The video shows the 16-year-old boy lying on the floor, his body convulsing, as elders of a small church in Bridgeport, Conn., cast a “homosexual demon” from his body.
“Rip it from his throat!” a woman yells. “Come on, you homosexual demon! You homosexual spirit, we call you out right now! Loose your grip, Lucifer!”
The 20-minute video posted on YouTube by Manifested Glory Ministries is being called abuse by gay and youth advocates, who are demanding an investigation. But a church official this week denied that the teenager was injured or that the church is prejudiced.
“We believe a man should be with a woman and a woman should be with a man,” the Rev. Patricia McKinney said. “We have nothing against homosexuals. I just don’t agree with their lifestyle.”
The church posted the video on YouTube, but has since removed it; it is still available on some Web sites that copied it.
It shows church members standing the youth on his feet by holding him under his arms, and people shouting as organ music plays.
“Come out of his belly,” someone commands. “It’s in the belly — push.”
Later, the teenager is back on the floor, breathing heavily. Then he’s coughing and apparently vomiting into a bag.
“Get another bag,” a participant says. “Make sure you have your gloves.”
As the youth lies back on the ground, limp, church members put a white sheet over him.
It’s nearly impossible to say how often similar exercises occur in churches nationwide. But Kamora Herrington, who runs a mentoring program at the gay-youth advocacy group True Colors and has worked with the teen, said, “This happens all the time. This is not isolated.”
Robin McHaelin, executive director of True Colors, said her organization is aware of five cases in recent years in which youths in her program were threatened with exorcism.
In one case, she said, a child called to report that his caregiver had called a priest who was throwing holy water on his bedroom door.
“I think it’s horrifying,” McHaelin said of the video by Manifested Glory. “What saddens me is the people that are doing this think they are doing something in the kid’s best interests, when, in fact, they’re murdering his spirit.”
McHaelin said she is reporting the situation to the state Department of Children and Families. An agency spokesman said it does not comment on complaints.
“They have this kid in a full nelson,” McHaelin said. “That just seems abusive to me.”
McKinney said the youth was 18. The boy confirmed he is 16 but otherwise declined to comment, citing the advice of his pastor.
McHaelin said the boy told her staff that the church performed the ritual three times at his request.
McKinney denied the ritual was an exorcism, describing it instead as a casting out of spirits. She said the church took care of the youth.
“He was dressing like a woman and everything,” McKinney said.