“Abomination: Homosexuality and the Ex-Gay Movement”

Abomination: Homosexuality and the Ex-Gay Movement profiles the journeys of four gay Christians who did everything possible to become heterosexual by following the “treatment” protocols of the so-called ex-gay ministries. At times heartbreaking, at other times hilarious, the approaches taken by these religious groups range from shock therapy and hypnosis to “gender coaching.” Ultimately the “therapy” fails, even for the ministers in charge as they repeatedly scandalize themselves by “relapsing into gayness.” Some of Abomination’s subjects spent decades in torment before they ultimately re-defined every aspect of their values, morals and beliefs to allow themselves to accept a gay and Christian identity. But self-acceptance eluded Mary Lou’s daughter, Ana, who committed suicide. Her daughter’s death causes a change of heart in this fundamentalist Christian mother who comes to realize that “Jesus Christ himself would not have treated her the way I did.” Abomination is a poignant testimony to the healing power of love on the road to self-acceptance. It is also a film about human rights and the fragility of our liberty in an increasingly fundamentalist America.