"Pray Away" on Netflix

[MayMay1123]

A very good documentary on Exodus, a conversion therapy national group, and the fall from it. Touches on the frc, too. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

I just watched it. I was watching that “Freedom March” looking for TAM and her family. They usually go. I bet she didn’t give them the rights to film them for the documentary. But I know they were there. TAM is a big believer in conversion. I just felt sorry for everyone who “converted” to straight. It’s so obvious so many of them are in pain. It was a sad documentary. 

[Antipatriarch]

So glad Exodus is gone now, and that many Christian organizations have realized that so-called "conversion therapy" doesn't work and causes harm to those it's inflicted on. My heart aches for LGBTQ+ people in those pews who are told their only options are to "choose to be straight" (as if that's an option; as if many of their subsequent marriages and families won't implode years later under the strain), or else be celibate and single for life.  

[fundiefan]

I am actually watching it right now. 

[fundiefan]

I just finished it - fell asleep last night part way through.

The biggest thing I got out of it? Complete & utter sadness over Jeffrey McCall. 

Someone hurt that man badly and deserves to be held accountable. 

OK, I got more out of it, but all along the same lines. Sadness for all the people hurt by the BS & still being hurt by it and people. 

People are assholes. 

[Caroline]

Thanks for recommending this documentary.  I was sad when some of the ex-ex-gay people said that this foolishness unfortunately is not going away.   And the statistic about suicide and young people exposed to this kind of 'therapy'. Just depressing and s unnecessary.

[shesinsane]

I'm listening to a radio show where they just finished discussing this documentary. It's an LGBTQ+ show, so the hosts have an insider (people have tried to "convert" them) perspective.

The doc is on my watchlist, I hope it will answer the question I ask whenever there's a gay church scandal in the news: If praying the gay away was a real thing, how come it didn't work for Ted Haggard, Jeffrey Burrill, Paul Barnes, etc? One doesn't get to the top of church leadership without serious amounts of prayer; and if the men who have spent decades praying unsuccessfully to be heterosexual, what chance does a questioning teenager have?

[Bluebirdbluebell]

On 8/8/2021 at 1:04 PM, shesinsane said:

I'm listening to a radio show where they just finished discussing this documentary. It's an LGBTQ+ show, so the hosts have an insider (people have tried to "convert" them) perspective.

The doc is on my watchlist, I hope it will answer the question I ask whenever there's a gay church scandal in the news: If praying the gay away was a real thing, how come it didn't work for Ted Haggard, Jeffrey Burrill, Paul Barnes, etc? One doesn't get to the top of church leadership without serious amounts of prayer; and if the men who have spent decades praying unsuccessfully to be heterosexual, what chance does a questioning teenager have?

I heard Ted Haggard is completely heterosexual.

[Antipatriarch]

On 8/4/2021 at 9:33 AM, Antipatriarch said:

So glad Exodus is gone now, and that many Christian organizations have realized that so-called "conversion therapy" doesn't work and causes harm to those it's inflicted on.

Some battles are won, but sadly the war rages on. I saw the following article today (via The Friendly Atheist): Another "conversion therapy" group, with even more disgusting practices than Exodus Int'l -- they were told by the court to shut down, so they just rebranded and kept going.

https://www.nj.com/hudson/2021/08/founders-of-new-jersey-gay-conversion-therapy-practice-lose-appeal-must-pay-35-million.html

🤮