RIGHT
RIGHT NOW, AUTHORITIES SEARCHING FOR DANGEROUS SUSPECTS WHO MAY HAVE KIDNAPPED
A YOUNG WOMAN.
LIVE COVERAGE STRAIGHTAHEAD.
>>> FIRST, A STORY YOU ONLY SEE
HERE ON NBC CHARLOTTE, A
DEFENDER'S INVESTIGATION
+@FINDING THOUSANDS OF MEN, WOM
AND TEENAGERS ARE CURRENTLY
ENROLLED IN A PROGRAM AIMED AT
REVERSING HOMOSEXUALITY.
>> SO-CALLED CONVERSION THERAPY
MOST ALWAYS LED BY RELIGIOUS
LEADERS AND CURRENTLY PRACTICED
IN THE FORM OF TANS, CLASSES
AND ONE-ON-ONE COUNSELING.
15 STATES HAVE LAW AGAINST IT,
IN THE CAROLINAS, IT IS STILL
HAPPENING.
>> NBC CHARLOTTE SAVANNAH
LEVINS SPOKE WITH GAY
+@CAROLINIANS THAT CONSIDER
THEMSELVES SURVIVORS OF THESE
PRACTICES AND WITH LOCAL
THERAPIST WHO TRULY BELIEVE YOU
CAN PRAY THE GAY AWAY.
>> I THINK THE LIE I FEEL IS
THE UGLIEST PART OF BEING A
HOMOSEXUAL, YOU CAN'T GO TO
YOUR BROTHER OR YOUR SISTER AND
SAY I'M
♪♪
>>
>> BASED
>> BASED ON THE WAY HOMOSEXUALITY IS ADDRESSED FROM THE PULPIT, I BELIEVE THAT
+@THOUGH EVERYONE WAS BROKEN, I
WAS A LITTLE MORE BROKEN THAN
EVERYBODY ELSE BECAUSE MY
PARTICULAR SENT WAS AN
ABOMINATION.
>> Reporter: JOSHUA CROCKER
SAID HE DID NOT WANT TO BE GAY.
>> IT WAS SOMETHING I HAD A
OVERCOME, GET RID OF, TO FIX
IT.
I WANTED A SOLUTION.
>> Reporter: AFTER TWO DECADES
HIDING HIS SECRET, HE BEGAN
MEETING WITH A CONVERSION
COUNSELOR BASED IN GREENVILLE,
SOUTH CAROLINA.
>> I BELIEVED SOME THINGS I
COULD EXPERIENCE, VICTORY OVER
IF I PRAYED HARD ENOUGH,
BELIEVED HARD ENOUGH, STUDY THE
RIGHT THINGS.
>> Reporter: CONVERSION
THERAPY, THE IDEA HOMOSEXUALITY
CAN BE FIXED HAS BEEN AROUND
SINCE THE LATE 1800S, WHEN
CURES INCLUDED LOBOTOMY AND
CASTRATION TODAY, IT MORE OFTEN
MANIFESTS IN FAITH-BASED CAMPS
OR COUNSELING SESSIONS.
>> NUMBER STATIONS WITH THAT
COUNSELOR, IT REINFORCED THE
IDEA I'M IN A REALLY GROSS.
>> Reporter: RECENTLY, THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF CONVERSION
THERAPY WIDELY DISCREDITED AND
CRITICIZED, SOME STUDIES
DIRECTLY LINK IT TO SUICIDE.
>> I REMEMBER DRIVING BACK TO
MY APARTMENT WEEPING AND
YELLING AND BEING SO ANGRY AND
FRUSTRATED AND SAD AND I
REMEMBER YELLING AT GOD, WHILE
I WAS IN MY CAR GOING DOWN THE
HIGHWAY, JUST ASKING WHY HE
HADN'T FIXED ME YET AND I
STARTED THINKING THROUGH WHERE
I COULD CRASH MY VEHICLE.
AND WHAT BRIDGES WOULD BE
EASIEST TO RUN OFF OF AND HOW I
COULD DO IT IN A WAY TO MAKE
SURE I DON'T MAKE IT.
>> WE DON'T HAVE TO ACT ON OUR
FEELINGS.
THAT IS --
>> Reporter: THE DIRECTOR OF --
[ INAUDIBLE
>>
>> [
>> [ INAUDIBLE ] >> Reporter: STRUGGLES WITH -- [ INAUDIBLE ]
>> PRAY HARD ENOUGH, PRAY THE
GAY AWAY.
[ INAUDIBLE ]
>> I BELIEVE --
>> Reporter: THAT BELIEF COMES
--
>> UNTIL I WAS 28, I MADE A
CHOICE --
>> Reporter: HOPING THERE'S --
DO YOU TALK TO PEOPLE THAT --
>> IF PEOPLE ARE GAY AND HAPPY,
OUR MINISTRY IS NOT FOR YOU,
MORE POWER TO THEM, WERE HAPPY.
>> Reporter: SOME STATES HAVE
LAWS AGAINST CONVERSION
COUNSELING, PARTICULARLY WHEN
IT COMES TO MINORS.
PARENTS CAN LEGALLY ENROLL
THEIR CHILDREN IN THESE CAMPS
AND PROGRAMS.
>> PARENTS WILL DRAG THEIR
TEENAGERS INTO MY OFFICE, THEIR
GOAL IS TYPICALLY FOR ME TO FIX
THEM, THE KID HAS TO CONVINCE
ME THEY WANT TO BE THERE.,
MANIPULATED OR COERCED.
--
>> I'M NOT NEGATING THE FACT
THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE
PRACTICING THOSE METHODS THAT
HAVE BEHAVED IN WAYS THAT WERE
WRONG, BUT MY MINISTRY DOESN'T.
>> Reporter: FOR SOME THAT HAVE
GONE THROUGH LIKE JOSHUA --
>> IT WAS ROUGH, THE THERAPY
WAS NOT A SAVING GRACE.
+@
>> IT WAS ROUGH, THE THERAPY WAS NOT A SAVING GRACE. IT WAS AGONY.
>> Reporter: IF YOU COULD GO
BACK AND TALK TO THAT 20
SOMETHING-YEAR-OLD GUY DRIVING
DOWN THE ROAD CRYING BEGGING TO
BE FIXED, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
>> I WOULD TELL HIM HE'S NOT
BROKEN AND NOTHING GOOD GROWS
IN THE DARKNESS BUT NOTHING
GOOD GROWS IN THE DARKNESS.
>> ♪ GLORY GLORY HALLELUJAH --
>> I'M LEARNING TO BE A FULL
PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY
LIFE.
>> MY LIFE HAS TOTALLY
TRANSFORMED.
>> ♪+@♪ GLORY, GLORY HALLELUJAH
--
>> I LOVE MYSELF PROBABLY FOR
THE FIRST TIME EVER.
>> NOW, FINALLY I LIKE MYSELF
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE.
>> IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO
FINDING ONE OTHER PERSON TO
LOVE AND BE LOVED BY AND SERVE
EACH OTHER'S NEEDS.
>> ♪ WILL SOON BE MARCHING ON
--
>> THAT WAS SAVANNAH LEVINS
REPORTING, WE CHECKED, NEITHER
NORTH OR SOUTH CAROLINA HAVE
ANY PROPOSED LEGISLATION THAT
WOULD RESTRICT CONVERSION
THERAPY WE HAVE THE ENTIRE STORY
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