of the northern lights near minneapolis. a severe solar storm slammed earth, creating the shimmering po polar site. more from the website, aljazeera.com. strait. plus up close and personal. how a documentary film can help change the conversation in america about gun violence. this week or next the united states supreme court is expected to deliver a potentially history-making decision on gay marriage. right now, as the map shows, gay marriage is legal in 37 states

and the district of columbia. everything in orange - gay marriage is not legal in 13 states, the one in red. it includes four states and has cases before the court. an issue for the justice is whether the bans on same-sex marriage, whether they were constitutional. if the court rules they are unconstitutional. it would mark a legal transformation that began two years ago. in 2013, a key section of the marriage act was rejected. ruling that benefits could not be denied to legally married gays or lesbians. 35 states passed laws banning same-sex marriage, and the ruling prompted dozens of those bans to be struck down in lower court. the transformation that has been under way mirrors a shift in american's attitudes towards gays and lesbians.

a poll shows that 50% of americans support same sex memories, and it is up from the 35% support in 2001. and the percentage of americans who are opposed to day marriage - it was at 57% 14 years ago, and opposition has dropped to 39% today. look at this. a gallop poll found two-thirds of americans found homosexual relations acceptable. 40 years ago only 14% said it was morally acceptable. the percentage of people that said gay or lesbian relationships are long stands at 34%, a drop from 50% 14 years ago who said it was wrong. the numbers essentially mean that one-third of americans believe right now that being day is morally unacceptable. that's a factor we are turning our attention to people that don't want to be gay, or whose

parents don't want them to be gay. there's extreme measures, some are willing or are a force to go to. we talk about gay conversion therapy. it designed to change from gay to straight. some say it's bogus, and can do more harm than good. we'll tack to an advocate that says parents have a right to choose conversion therapy. in april, a ban was called for, in response to a petition of the death of a transgender teenager, that is a picture of her from her tumbler account. she committed suicide. and the suicide note referred to visits to christian therapists who told her she was "selfish and wrong." this debate over the laws of attraction involves religion, freedom and rites.

like almost everything else, the passions that drive conversion therapy find a home in cyber space. >> bang, bang. >> reporter: as an actor, jeremy was the image of confidence. in the early 2000 he was pursuing his dream of being on the big screen, and enjoying life as a gay american. by 29 he was in a serious relationship with a man. did you break up because you wanted to not be gay or did you break up for some other reason? >> i think it was a combination. i was coming to that conclusion. he left me for someone else. that was actually devastating at the time. i was still emotionally that. >> reporter: was it a shock when he left you? >> yes, a little bit. because, you know, things had gone from being really intimate to almost being like total

strangers overnight. i had gone through that experience before. this time it was painful faufs so long, and we were living in years. >> reporter: that was 20007, the same year he decided he didn't want to be gay. jeremy devoted his lie to ensure diversion therapies are allowed arguing that parent should have the option to put children in rapportive therapy. >> i think this is what people need versus same-sex marriage. i want the option veil. it's the right choice for me. i know it's helped everybody option. >> is it possible you had a broken heart and you didn't want to go back to another map, and you want to leave the lifestyle. >> there's more to it than the one instance.

for 10 years of my life i was going back and forth and up and down living a gay life, and feeling conflicted about it. not knowing how i could control it or find healing and live the way i wanted to. with my faith and my beliefs. >> reporter: jeremy went through the treatment and is leading a dallas-based military called joel 225 international. posting a video like this, therapy. >> before the weekend i was 100% homosexual. there was no attraction to women at all. the homosexuality was controlling my life, every aspect of my life. now it's more like a random thought every other week. >> reporter: he's expanding his own ministry. joel 225 gave this map showing a global reach. it has members in europe, asia,

and other countries where being openly gay is an offense. joel 225 holds conferences, and connects them to real world groups and therapists. >> there's a big arabic group, spanish, portuguese, french, german, russian. the success is frightening. he went to convention therapy as a teenager. it's fraudulent. it was tough therapy for me. it wasn't trick shock or -- mark trickett shock or a -- elect rick shop. james launched a movement. >> we need to protect l.g.b.t. from a psych lodge likely abuse of practice. james accepted his sexuality. jerl ni believes his -- jeremy believes it's rooted in

childhood trauma. >> when i was young i was kicked and beaten. >> reporter: have you had sex with women. >> there was a couple of times in the past when i did. with my faith it's not appropriate for me do that before harm. >> reporter: do you get the urge for men sometimes? >> sometimes. it's not as often as it used to be. probably 10% of what it used to be in terms of frequency and intensity. it usually happens when i'm feeling lonely or isolated or something has happened i'm shaming myself about. >> being gay doesn't work for you, it's not who you feel like you are. >> stakes are rising for germany in ministries like his. four many are suing juice, claiming the new jersey based group knew it was impossible to change sexuality, but charmed tens of thousands for traumatic therapies including group nudity and homophobic taunting.

