The practice of conversion therapy is quickly digging roots as a national conversation in the USA, where it is still legal in the majority of their states. Hollywood has turned their attention to the issue this year with the release of The Miseducation of Cameron Post and Boy Erased bringing attention to the issue that leaves LGBT+ people hating themselves. Online channel HiHo Kids decided to tackle the issue by having kids meet a survivor of cure therapy as part of their ‘Kids Meet’ series.
In the video, they have Marcus James, a survivor of Gay Conversion Therapy, meet four different kids and discuss the issue, as well as Marcus’ own experience.
He starts off by explaining the process of coming out of the closet and how that isn’t always a positive experience, then going on to ask if they’ve never met am LGBT+ person before. The conversation gets interesting as Annie, one of the kids, explains how she attends a Presbyterian church and doesn’t “agree” with homosexuality.
In explaining his experience with coming out, he tells of how he was sent to his grandfather’s after telling his parents where he was put through conversion therapy. When he explains that during conversion therapy, people try and change who he is, they are quick to recognise it as being “mean” and seeing it as senseless.
When he goes into the methods used to try and change him, from being beaten with a bible to starvation, it provokes quite the reaction. Now an authour and podcaster, the kids are reassured that Marcus managed to survive the cruel practice. Watch the full video here:
