>>> WE WANT TO TURN NOW TO A CONVERSATION WE THINK IS
IMPORTANT AND BEGIN WITH A
HEADLINE THAT MANY FOUND
SHOCKING.
SHOCKING. "THE NEW YORK TIMES" SAYING THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERING
WHETHER TO DEFINE TRANSGENDER
OUT OF EXISTENCE AS FAR AS THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED.
THIS IS PART OF AN EFFORT TO
ROLL BACK PROTECTIONS FOR PEOPLE
WHO IDENTIFY THAT WAY.
DEMOCRATS ARE VOWING TO STOP
THIS IF THEY WIN THE HOUSE,
ADDING SEXUAL ORIENTATION TO
PROTECTIONS IN THE 1964 CIVIL
RIGHTS ACT.
RIGHTS ACT. THIS IS A FIGHT MANY PEOPLE
HOPED WAS BEHIND THE UNITED
STATES IN 2018.
THERE’S A NEW FILM THAT EXPLORES
A LOT OF THIS, INCLUDING
SOMETHING CALLED "CONVERSION
THERAPY," A BELIEF BY SOME THAT
YOU CAN CONVERT PEOPLE OUT OF
THE WAY THEY ARE OR IDENTIFY.
THE MOVIE HAS ALREADY WON THE
GRAND JURY PRIZE AT SUNDANCE AND
TONIGHT I’M JOINED BY THE FILM’S
STAR AND CORRECTOR, CHLOE GRACE
MORETZ, AND DESIRE’ OYTOVON.
>> THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS
HOMOSEXUALITY, JUST THE SAME
STRUGGLE OF SIN WE ALL FACE.
WOULD YOU LET DRUG ADDICTS
APPROPRIATE FOR THEMSELVES?
>> NO.
>> NO. NO, YOU WOULDN’T.
>> SIN IS SIN.
YOUR STRUGGLE IS WITH THE SIN OF
SAME-SEX ATTRACTION.
SAME-SEX ATTRACTION. >> LIVE ON "THE BEAT."
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> LET ME START WITH WHAT YOU
SAW AS IMPORTANT ABOUT CHOOSING
TO DO THIS PROJECT, AND
INHABITING THIS CHARACTER.
>> WELL, IT WAS REALLY A
MULTITUDE OF THINGS.
I WOULD SAY FIRST AND FOREMOST,
I WAS SO SHOCKED TO LEARN WHAT
CONVERSION THERAPY WAS AND THEN
GETTING INTO THE PROCESS OF THE
REHEARSALS THAT WE WANTED TO DO
BEFORE TAKING ON THE PROJECT.
LEARNING ABOUT THE ISSUE.
I MET FIVE SURVIVORS OF
CONVERSION THERAPY, NO OLDER
THAN 25.
THAN 25. AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT
REALLY LIT A NEW FIRE UNDER ME
TO WANT TO REALLY PUSH THIS
STORY OUT AND IT BE NOT JUST A
FORM OF ART BUT ALMOST A FORM OF
AND COMEDY AND BEING A TEEN.
IT REMINDED ME OF A JOHN HUGHES
FILM AND I LOVED IT.
IT WAS OVER THE COURSE OF THE
YEAR THAT WE WERE RESEARCHING,
MY CO-WRITER AND I, AND ADAPTING
THE BOOK TO THE SCREEN PLAY THAT
WE LEARNED THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY
AN INCREDIBLY RELEVANT PROBLEM.
IT WAS DURING FILMING THAT TRUMP
BECAME PRESIDENT AND MIKE PENCE,
WHO IS A SUPPORTER OF GAY
CONVERSION THERAPY, BECAME
VICE-PRESIDENT.
VICE-PRESIDENT. AND SUDDENLY THE MEANING OF THIS
FILM TOOK ON AN ENTIRELY NEW
FEELING FOR ME.
>> SO, IF SOMEBODY IS WATCHING
AT HOME AND THEY’RE THINKING,
WELL, THIS DOESN’T SOUND LIKE
SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF KIDS
HAVE TO DEAL WITH, THIS ISN’T A
BIG DEAL.
BIG DEAL. YOU ACTUALLY SAY THAT’S KIND OF
WHERE YOU STARTED OUT.
>> SURE.
>> SURE. >> AND THEN IT WAS IN DOING
RESEARCH THE WAY YOU PREPARE FOR
A FILM LIKE THIS THAT YOU LOOK
AT THE FACTS?
>> YEAH, FOR ME IT WAS A MELT
METAPHOR.
METAPHOR. WHAT I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE
STORY ABOUT, WHETHER YOU’RE GAY
OR STRAIGHT, WHATEVER ETHNICITY,
YOU HIT YOUR TEEN YEARS AND I
FEEL DISEASED IN SOME WAY,
WHATEVER SETS YOU APART FROM THE
MAINSTREAM IS YOUR ILLNESS AND
YOU WANT TO EXORCISE YOURSELF OF
IT.
IT. OF COURSE I’M GAY AND IRANIAN.
I CAME OUT TO MY IRANIAN FAMILY
AT 25, AND IT’S THE WORST THING
I’VE EVER HAD TO ENDURE.
WE CHANGED TOGETHER AND I GOT
THROUGH IT.