>> jeremy testified at the try, the defense bringing him forward as a success story would you say you are a straight man or not gay. >> i'm straight, but not in the same way everyone else was. i think i was born to be. i think i am, yes. >> reporter: if state lawmakers have their way, fewer and fewer people will have access to therapies like this, or a governor who voted to ban the practice, following the lead of new jersey, california and d c. more that a dozens states were considering the ban. >> if it's bad for children and adults, what do you do then. >> you're willing to go forward, even if they say it's illegal for the therapy to assist. >> yes, i am. >> reporter: why is that. >> i believe in it, i know it's necessary and helps people. >> this is why he believes his ministry is important now. >> would you administer to

someone via the internet. >> yes, there are counsellors in other states or countries that can help them and can work way. >> the fear and promise is simple. if america's licensed therapist can no longer practice diversion, people like him are vowing to fill the void. >> reporter: we are joined in studio. unbelievable story. how widespread is gay conversion therapy in the united states. >> estimates vary. according to the center for lesbian rights, somewhere along the lines of a third of lesbian, there you get the sense that mr shwabb is happy. >> he has set his own goal of success. you know, he mentioned clearly that sometimes he still has the same sex attraction. for him it's about not acting

out as much. by that standard, he says he succeeded. a lot of other people would say no, you haven't. >> we heard of stories of people locked in rooms, dropped in conversion therapy. what does he say? >> he says, and the few i spoke to who are members of the ministry, but would not come on camera, that it is not force, it's voluntary. you have to wonder about the cities and worlds in which they live. if they feel they need to go to something like this. some were married. some have children, they are dealing with the same sex attraction. if this has become - if it becomes illegal and state's ban underground. >> that's a tricky part. to his credit general assembly says that is what he wanted to happen. if he has licensed professionals administering the treatment

there's a check. if it goes under ground. you don't know if it's someone that has training or a passion sexuality. >> terrific job on this story. thank you. next, the politics of gay conversion therapy to tax the party that endorses it, making it part of their platform. we question the chair of the party when we come back. >> my name is imran garda the show is called third rail, when you watch this show, you're gonna find us being un-afraid. the topics will fascinate you, intrigue you... >> they take this seriously... >> let me quote you... >> there's a double standard... >>...could be a hypocrite >> you're also gonna get a show that's really fair bold... never predictable... >> the should be worried about heart disease, not terrorism... >> i wouldn't say that at all...

>> you'll see a show that has an impact on the conventional wisdom, that goes where nobody else goes... >> my name is imran garda i am the host of third rail, and you can find it on al jazeera america

before the break we examine the controversy behind gay conversion therapy, it is intended to reduce or eliminate same-sex attraction. president obama says the therapies should be banned because of trauma it can inflict on minors. three states made it illegal for the service to be provided to minors. in a state there's a movement to help parents who want it used on their children. former chair of the texas republican party endorsed part of the g.o.p.'s platform to protect the right to therapy, and says having the option is a matter of freedom and parental right. thanks for being with us. you know the main character - he

underwent the therapy, and you said he no longer makes you think he's gay. i want to get your rehabilitation to the clip. >> have you had sex. >> well there were a couple of times in the past when i did. >> do you get the urge. >> sometimes. it's probably 10% in terms of frequency and intensity. usually it happens when you feel lonely or isolated or something's happened. i'm shaiming myself about. >> reporter: he has the urge, he's attracted to other men, do you think he's not gay? >> i think absolutely that jeremy schwab is living the life that he has chosen, and that is a life of celibacy until he find the woman that he absolutely want to be a partner for life. >> fair point, and let's assume that he's living the life that he wants to lead. but do you think he's gay?

>> absolutely not, any more than i think is a former drug addict who has a desire for the rest of his life to do drugs, would no longer consider himself a drug addict because he is sustaining from the use of illegal drugs. and i think that our psyche is made that way. they want to go in a direction to know that in our heart of hearts is not a direction for help. there's peer review showing some will work, is there anything that shows that it works? >> i don't know the answer to that. i know lente of people that left -- plenty of people that left the lifestyle behind and the book i read, the bible says that there were some of you that were homosexuals or sinners in other way, that they chose to

turn from that, and chose salvation outside of themselves. >> the bible says we should stone people that work on saturdays, i'm not sure you mean the literal sense of the bible. context. >> a lot of people argue that the issue of gays is taken out of context. here is what the american phycological association said in a report: the a.p.a. cannot support claims that the therapy is affective. >> the a.p.a. made the decision to walk away from a long-held position that homosexuality was a mental dis ord when they had six persons, and a seventh who

was already prescreened as being on the side of homosexual lobby, who changed that policy after many years being held by the psychiatric association. it depends on who is doing the study, and what their conclusions are. will this be an open-minded project. will it be something that will include parental rights. something that a person himself can choose. no one should be forced into that kind of therapy, indeed. but a parent and a person who chooses this kind of therapy should have it available. rights. >> the outline is wrong. >> you mentioned parental right. the role of parent is to protect the children. but there seems to be riskses. there was a case of the young transgender teen that killed herself leaving a note saying she was scarred at attempts to change her sexuality, and the american psychiatric association said:

by law... >> you have the a.p.a. who changed their minds about it. and it was not an objective position. look at the child who is more vulnerable than two sexually transmitted disease, deadly diseases like aids as a result of participating in a lifestyle of homosexuality. >> that is a different issue. >> no it's not. it's sexuality. >> why should parental rights trump the psychological associations standards about protecting children.

>> why should parents rights be trumped. what about children not taugh to... >> but isn't it child abuse. >> child abuse is in the classroom when they are told lies about the american psychiatric association, and the conclusion that it drew when it was skewed. children are taught and led into believing that this is a natural and normal and healthy lifestyle. when the fact is no nation on earth has ever said we are going to put homosexuality on the same level as heterosexual marriage. now america is considering this. it's the wrong drerks. what we have seen, yes, there was a decline in morals. towards the end of the empires. in the united states of america, they are the first ones to say we are going to legitimize the same level.

>> speaking of morals, if the united states supreme court declares that homosexual marriage is legal. there's not something abhorrent about it, they can get the same rights as other americans. if the united states supreme court says it's legal. do you abide what the supreme court says. >> do you think that a man's body is meant for penetration by another man or... >> that was not the question. >>..or is it meant to be in union with a woman who was body is built. heterosexuality is healthy, normal and natural. homosexual behaviour is unnatural and unhealthy. >> do you think if the united states supreme court says it's legal, will you follow what the says. >> i will not throw away the script tours and millenia of history to accept the theart of a few judges.

>> we'll take it as a know from the former chairman of the texas republican party, thank you tore being on the programme. we appreciate it. every day in the united states, gun violence takes the lives of 1 million people, we debate the why, and now two emmy award winning film-makers are hoping to change the conversation. we'll put politics aside and foz on the victims of violence >> bold... >> he took two m-16's, and he crawled... >> brave... >> ...do what you gotta do... >> then betrayed... >> why do you think you didn't get the medal of honor? >> a lifetime without the honor they deserved... >> some say that it was discrimination... >> revealing the long painful fight, to recognize some of america's bravest... >> he say.. be cool...be cool... >> ...proudest moment in my life.. >> honor delayed a soledad o'brien special report

only on al jazeera america amazi.

>> "techknow", where technology meets humanity. monday, 6:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. charleston was the latest shocking reminder of how many americans die after being shot by a gun. everywhere in the united states more than 32,000 were killed by guns, an average of 88 deaths every day. film-makers sherry and nick found the number shocking, and wanted to change the

conversation. they set out to tell the personal stories of the victims that died in 2014, focussing on eight victims, pored through vaib feeds, family photos, sharing tales of life and death. the documentary, requiem for the dead. american spraying 2014 - bay bued monday on h bo. welcome to sherry and nick. it doesn't talk about remedies. was that by design? >> i think our whole thinking in the film was to really put you inside the human loss. to get to know the kinds of people that die every day in america. every day people, and to understand their life so that you could feel what their deaths mean. i think that a lot of times we see headlines and when we are doing the film, so many headlines and we wanted to go deeper into that. >> the "new york times" was

tough in their few saying the film preaches to the converted and does to that make the converted feel like peeping toms. how do you respond to that. >> it's aring. our point of view is about human beings, and so, you know, you make a film that we feel tries to find an autedentic voice of the characters we were portraying. they were no longer living. trying to find out who they were felt like paying tribute to them, that wasn't us putting a spin on. it was how they portrayed themselves. it was authentic and powerful, and we could trust that it could stand on its own. suddenly you get in the middle of the gun depats, and people are -- debates, and people are saying you are trying to do this or that. we are trying to tell human stories, that is important.

>> let's show a clip of a human story now. watch. >> he couldn't live without her, so nobody else was going to. and he just took her. from all of us. an example of mental illness. why is this particular story so significant? >> well, there's a lot of gun fatalities because of mental illness. mental illness running through a lot of the people that are in the film. there's something about a gun being able to act on impulse, that makes them particularly dangerous for people with psychological problems. >> and given how much you invested in getting to know the dead and better understanding their lives, does it make you less optimistic, more pessimistic in terms of gun violence being solved. did it change your view of

whether the problem can be solved in the united states? >> it seems like a lot of - if we were safer with our guns, and made sure the gunning didn't get into the wrong hands, all the people would be alive. it seems it can be solved. as a society we have to work it out. we have to hope the film sparks a conversation. thank you so much for coming on "on target" tomorrow, trolling for dollars, how companies threaten to put the little guy and american ingenuity out of business. >> in business i don't know anything else you can do to a company to decimate it, and sue it for ip infringement and almost to have no recourse. >> trolling for dollars on tart . >> that is our show for today.

i'm david shuster in for ali velshi. thank you for watching. n.a.t.o. troops practice repelling a russian invasion. the united states sends weapons to eastern europe. russia's leaders cultivate and support american enemies with high-profile visits. sounds a lot like the bad old days of the cold war, but it's really right there in today's headlines. could it be cold war ii. it's "inside story".