17 Year Old Sent to 'Pray Away the Gay' Camp

[iweartanktops]

http://www.king5.com/mb/news/family-attempting-to-free-gay-teen-from-pray-the-gay-away-camp/237165210

"The page dedicated to her release, “Save Sarah,” is not only attracting the dollars but outrage from the community. The family said that the 17-year-old’s parents sent her to a Christian boarding facility to undergo "therapy" for her "disease" after she went to prom with her girlfriend."

I'm so glad this young lady's relatives are stepping in to try to free her! 

Save Sarah, indeed! 

[December]

Here's the desktop version (easier to read on larger screens): 

http://www.king5.com/news/family-attempting-to-free-gay-teen-from-pray-the-gay-away-camp/237165210

It's sickening to think that this poor girl is being held against her will (the article says she tried to escape but was caught by staff). How the hell is CPS not stepping in and removing her and any other children there?! 

The only bright spot in this story is that family members are advocating for her and getting the law involved. I hope she is released and put in the custody of adults who actually care about her safety and well being. I also hope this facility and her parents are both investigated, too. 

[marmalade]

She's 17. With this attention, could she find a supportive attorney and become emancipated? 

[iweartanktops]

1 minute ago, marmalade said:

She's 17. With this attention, could she find a supportive attorney and become emancipated? 

It sounds like her aunt is trying to facilitate something like that. Either custody or emancipation. 

It breaks my heart that this is even a thing! It must be so painful when your own parents don't love you for who you are. 

@December, thank you for posting that link! I sometimes forget about the mobile/desktop issue. 

[marmalade]

I agree, but these safeguards for minors  are put in place based on past history of shitbag parents. I hope she can get away from them and live her authentic life. 

[NotALoserLikeYou]

It's sad. I've seen those documentaries about these "boarding schools" and they're awful. And very unregulated! 

[19TrollsandCounting]

I Wouldnt be surprised if the parents who sent her there are someone we've snarked on before. or if shes at a "Journey to the heart" type thing.

 

[RosyDaisy]

FREE SARAH! I hope she she can become emancipated. God only knows what they are doing to her in that place.

[Howl]

It wasn't clear if this girl's parents are directly associated with the San Antonio Family Association, whose spokesperson was quoted in the article.  Here's what SAFA is about:

Quote

 

Protecting, Defending and Promoting the Family, the Building Block Of Society 

The San Antonio Family Association (SAFA) was formed in 2011 in response to the tax payer funding of the twisted play (portraying Christ as a homosexual) called “Corpus Christi” on city property and to the San Antonio City Council 2012 Budget approval which implemented “domestic partner” benefits for city employees, increased the tax payer funding of the arts and increase the tax payer funding of “unplanned” pregnancy services (which is the Alamo City’s local version of the HHS contraception mandate).

SAFA is a non-profit association which educates on and advocates for family values in the local and regional community.

Today SAFA is engaged in promoting the cause of life, seeking social justice for the unborn, and educating the public in support of the traditional family, natural family planning, and how to create a culture of life and family in San Antonio and the State of Texas.

 

That sounds kinda Catholic, but I'm betting the boarding school in East Texas is Baptist.  Off to see if i can find the name of the boarding facility. 

[Four is Enough]

I'm concerned that the first hearing isn't to be held until July. She could be in pretty bad shape by then.

[Destiny]

Poor thing. If I had any money, I would send it.

Why are these "facilities" not illegal?

[Glasgowghirl]

Poor girl this reminds me of the parents in the Leela Alcorn case, poor girl needs support not judgement. I hope her aunt gets her away from that place and her so called parents.

[PennySycamore]

I wonder if the "home" or "camp" where Sarah was sent was the infamous Rebekah Home run by the Lester Roloff outfit.  Lester Roloff was one supremely nasty character.

Lester Roloff

[theinvisiblegirl]

Not sure if you all are Broadway fans or watched Super Girl, but one of the stars of SG, Jeremy Jordan, is Sarah's cousin. That's how I heard about it. I think it's his mother that's facilitating this, but I could be wrong. It's so awful. These places should not be legal.

[PennySycamore]

@theinvisiblegirl, in some states like New Jersey they are not legal.

