Mormon conversion therapist admits being gay

This 9 November 2018 video from the USA says about itself:

What Gay Conversion Therapy Is Really Like

WARNING: This video contains language about sexual assault.

The new movie “Boy Erased” tells the true story of Garrard Conley — the son of a Baptist pastor who, after being outed to his parents at 19, was sent to a two-week long “gay conversion therapy” program.

Conley talked about what the experience was really like, and discussed his efforts to make the practice of conversion therapy on minors illegal. It is currently legal to practice conversion therapy on minors in 36 states. Conley was joined by his mother Martha, who experienced a change of heart while Garrard was in the conversion therapy program and removed him before it was complete. “Boy Erased” arrives in theaters on Friday November 9.

Translated from Dutch NOS TV today:

‘Healer’ of homosexuality comes out of the closet himself

The man who for years wanted to ‘cure’ gay people of their sexual orientation and claimed to be able to change the sexuality of people, has now come out of the closet. Conversion therapist David Matheson says in a Facebook message that he recognizes that he has damaged people with his work.

“A year ago … I realized I couldn’t stay in my marriage any longer. And I realized that it was time for me to affirm myself as gay”, he writes.

Matheson grew up in a Mormon congregation. From that ideology he developed courses and therapies with which he tried to “take away” homosexuals’ orientation.

Now the well-known conversion therapist says that his therapy came from his own ‘homophobia and narrow-mindedness’. He was stuck in his own ideological prison, he writes. … ‘But I’m sure I’ve hurt some people too.’He does not want to apologize, he continues, “but any shortcomings I had as a therapist came from too narrow a view of what “emotionally healthy” can look like”.

It was not his marriage, that was still strong after 34 years, he writes. ‘I also realized that being in an intimate relationship with a man was no longer something I wanted to avoid.’

Therapies illegal

Conversion therapies, promoted primarily by religious communities in the US, have been followed by some 700,000 homosexual and transgender Americans, according to figures from the Williams Institute. In more and more US American states, the use of such therapies for minors is prohibited. According to doctors and psychologists, (wanting) change of someone’s orientation leads to mental health problems.

According to Wayne Besen, founder of an organization that fights against anti-gay sentiments, this step by Matheson proves that conversion therapy is harmful and ineffective. The therapy gives people false hopes that ‘healing’ of an orientation is possible, he says.

Regret

Matheson still sees that somewhere deep inside a homophobe lurks in him, but he can accept the person he is now much better. ‘I am truly sorry for those flaws and the harm they have surely caused some people.’

He concludes his Facebook message with the wish that people through his story are encouraged and get trust in their life path. ‘Pursue it without fear or shame—regardless of what others might think.’

This 9 November 2018 Canadian TV video says about itself:

Garrard Conley’s memoir Boy Erased, about undergoing gay conversion therapy, is now a major movie starring Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman and Lucas Hedges (who plays him). On a recent visit to Canada, the author tells CBC’s Eli Glasner about the harrowing details of what he went through, and why he wants to see a ban on these attempts to change sexual orientation.

PUERTO RICO BANS LGBT CONVERSION THERAPY Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló signed an executive order on Wednesday banning the medically denounced practice of “gay conversion” therapy for minors across the island. “Today we take a step forward to raise awareness among the people about this type of practice that causes pain and suffering,” Rosselló said, adding that the ban would help “protect children.” [HuffPost]

Gay Conversion Therapy Provider Spoke At Parent Meeting At Prominent [Jewish] Orthodox School: here.

UTAH UNIVERSITY KEEPS SAME-SEX ROMANCE BAN Brigham Young University in Utah reiterated that “same-sex romantic behavior” is not allowed on campus — dashing the hopes of LGTBTQ students who thought they could be more open. The university, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said it was clarifying a misinterpretation after it dropped a section of the code banning behavior that reflected “homosexual feelings.” [AP]

STUDENTS PROTEST UNIVERSITY’S ANTI-LGBTQ STANCE  Last week, administrators at Brigham Young University clarified that “same-sex romantic behavior” was still not allowed on campus. Several hundred people protested outside church headquarters in Salt Lake City to cap off a week of fury and heartbreak for LGBTQ students and their straight allies. They sang hymns and chanted “have no fear, God loves queers” as they held rainbow flags. [HuffPost]