By Miv Evans
‘Reparative’ or ‘conversion’ therapy is an attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender. As bizarre a notion as this may sound, an Evangelical church in Washington state convinced thousands of Americans they could ‘pray away the gay.’ Needless to say, the church got extremely rich.
It all began in the 70s. This may have been an enlightened time for some but, for others, taboos around same sex relationships were rampant. In an attempt to leave the homosexual lifestyle so despised by their Christian faith, a group of men started a support group. Within weeks, they received over 25,000 letters from people asking for help. The group quickly grew into a movement known as Exodus International. Its rallying cry was “Change is right around the corner!” It endured for 37 years and was the largest conversion therapy organization in the world.
Initially, treatment was limited to counseling and 12-step programs. This was injurious enough to its victims, but then ‘aversion treatment’ raised its ugly head. This more sinister approach administered electric shocks and induced vomiting and paralysis. In other words, it was a sadist’s paradise. If anyone died during their torture, it didn’t get reported. Unless, of course, suicides are included. They were four times higher than the U.S. norm and predominantly young.
Amongst the many who had been ‘saved’ by this therapy were five superstars. They travelled the globe to preach about their God-inspired change. Audiences were spellbound by these ‘ex-gay’ epiphanies. But the same time the celebrities were extolling their miracle, they were struggling with a hidden truth. Their same-sex attractions had never gone away. One by one, they came out as LGBTQ, disavowing the very movement they helped start. Their declarations were the catalysts that pulled back the curtain on the abominations being carried out in the name of the Lord.
The American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, and virtually every recognized health organization, discredited the therapy. They said It was unscientific, ineffective and likely to cause lifelong psychological and spiritual violence and devastation. These revelations went viral and with an entire country watching, church leaders had no option than to close Exodus down. As far as the public were concerned, that was the end of it. But Big Church wasn’t going to give up those Big Bucks without a fight.
Some of the Exodus ministries quietly rebranded themselves and the Restored Hope Network, another faction with a God complex, made a silent debut. All these websites make great efforts to try and separate themselves from the disgraced mob of 2013. But nobody can misinterpret the meaning of ‘overcoming sinful relational and sexual issues.’ So the assaults never stopped, despite proof of their tragic consequences. But how else do you net millions from ‘treatment centers’ when you’re not even qualified to take a pulse?
Clinicians lose their license if they harm a patient, but Evangelicals hide behind religious freedom. This means they can do what they want, to who they want, if they claim they’re carrying out God’s will. Isn’t it strange how religious fanatics always know exactly what God’s will is, and how, coincidentally, it lines up with their own?
The documentary Pray Away is streaming on Netflix. It chronicles the journeys of leaders, members and survivors of Exodus International.