know what’s going on online?’” he recalls. “I looked and I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’”

The story spread quickly, leading to national interviews and an appearance on The Tamron Hall Show. “I was doing interviews nonstop from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day for weeks,” he says.

As the frenzy eventually subsided, Game returned to a quieter life — but six years later, he’s reflecting on that pivotal time and what followed, including finding love again.

“We’re not promised tomorrow,” he says.

A Journey from Denial to Acceptance

In 1999, after undergoing conversion therapy himself, Game founded his own practice, Truth Ministry. It was later renamed Hope for Wholeness in 2013 and disbanded in 2020 — three years after he was dismissed from the organization.

“I was fired in November 2017,” he says. “I took a year and a half to decide what I was going to do with my life and didn’t publicly talk about my decision until I came out.”

He began posting reflective messages online about self-acceptance. “I was never anti-gay, but I was never pro-gay,” he says. “Now I was speaking up for pro-gay people, and I started getting questions from people online.”

A reporter from The Post and Courier eventually reached out for an interview. At first, Game declined — but the journalist stayed in touch and revisited the story after Game publicly came out. “He came up here with cameramen and spent an entire day with me,” Game says.

Family Pressure and Struggles with Identity

Game had been openly gay from 19 to 22 before family pressure led him to seek “treatment.” His mother “never gave [him] any peace,” and his family didn’t accept his sexuality.

He left his gay identity behind, joined a church, and began advocating for conversion therapy. Game later married Julie, and they had two children, Caroline and Seth. His internal struggle, he says, was never fully hidden.

“I was extremely transparent about my struggle,” he explains. “My wife knew. I wasn’t engaging in any inappropriate behavior with anyone.”

Still, the repression caused serious damage. “I had four nervous breakdowns, one so bad I couldn’t get out of bed for weeks,” he recalls. “As soon as I accepted myself, that all went away.”

Advocating for Change

Since his public transformation, Game has spoken across the U.S. to advocate against conversion therapy and to apologize to former clients.

“I’ve spoken to them and asked for their forgiveness for leading them down the wrong path,” he says. “When you’re brainwashed, you don’t realize it. That’s who I was then.”

Today, he continues to support LGBTQ+ youth and those who feel voiceless. “I’m doing everything I can to advocate for that kid with same-sex attractions who doesn’t know what’s happening in his life,” he says.

New Love and a New Chapter

Game is now separated from Julie and has been in a relationship with his partner, Jimmy Palmer, 29, for over three years. The two met on a dating app.

He divides his time between South Carolina — where he works as a landscaper and wedding venue manager — and Vermont, where he serves as a ski patroller during the winter.

Although South Carolina lacks a conversion therapy ban, more than 20 states across the U.S. have outlawed the practice for minors, according to The New York Times. The issue remains contentious, with the U.S. Supreme Court recently hearing arguments that could overturn those bans.

Despite uncertainty about the future, Game remains hopeful and defiant.

“People want us to be silenced and marginalized,” he says. “I’m not allowing that to curtail my life.”