Synopsis:
In the 1970s, five men struggling with being gay in their Evangelical church started a Bible study to help each other leave the “homosexual lifestyle.” They quickly received over 25,000 letters from people asking for help and formalized as Exodus International, the largest and most controversial conversion therapy organization in the world. But leaders struggled with a secret: their own “same-sex attractions” never went away. After years as Christian superstars in the religious right, many of these men and women have come out as LGBTQ, disavowing the very movement they helped start. Focusing on the dramatic journeys of former conversion therapy leaders, current members, and a survivor, PRAY AWAY chronicles the “ex gay” movement’s rise to power, persistent influence, and the profound harm it causes.
No one should be made to feel that their existence is an abomination just for being alive. I’ve never understood why what someone else looks like, how they speak, what their beliefs are, or who they have sex with bothers some people. If no one is being harmed, how hard is it to mind your own business? Human beings are not a monolith. We aren’t all the same nor do we want the same things. Moreover, people like who they are and how they were born, and if you don’t like it, tough shit. It’s neither fair nor right to go out of your way to attempt to dictate how someone lives their life; it’s not your place. It’s also not your place to threaten them with violence because you don’t agree with them. If you’re one of the hate-filled individuals, you’re probably just too afraid to live your truth. Life would be a lot easier if you’d just quit making it so difficult. Just love and respect others, it’s not that hard.
“What do you think about the blood on your hands?”
Prepare to see an ugly and manipulative side of our society in Kristine Stolakis’s Pray Away. This documentary is a startling unveiling of an unholy movement. Traveling from perspective to perspective of individuals who were pivotal in the start and rise of the “ex-gay” movement, the overarching goal is to not only show you how despicable the movement is but how it is still thriving today. And more importantly, that the whole thing is a giant predatory scam that was propagated by people who had renounced being gay while still being sexually attracted to the same sex. After being outed as frauds, tired of living a lie, hearing from survivors, and learning that many members take their own lives, the same leaders and talking heads for the horrendous conversion therapy organization, Exodus International are now fighting against it. However, much of the damage they caused may be irreversible. Through interviews, television clips, and past and present footage, the documentary details how Exodus International rose to prominence. It delves into the role organized religion plays, the effects the organization had on people, and how it is so embedded in the Evangelical lexicon that if one group gets shut down, two more pop up later.
The entire film is captivating and terribly jaw-dropping. In addition, the doc also follows a man that is currently claiming that he left the “gay lifestyle”, as if he just paid his tab, and gave his life to the Lord, and is now leading a new religious offshoot; as if you can’t be religious and part of the LGBTQ+ community. The real crux and heart of the film revolves around a woman named Julie. She recalls how she was manipulated and being bred into becoming the face of gay to straight through the power of Jesus for a new generation. All the while, she is fighting and hiding who she was born to be. This is a documentary that everyone needs to watch. It’s informative, heartbreaking, and angering but sometimes we need to feel and see things in order to change them. This one is important. Its rewatchability is medium-high.
Pacing & Pop
While its subject matter is extremely eye-opening, I wasn’t a fan of its pacing. I felt that it moved too quickly from story to story. Just as you become invested in someone’s point of view, it jumps to a different one and takes a bit too long to return. What popped for me was the information itself. I knew conversion therapy existed but not this terrifying of a scale.
Impact & Influence
Even though the film could’ve gone into more detail, I think it proves its point and makes its impact. The need for certain types of people to control others is baffling. Oddly enough, a large amount of it comes from those who consider themselves Christians. The same ones who preach love and acceptance seem to hate and oppose the most. Not only did this documentary shed light on the damage the church and other affiliated groups have caused and still are causing, but it also shows how much the rest of society plays a part. Just like anything else that is detrimental to the wellbeing of others, if those who are not affected don’t help put a stop to this, it will damage more lives. I hope this film influences people to not only help end the unnecessary and harmful practice of conversion therapy but encourages us all to check on our friends.
Pray Away is now streaming on Netflix as of August 3, 2021. Stay safe and enjoy.
Director: Kristine Stolakis
Producers: Anya Rous, Jessica Devaney, Kristine Stolakis,
Executive Producers: Jason Blum, Ryan Murphy, Leslie Berriman, Katy Drake Bettner, Jim Butterworth, Jeremy Gold, Daniel J. Chalfen, Alexis Martin Woodall, Mary Lisio, Julie Parker Benello, Nion McEvoy, Regina K. Scully, Patty Quillin, Amanda Spain, Johnny Symons, Marci Wiseman
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 1h 41m
Rating: 3.5/5
Senior Critic. Observing the human race since 1988.
