Pray away the gay camp

One in three LGBT kids will go through some form of "conversion therapy" in their lifetime. But not all of them get away with an unhealthy dose of sex-shaming and a handful of ignorant lectures; some of those kids will be locked in a room and literally tortured. Netflix's documentary Pray Away talks to former leaders of Exodus International, one of the biggest organizations that pushed for so-called conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ people.

" Pray the Gay Away? " is a episode of the American television series Our America with Lisa Ling. The episode, hosted by Ling, profiles several people as they seek to reconcile their homosexuality with their Christianity. It originally aired on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network on March 8, Exodus International, evangelicalism’s flagship ex-gay ministry, shut down in after former leader Alan Chambers said it had caused pain and harm to too many people and that more than UPDATE: A year-old girl banished by her parents to a gay conversion camp has been released following a campaign to save her.

A global campaign is underway to save Sarah, a girl allegedly being held in a Christian gay conversion facility. While it can be easy to think of conversion practices as something of the past, they can — and do — still happen to lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, intersex and ace people across the United Kingdom today.

Conversion practices are one-directional: the intention is to get a person to change or cancel their sexual orientation or gender identity. This is the opposite of appropriate, affirming and healthy therapy or counselling, which will support an individual who is exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity whatever the outcome may be.

Conversion practice is abuse, and it must be banned, in every setting and for everyone subjected to it. Without a ban, conversion practices will continue to put our communities at risk of lifelong psychological damage. Often people are surprised at how close a victim of conversion practices is to the person or organisation who conducted it. But by a large margin, most victims of conversion practices went through it in a faith setting.

Spiritual exploration or counselling in an open and affirming manner can be a massive support for a person. But, if spiritual guidance, counselling or prayer takes the form of coercing a person to cure themselves of their sexual orientation or gender identity, this is not exploration or counselling. It is conversion practice, and it is abuse. It is important to be clear that a ban is not about restricting prayer or criminalising regular religious or faith-based activity.

I Went to Church

But there is no freedom or right that grants a licence to harm, abuse or torture another person. More than three years ago, the Government promised to ban conversion practices, and later this year they will publish a consultation into what that Bill will include. Send Share Share Email. Published August 2, So, what actually are conversion practices?

Why do we need a ban? Where are conversion practices happening in the UK? Why must conversion practices be banned in faith settings? How can you help ban conversion practices in the UK? Find out how you can support a ban on conversion practices that leaves no one behind. Sign up for news.