A Virginia-based group that runs personal workshops for gay men “who are conflicted over their same-sex attractions” said Tuesday it has no plans whatsoever to cease or change operations in the aftermath of Gov. Ralph Northam signing into law a prohibition on widely discredited conversion therapy.

“I don’t see how this applies to us at all,” said Rich Wyler, founder and director of “Brothers on a Road Less Traveled,” one of the more prominent groups that conducts programs seen as reparative therapy and promises men an alternative to identifying as gay.

Asked by the Washington Blade to affirm that means “Brothers on a Road Less Traveled” won’t change anything in aftermath of the new Virginia law, Wyler replied, “That’s correct.”

Northam on Tuesday signed the bill prohibiting conversion therapy for youth, making Virginia the first state in the South with such a ban. A total of 20 states and D.C. have similar laws on the books.

The practice of therapy aimed at changing an individual’s sexual orientation or transgender status is considered ineffectual at best and harmful at worst. Major medical and psychological institutions — including American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics — widely reject the practice.

But Wyler via email to the Washington Blade rejected on two grounds the idea the new Virginia law applies to “Brothers on a Road Less Traveled,” even though the organization is headquartered in Ruckersville, Va.

First, Wyler disputed the idea the organization offers “conversion therapy” as prohibited under the new Virginia law.

Instead, Wyler called the organization a “peer-support group” and said it runs “personal-growth workshops especially for men who are conflicted over their SSA who are looking for peace within the boundaries of their faith and values.”

Second, Wyler insisted the group has “never allowed minors in our program nor reached out to them in any way,” pointing to a post on the organization’s website asserting “Brothers on a Road Less Traveled” requires all participants to be at least age 21 and the average age is 36. 

Bans on conversion therapy in other states also don’t seem have hampered “Brothers on a Road Less Traveled,” which operates workshops across the nation and online through webinars. Among the states where an upcoming workshop is scheduled is Utah, where Gov. Gary Herbert recently prohibited conversion therapy for youth through regulation. 

“Brothers on a Road Less Traveled” also operates internationally. Another workshop is scheduled in Poland, which has become renowned for its homophobia now that one-third of the country has been designated as “LGBT-free zones.”

The new Virginia ban on conversion therapy, much like laws in other states, is limited in scope.

For starters, it applies only to medical and mental health practitioners, threatening to revoke their licenses if they engage in conversion therapy. Other organizations and individuals, including churches and clergy, are allowed to engage in the practice or otherwise LGBTQ people not to be LGBTQ.

Ministers would likely have a First Amendment right consistent with their religious beliefs to encourage LGBTQ people, including LGBTQ youth, to change their sexual orientation or gender identity despite those being innate characteristics.

Further, the measures apply only to youth. Even medical and mental health practitioners can offer conversion therapy to adults — and take money for the practice — if those adults on their own volition wish to undergo the practice despite evidence demonstrating it’s ineffective.

“No person licensed pursuant to this subtitle or who performs counseling as part of his training for any profession licensed pursuant to this subtitle shall engage in conversion therapy with a person under 18 years of age,” the Virginia law says. “Any conversion therapy efforts with a person under 18 years of age engaged in by a provider licensed in accordance with the provisions of this subtitle or who performs counseling as part of his training for any profession licensed pursuant to this subtitle shall constitute unprofessional conduct and shall be grounds for disciplinary action by the appropriate health regulatory board within the Department of Health Professions.”

Likely because they’re limited in scope, the state laws are uncontroversial. Numerous governors — Democratic and Republican alike — have signed them into law. Although former Maine Gov. Paul LePage vetoed the measure in the state, the move was corrected by subsequent Gov. Janet Mills, who signed the legislation into law.

Formerly known as “People Can Change,” the Virginia-based group “Brothers on a Road Less Traveled” has faced challenges to its operations before. In 2016, the Human Rights Campaign filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, accusing the group of illegally engaging in fraud. 

But years later, “Brothers on a Road Less Traveled” is still in operation and the only thing that appears to have changed about the organization is it’s name. The FTC has refused to comment to the Washington Blade on the state of the complaint filed by the Human Rights Campaign.

The Human Rights Campaign didn’t respond to the Blade’s request to comment on “Brothers on a Road Less Traveled” remaining in operation in the aftermath of the new Virginia law.

Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, warned “Brothers on a Road Less Traveled” it may still be running afoul of the law if it’s charging money for its practices.

“If they are not targeting minors, the law does not directly affect them; however, if they are charging money, they are likely violating Virginia’s consumer fraud laws and can be sued by anyone who pays them money in exchange for their bogus claims that they can help a gay person become straight,” Minter said. 

Minter concluded under its earlier moniker “People Can Change,” one of the group’s founders Dave Matheson has publicly admitted its claims it can help people change their sexual orientation are false.