GETA was formed in June 2021 by four members of the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine, Sasha Ayad, Roberto D'Angelo, Stella O'Malley, and Lisa Marchiano, and Genspect advisor Joseph Burgo.

Shortly afterwards, Lisa Marchiano spoke to The Economist opposing the order two weeks later, stating a conversion therapy ban could cause a "chilling effect" on her organization.

[3][6][7] In September 2022 GETA members submitted a comment opposing U.S. Department of Education guidance protecting gender identity under Title IX, arguing it would lead to mandatory social transitioning of children without parental consent.

[11] The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration issued a report noting that "approaches that discourage youth from identifying as transgender or gender-diverse, and/or from expressing their gender identity" are "harmful and never appropriate" but sometimes “misleadingly" labelled as "exploratory therapy.

[1][13][14][15][16] The American College of Pediatricians have cited numerous studies by GETA members to argue conversion therapies are necessary to maintain the "biological integrity" of trans and gender nonconforming people.