TV Judge Hands Down Her Verdict On ‘Conversion Therapy’

The issue of so-called “conversion therapy” took center stage on a recent episode of the courtroom TV show Equal Justice with Judge Eboni K. Williams.

Judge Eboni K. Williams put the bigoted father on blast in a clip that’s racking up millions of views. pic.twitter.com/LSzLxEqdyb

— Out Magazine (@outmagazine) April 8, 2026

OUT breaks down the case:

Residing in Memphis, Tennessee, Gregory Talbert found his 18-year-old son Michael Talbert kissing his best friend in his room on a Sunday morning before church.

Shortly after this discovery, Gregory spent $6,000 to send his son to conversion therapy, which Michael ended up running away from due to the toxic and cruel conditions at the establishment.

Michael only agreed to attend conversion therapy out of fear that his parents would disown him and throw him out of the house.

As a result, Gregory sued his son for the $6,000 that he spent to “cure” his son from his sexuality. Now, Judge Eboni K. Williams is going viral on social media for putting the father in his place.

During the episode, Michael is asked what happened to him in “conversion therapy,” and he shares that he was told he “was cursed, that I was going to hell, and called all of us there monsters, that we were unworthy, and that we needed the program to fix ourselves.”

Additionally, harsh text messages from the dad to his son are presented, which the dad tries to minimize calling them “tough love.”

Before announcing her direct and spot-on decision in the case, Williams steps down from the bench, takes Michael by his hands, and tells him he is “worthy, valuable” and “perfect in the eyes of God.”

Watch the full episode of Equal Justice with Judge Eboni K. Williams below via YouTube.

I’ll note that courtroom TV shows are not actual “courtrooms.” Equal Justice bills itself as a “small claims court arbitration” show.

From what I can determine, while she is not an appointed judge, Williams is a lawyer – an intelligent woman with a solid legal background. I view courtroom TV shows like Equal Justice as being more akin to talk shows that utilize a judicial format to tell a story.

That being the case, the episode does an excellent job in framing the harms “conversion therapy” can cause.

The dangerous practice does not “turn” LGBTQ people straight. Minors and young adults are often pressured into undergoing “conversion therapy” because they want to earn their parents’ approval/love.

Numerous studies have found that LGBTQ youth are twice as likely as straight youth to face homelessness. “Conversion therapy” often leads to increased depression, anxiety, substance abuse risk, and suicidal ideation.