[AmazonGrace]

7 hours ago, Howl said:

It wasn't clear if this girl's parents are directly associated with the San Antonio Family Association, whose spokesperson was quoted in the article.  Here's what SAFA is about:

That sounds kinda Catholic, but I'm betting the boarding school in East Texas is Baptist.  Off to see if i can find the name of the boarding facility. 

Fwiw, Dohlen seems to be Catholic based on Fb

Quote

 

While many people are on Sarah's side, Patrick Von Dohlen is not.

“It’s for their own protection and good,” said Von Dohlen, who is president of the San Antonio Family Association. “In this case, it’s natural for her to like boys. It’s not natural for her to like girls.”

 

Moreover, he appears to be a douche. 

[Howl]

OK, no more mystery.  This story was featured in my central Texas newspaper today in the Area and Metro section under 'Gay conversion' fears spur outcry to 'save Sarah'.  

The "therapeutic" (see what I did there?) boarding school is HeartLight Ministries, which uses a biblical counseling model, and, from their Web site, looks waaaay expensive.  I came across it yesterday when googling Christian therapeutic boarding schools + East Texas:  http://www.heartlightministries.org/  

The girl's father and their pastor have admitted that the purpose of sending her there is to change her sexual orientation.  The mom is quoted as saying "My daughter would be heartbroken that she is being misrepresented this way. It has nothing to do with her sexuality."  The mom denies that Heartlight does gay conversion therapy.  Sarah's been there since May 13th.  I suspect that Heartlight does not call it that, but we all know how the biblical counseling model approaches homosexuality. 

Students are mostly cut off from the outside world, with one phone call/week with parents, one visit/month with parents (at the staff's discretion) and the staff decides if students can send or receive mail from anyone besides parents. 

ETA: this is the link to the bios for the counseling staff, who are all young. http://www.heartlightministries.org/boarding-school/staff/counseling/

One has a legit graduate counseling degree from the University of Texas at Austin; others went to Christian undergrad schools and then received Christian Marriage and Counseling degrees. 

There may not be much or any legal standing for those not her parents to take legal action on her behalf, because there is no history or proof of family violence. 

[BlessedMajorNeglect]

Gay conversion is a gross human rights violation. Like someone else said, in some states it's quite illegal. Maybe it's time that the Federal government steps in and makes it illegal across the board. 

[artdecades]

12 hours ago, theinvisiblegirl said:

Not sure if you all are Broadway fans or watched Super Girl, but one of the stars of SG, Jeremy Jordan, is Sarah's cousin. That's how I heard about it. I think it's his mother that's facilitating this, but I could be wrong. It's so awful. These places should not be legal.

He has done a great thing by bringing awareness to it. It is on all the celebrity gossip blogs because of his support and other stars like Neil Patrick Harris have pledged money. Sadly, it would not have gotten a fraction of the attention it has without him.

 

I hope that she can get herself legally emancipated and free herself from that horrible place. She is lucky she has such a supportive extended family. My heart breaks for her and even more for those who don't have the support system she does.

[Iamhispurity]

These are their warning signs...

[AmazonGrace]

Hm but blatant disregard for the feelings of the teen by the parents is A-ok.

A teen who openly displays rebellion or defiance  is being, well, a teen.

[paganbaby]

A few years ago, there was a similar case. A teen posted on My Space (as I said, a few years ago) that he was being sent to such a place. His friends showed up at the "ministry" and stood across the street with signs encouraging him to stay strong and reminding him he wasn't alone. The story went viral. The ministry no longer exists, and the guy who ran it now admits it was misguided. Googling isn't pulling up the story for me yet.

ETA: It was "Love in Action":

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2016/05/29/72715

 

 

[Howl]

The Heartlight Ministries has a statement on their web site that Sarah is no longer there and stating that they offer no type of "treatment" for sexual identity issues.  I suspect that the minute this story became public, she was asked to leave.  They absolutely cannot afford any type of negative publicity. 

[smittykins]

I was thinking about that case myself, @paganbaby.  Thank you for finding it, and I hope Zach has been able to live true to himself.

[AmazonGrace]

11 minutes ago, Howl said:

The Heartlight Ministries has a statement on their web site that Sarah is no longer there and stating that they offer no type of "treatment" for sexual identity issues.  I suspect that the minute this story became public, she was asked to leave.  They absolutely cannot afford any type of negative publicity. 

https://www.heartlightministries.org/2016/02/teen-girls-and-sexual-identity-2/

Sure sounds like they think they can pray away the bad gay