NETFLIX fans have been left in tears watching new documentary Pray Away as it shows harrowing scenes of gay conversion therapy. The highly emotional 100-minute documentary follows ex-leaders and a survivor of the so-called “conversion therapy” movement in America. The feature-length documentary examines the rise of the horrific practice across the world from the people […]
NETFLIX fans have been left in tears watching new documentary Pray Away as it shows harrowing scenes of gay conversion therapy.
The highly emotional 100-minute documentary follows ex-leaders and a survivor of the so-called “conversion therapy” movement in America.
The feature-length documentary examines the rise of the horrific practice across the world from the people who used to preach it, and those affected.
It centres around five men in the 1970s struggling with their sexuality who started a Bible study group in order to move away from homosexuality.
When things snowballed, and they received 25,000 letters from people who also wanted to stop being gay, forming the Exodus International movement.
It became the largest conversion therapy organisation in the world, promising to ‘cure’ members of their homosexual desires in an intensive course.
It aimed to change the sexual orientation and ‘fix’ the gender identity of men and women through religious leadership and support groups.
But behind the scenes – the leaders had a terrible secret, they had never stopped feeling attracted to the same sex, and struggled with shame that even led some of them to suicide.
With the men and women originally organised in the religious group stepping away and coming out as LGBTQ, they have spoken on the topic for the first time.
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While Exodus was dissolved in 2013, the views of e-members battle again the current members of the newly-formed Exodus Global Alliance.
After the highly-anticipated release of the feature-length film to Netflix on Tuesday, viewers have revealed how they were left in tears.
Taking to Twitter, one viewer wrote: “Very difficult to watch.”
Another added: “Watching Pray Away on Netflix and my skin is crawling, gross gross gross all my religious trauma is just coming back.”
“No matter how much I know, I can still be shocked at the inhumanity of people towards what they don’t understand. Sad,” a third said.
“Part of me feels like my skin is crawling and the need to run,” a fourth echoed, while a fifth said: “Harrowing. Tough to get through alone.”
Others praised the difficult-to-watch documentary, and encouraged everyone to watch it to help them be “educated”.
“I feel so grateful to those who shared their stories in this film. Their voices and experiences need to be heard…” one woman wrote.
Another said: “This is an important piece of work which I really hope inspires change.”
Conversion therapy is any form of treatment or psychotherapy which aims to reduce or stop same-sex attraction, and is based on an assumption that being lesbian, gay, or bisexual is a mental illness that can be “cured”.
In the UK, all major counselling and psychotherapy bodies, as well as the NHS, have concluded that conversion therapy is dangerous and have condemned it.
Former Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to ban the “abhorrent” practice of trying to turn gay people straight under an action plan to improve the lives of LGBT people.
The world’s largest LGBT Government survey ever carried out showed more than 2,000 people had undergone “therapy” with at least 5,400 being offered it out of more than 108,000 respondents.
The £4.5million initiative declared: “We will consider all legislative and non-legislative options to prohibit promoting, offering or conducting conversion therapy.”
Theresa May said in 2019: “We can be proud that the UK is a world leader in advancing LGBT rights, but the overwhelming response to our survey has shone a light on the many areas where we can improve the lives of LGBT people.
“I was struck by just how many respondents said they cannot be open about their sexual orientation or avoid holding hands with their partner in public for fear of a negative reaction.
“No one should ever have to hide who they are or who they love.
“This LGBT action plan will set out concrete steps to deliver real and lasting change across society, from health and education to tackling discrimination and addressing the burning injustices that LGBT people face.”
Last summer, Prime Minister Boris Johnson echoes Theresa May’s plans, saying he hoped that the plans for a ban would be brought forward.
However, the ban is yet to come into place, with the government announcing a consultation will be held in England and Wales before the law changes.
