Michael Airhart he / him / his
Born Perfect Program Associate
Michael Airhart is a data analyst, program organizer, and former news editor with extensive experience in text analytics, content classification, data modeling, and research.
Early in his career, Michael provided legal support to attorneys at the national trial lawyers lobby and the World Bank.
In 2002, Michael founded Ex-Gay Watch, a pioneering multi-author blog that provided investigative journalism and in-depth analysis of the conversion therapy movement and its religious affiliations. His work helped shape public discourse on the subject, exposing harmful practices and misinformation. From 2007 to 2011, he conducted research, authored reports, and facilitated community engagement for Truth Wins Out, an advocacy organization combatting conversion therapy myths and anti-LGBTQ extremism.
Since 2013, Michael has worked directly with survivors of conversion therapy, supporting their efforts to share their experiences and assisting former leaders of “ex-gay” organizations in publicly renouncing discredited therapeutic practices.
His commitment to human rights extends beyond his professional work. He has co-organized D.C.’s Pride Interfaith Service, supported LGBTQ asylum seekers through the D.C. Center for the LGBTQ Community, and participated in international human rights delegations to Colombia, El Salvador, and Morocco.
As an NCLR program associate, Michael executes advocacy strategies across litigation, legislative initiatives, and social science research. He also strengthens relationships with survivors and mental health experts to advance efforts against conversion therapy, coordinates with former conversion therapists who now speak out against their former work, and uses the power of data to track the activity of conversion therapists and related legislation across the nation.
Languages spoken: Spanish