"I am glad that I had the strength of mind to refuse, and recognise that I didn't need to change or 'cure' myself. Somehow I got myself to London, where I found people who would help me build a new life and a new community. Now nothing remains from my old life except, after two years of silence, my family,"
"It has its funny side, looking back now, but at the time, it felt as if everything that I knew had imploded, and everything that I feared so dreadfully was happening. I had nobody to turn to."
"undergo therapy and publicly, in front of my 400 fellow missionaries, confess and repent"
Matthew Hyndman, a 35-year-old photographer and model and co-founder of Ban Conversation Therapy, experienced attempted conversion therapy after being outed while serving as a missionary. An accidental email revealed his sexuality to 100 congregation members, prompting mission leaders to demand therapy and a public confession before 400 fellow missionaries. He refused the demands, relocated to London, rebuilt his life and community, and after two years restored contact with his family. One former church formally cancelled his membership citing lifestyle choices. As of 2026, no legal ban on conversion therapy exists in the UK.
Read at PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news
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