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Drag Race star was forced to have an exorcism to stop her being gay

6 years ago
by gaytourism
Written by gaytourism

Dusty Ray Bottoms. | Photo: Instagram/@dustyray

The drag queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race have shared some pretty harrowing personal stories over the 10 show’s ten year history.

Queens have spoken about their experiences of abuse, addiction, bullying and discrimination but the latest heartbreaking story came from Dusty Ray Bottoms.

The season ten queen shared her story during the third episode, leaving viewers and her fellow contestant in tears.

During a heart to heart with Blair St Clair in the workroom, Dusty opened up about being outed against her will.

Blair admitted even though her parents are very religious they support her drag career.

But Dusty had a very different experience.

Her very conservative parents actually tried to exorcise the gay out of her and even tried sending her to a ‘straight camp’.

‘My parents have never seen me in a show, I don’t think they’ll ever come, no,’ Dusty said.

‘My family doesn’t even know I’m here [on drag race].’

After Dusty’s parents found ‘something’ on his computer ‘they lost it’ and took him to church.

‘They got me exorcised because they though I was possessed by a gay demon,’ he said.

Dusty described how she had to kneel in front of a ‘prayer warrior’ with her parents there and list every person she’s had a sexual encounter with.

‘I as so confused, “am I straight now?”.’

A pastor told Dusty in a ‘homosexual relationship you’ll never find success, you’ll never find love’.

At that moment Dusty stopped the pastor, ‘I can’t do this anymore’, she said and went to pack her bags and car.

‘It was the most awful, humiliating feeling of my life,’ she said.

Dusty found love in a hopeless place

After escaping her family Dusty branched out on her own and embraced her sexuality.

‘Now I have a beautiful fiancee, we have a beautiful life together, things are going really great in my life,’ Dusty said.

‘And I didn’t have to compromise or change for someone’s small minded view.’

Even though Dusty overcame a harrowing ‘journey’ she still believes in God.

‘My whole life is different because of that day,’ she said.

Conversion therapy

Conversion therapy, reparative or gay cure therapy is a widely condemned practice but is still used all over the world to try to make LGBTI people straight or make them change gender identities.

Many health and psychological organizations condemn the practice, some even classify it as torture.

‘Based on the scientific evidence, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry asserts that such “conversion therapies”… lack scientific credibility and clinical utility,’ the AACP wrote in a 2018 statement.

‘Additionally, there is evidence that such interventions are harmful. As a result, “conversion therapies” should not be part of any behavioral health treatment of children and adolescents.’

A disturbing study released this year found that 75,000 teens aged 13 to 17 in the United States will face conversion therapy before adulthood.

The UCLA study found around 20,000 LGBTI youth will receive the controversial treatment from health care professionals. Another 57,000 will receive the treatment from religious or spiritual leaders.

Thanks, Dusty

Many Drag Race viewers had similar experiences to Dusty’s and took to Twitter to thanks her for sharing her story.

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