Church Casts out 'Gay Demon' in Teen

Homosexual Excorism Attempt Sparks Anger

A video was posted on YouTube showing church members and a pastor of the nondenominational church, Patricia McKinney, attempting to cast out 'a demon' from a teen. The video, posted by the Manifested Glory Ministries, sparked anger among gay youth advocacy groups and put this small church in the middle of an ongoing debate about gay rights and issues. The event took place in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

"You homosexual demon, get up on outta here!" they say. "You demon, loose yourself!" "You sex demon ... you snake!" These shouts were just some of the things said during the process.

Pastor Explains Attempt to Cast Out 'Demons'

McKinney says she has been receiving death threats since the video was posted, and can't understand why.

"I believe in deliverance, I believe in anointing, I believe in the power of Jesus," she said in a phone interview with CNN. "I've been threatened already, I've been attacked, and it doesn't make any sense to us. Really, what they're doing, they're putting me out there on the mat."

McKinney says that she does not refer to the events on the video as an excorism, but rather as an attempt to "clean the soul" from evil spirits. While this is not the first time an event like this happened, it is the first one centred around homosexuality.

McKinney says that she and her church were approached by the boy and said that he wanted to be a pastor, but was struggling with his sexuality. "We allow to come into our church. We just don't allow them to come in and continue to live that lifestyle," she said.

"God made Adam and Eve," she said. "He made a woman to be with a man, and a man to be with a woman."

Not the First Exorcism for Homosexuality

Robin McHaelen, executive director of True Colors Inc., a gay youth advocacy and mentoring program in Connecticut, who met the 16-year-old boy, said the video was taped in March. She declined to identify the teen.

McHaelen said that her problem with the video was that church members did not act maliciously. She says that the people in the video were not trying to hurt the teen, but rather trying to help him in getting rid of certain feelings that he did not want to have.

True Colors says that this is the fifth teen they are aware of, that has undergone an event like this. However, unlike the boy, not all teens approach a church or any religious organization.

"That's what makes me so sad and so mad," she said.

McHaelen talked to the teen and said that since the incident, the teen has been feeling very conflicted and confused in trying to reconcile who he is with his religion.

Homophobia Still Present in Society

Isaiah Webster, Director of Communications for the National Youth Advocacy Commission, said he was deeply saddened by the timing of the video and the accompanying uproar.

"It's very, very sad that this still takes place in society," he said. "It's also very sad that it comes about during this week, 40th anniversary of Stonewall is this weekend."

Many believe that the so-called "Stonewall Riots" is what kicked off the gay liberation movement.

"That is really something to celebrate," Webster continued, "and it's unfortunate that young people still have to endure things like this."

McHaelen said that as an advocacy group, True Colors may not be able to take any legal action against the church, but said she would rather engage in an open dialogue with its members.