THROUGH IT. IT WAS A STORY THAT I CARED
ABOUT AND I FELT IN THAT WAY
THAT WAS RELEVANT.
I DIDN’T THINK GAY CONVERSION
THERAPY WAS -- MOST PEOPLE WHO
RUN GAY CONVERSION THERAPIES ARE
EX-GAY THEMSELVES.
EX-GAY THEMSELVES. SO THE LAND MINE --
>> WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> OH, EX-GAY IS HOW PEOPLE WHO
HAVE UNDERGONE GAY CONVERSION
THERAPY AND HAVE SEEN THEMSELVES
COME OUT THE OTHER SIDE AND NO
LONGER ACT ON THEIR GAY
FEELINGS, IDENTIFY AS EX-GAY.
>> SO HOW DO YOU GET INSIDE THAT
SITUATION FOR SOMEONE, AND HOW
DO YOU MAKE THAT REAL OR NOT
REDUCE IT TO, YOU KNOW, A
STEREOTYPE?
STEREOTYPE? >> WELL, REALLY TALKING TO THEM
AND GETTING THE TRUTH AND THE
REALITIES OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO
BE INSIDE THESE CENTERS WAS
SOMETHING I REALLY WANTED TO
GRASP.
GRASP. AND HOW MUCH HYPOCRISY DID YOU
UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU WALKED IN.
DID YOU WALK INTO THE CENTER AND
IMMEDIATELY THINK, THIS IS
SILLY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT I DON’T BELIEVE
IN.
IN. OR DID YOU BELIEVE IN IT?
DID YOU WANT DO CURE YOURSELF?
AND IT WAS UNANIMOUS ACROSS THE
BOARD THAT THEY, THEY TREATED --
THE WAY THEY TRIED TO POSE IT TO
PEOPLE THAT RUN THE CENTERS,
THEY TRITE TO TREAT IT LIKE
ALCOHOLISM, IS WHAT THEY TRY TO
SAY IT’S LIKE.
IT’S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN
OVERCOME
OVERCOME OVERCOME.
OVERCOME. WITH CERTAIN TOOLS YOU’LL BE A
ABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT.
IT ALL STEMS FROM SOME ISSUE
WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD AS TO WHY
YOU CHOSE THIS LIFE.
AND TO BE ABLE TO GOTET INTO THA
MIND-SET, YOU HAVE TO REALIZE
YOU’RE BORN INTO A WORLD GROWING
UP YOU WERE COMPLETELY
INCORRECT.
INCORRECT. I GREW UP IN A SMALL TOWN IN
GEORGIA, I HAVE TWO GAY BROTHERS
IN MY FAMILY.
SO I WATCHED THEIR PROCESS WHEN
I WAS VERY YOUNG.
I WATCHED THEIR PROCESS OF
STRUGGLING WITH THEIR IDENTITY,
AND OUR COMMUNITY NOT HELPING IN
THAT SENSE.
THAT SENSE. AND NOW MY MOTHER WAS -- HAS
ALWAYS OBVIOUSLY BEEN AMAZING
WITH MY BROTHERS AND HELPING
THEM UNDERSTAND THAT THEY’RE
SAFE WITHIN OUR FAMILY NO MATTER
WHAT, AND THAT WE LOVE THEM NO
MATTER WHAT --
>> ON THAT POINT LET’S TAKE A
LOOK AT THE PRESSURES, ONE MORE
CLIP FROM THE MOVIE.
LET’S TAKE A LOOK.
>> THE BIGGER PICTURE HERE --
>> ARE YOU SAYING YOU’RE BEING
EMOTIONALLY ABUSED BY THE STAFF
HERE?
HERE? >> HOW IS PROGRAMMING PEOPLE TO
HATE THEMSELVES NOT EMOTIONAL
ABUSE?
ABUSE? >> I’VE MADE NOTE OF WHAT YOU
SAID AND IT WILL BE IN THE
OFFICIAL FILE.
OFFICIAL FILE. >> WE TALK A LOT ABOUT CULTURE
IN SOCIETY IN THESE ISSUES.
YOU THINK ABOUT MIKE PENCE OR
OTHER PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT
SUPPORTING THIS.
SUPPORTING THIS. BY GOING INTO THIS PART OF THE
STORY, YOU’RE ALSO SHINING A
LIGHT ON THE PRESSURE BECAUSE
YOU’RE TAKING A MINOR, SOMEONE
WHO DOESN’T HAVE FULL
AUTHORITY --
AUTHORITY -- >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> -- AND TELL THEM THERE IS
SOMETHING WRONG WITH THEM AND
THEY NEED TO CHANGE WITHIN THAT
POWER STRUCTURE.
POWER STRUCTURE. >> COMPLETELY.
>> COMPLETELY. YOU’RE BEING TOLD THE WAY YOU’RE
FEELING, THE WAY YOU WERE BORN,
THE WAY YOU FEEL TOWARD
SOMETHING, IT’S NOT A CHOICE OF
WHETHER YOUR FAVORITE COLOR IS
RED OR BLUE.
IT’S SOMETHING THAT IS INHERENT
TO YOU.
TO YOU. AND YOU’RE TELLING THEM THAT
THEY WERE BORN, NOT JUST