The Really Scary Thing About Gay Exorcisms

categories: exgay movement, Religion and LGBT Rights

Published June 26, 2009 @ 05:15AM PT

The Internet is hopping over a shocking video (covered in the news report above) out of Bridgeport, Connecticut that shows a group of elders at the Manifested Glory Ministries Church performing an exorcism on a teenage boy, to cast out homosexual spirits inside him. It's a disgusting scene, with church leaders pinning the teenager on the floor, pushing down on his stomach and chest, and screaming in his face, “Rip it from his throat! Come on, you homosexual demon! You homosexual spirit, we call you out right now! Loose your grip, Lucifer! Come out of his belly...It's in the belly - push!”

During this process, the teenager even throws up...which, frankly, you really can't blame him for, given what his "spiritual leaders" are doing to him.

But here's the scary part: for those who think this scene is isolated, it's not. "Ex-gay therapies," like this gay exorcism, are quite common and spread throughout this country. And it's high time that people see these programs, which destroy the lives of children and youth each and every day, for their true selves.

Ex-gay ministries, like Exodus International (which has yet to take a position on the perverted "exorcism" above) and Love Won Out, regularly engage in crazy behavior to try and change people from homosexual to heterosexual. Tactics of the ex-gay movement have been documented by many, including Truth Wins Out. Among the more ludicrous tactics used by ex-gay movements, beyond exorcisms?

- Hypnosis.

- Encouraging people to gain weight so that they're less attractive to people of the same-sex.

- Putting rubber bands around their body and snapping them whenever they find themselves attracted to someone of the same-sex.

- Faith healing and prayer to cure homosexuality (not unlike, perhaps, the exorcism covered in the news story above).

In short, ex-gay ministries are damaging beyond belief, and as many suggest, straddle that fine line between psychotic and child abuse. The troubling video out of Connecticut ought to be a wake up call for folks that ex-gay ministries are doing things like this on a day-to-day basis. And that's ultimately the scariest part about this news story.

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Comments (13)

This just makes me laugh! It is so rediculous. Did they mean this to be serious? Because it isn't! lmao Next, they should make a black exorcist, a muslim exorcist, and a dwarf exorcist!

Posted by Aleasha Casaretto on 06/26/2009 @ 05:51AM PT
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This does not make me laugh. We are witnissing a young man be destroyed. This is why so many Q&Q youth attempt suicide. Gay conversion therapy is child abuse and should be criminalized.

Posted by Greg Goldgof on 06/26/2009 @ 07:44AM PT
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This is terrible...I think worse than those religious nutter deprogramming camps. They need to legalize gay marriage and make religion illegal...religion is clearly the program in this equation, not LGBT Americans trying to achieve equal rights.

Posted by Michael Brant on 06/26/2009 @ 10:23AM PT
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I agree, Greg. Too many GLBTQ youth are subjected to this practice and many of those are messed up to the point where it is a long time, if ever, until they accept themselves. It is far from a lauhing matter, no matter how the video appears. It is ludicrous but it damages LGTQ people.

Posted by Ioan Lightoller on 06/26/2009 @ 10:40AM PT
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This is one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen! This young man will never be the same again. All of the "pastors" should be charged with assult and battery! Is it any wonder why people are dropping their churches! This is criminal!

Posted by gilbert barrett on 06/26/2009 @ 11:53AM PT
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The anti-LGBT organizations which seek to "convert" LGBT people to heterosexuality are of nonsense. In addition, it's unfortunate that an exorcism was performed on the boy because that exorcism was unjustified. The intolerant organizations and the church which performed the exorcism must receive the shame they deserve for their intolerance. The LGBT community must shun the nonsense activities of which were created out of paranoia.

Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 06/26/2009 @ 03:22PM PT
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What I am about to say (just to be politically correct...), I say with no intention of offending anybody....but... the last era that the church reigned supreme was called THE DARK AGES... Anybody know about the CRUSADES????

Posted by Glen Edwards on 06/26/2009 @ 05:01PM PT
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The only thing worse than this is the fact that people actually believe it works.

Posted by Anonymous X on 06/26/2009 @ 08:37PM PT
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I grew up in this kind of evil church and I saw this kind of exorcism almost daily. And I was just a child! By the age of 15 I was praying God to eliminate any sexual desire from me, to make me an eunuch. I just thank God (not the one that they preach but the One that created me) that I didn't killed myself and instead ran away from that non-sense.

Posted by Hector Garcia on 06/27/2009 @ 12:36AM PT
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Wonder if this is an excuse to take out their own homosexual frustrations on someone weaker than themselves?

Posted by Lisa Smolen on 06/27/2009 @ 07:25AM PT
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Interesting thought, Lisa and closer to the truth than they would ever admit. I hate what these jerks stand for...it's really easy to pick on someone who can't fight back.

Posted by Ioan Lightoller on 06/27/2009 @ 03:34PM PT
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This is probably one of the most difficult things about overcoming homosexual persecution from the Christian church. Unlike past prejudices (racism and sexism), which they are still overcoming, this is considered a sin.

It is still very much misunderstood by the Christian community and this type of action comes out of their fear. The damage done to youth and adults is beyond belief, and their holding on to their ignorance is no different than racists that still use the Christian faith so support their superiority over others.

This is also the reason that the Christians fear hate crimes legislation. They know that in the end it will kill one of their most cherished fear tactics. Remember it wasn't that long ago that women were very much oppressed by the church. Some churches still place women as second class citizens in the Christian kingdom.

We must continually work not only to stop this kind of horrible action, but also educate people about the reality of what it means to be GLBTQ. We must continue to come out and be present in their world. I myself allowed myself to be oppressed by this fear for over twenty years before I came out of the closet as a middle aged man. I hope this young man doesn't wait as long.

Later,

Marlin

Posted by Marlin Bynum on 06/27/2009 @ 06:47PM PT
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Also here is her rebuttal of this event.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9oIuBNx-3A

Later,

Marlin

Posted by Marlin Bynum on 06/27/2009 @ 06:49PM PT
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Author

Michael is the Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, and previously was Communications Director for Pax Christi USA, a progressive Catholic human rights organization.