RuPaul’s Drag Race queen: ‘I was exorcised because my parents thought I was possessed by a gay demon’
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Dusty Ray Bottoms has revealed on RuPaul’s Drag Race that his parents sent him to be exorcised because they thought a “gay demon” was possessing him.
During last night’s episode, Dusty – whose real name is Dustin Rayburn – opened up to the other contestants about his parents’ horrific reaction to him coming out.
The 30-year-old recalled: “When I came out to my family, the night before it happened, I literally was at my breaking point… my lowest low… I cried out to God and was like, I need a change in my life.
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“I need something to happen and be different for me.”
He was confronted about his sexuality the day after.
“Literally the next morning, my mum was like: ‘Come downstairs, we need to talk about this.’
His parents told him they had “found something” on his computer.
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It was then, he said, that “the whole me-coming-out happened.”
His parents responded terribly, he said.
“They lost it. They took me to church,” said Dustin.
“They got me exorcised because they thought I was possessed by a gay demon”.
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He said that in the church, “I had to list every person I’ve ever had a sexual encounter with.
“I was so confused after the whole thing went down because… was I straight now? Was I? I had to go through therapy and I was on a track to go to straight camp.”
The drag queen said that it was at this stage that he reached breaking point.
“I was meeting with this pastor, and he was like: ‘In a homosexual relationship, you’ll never find success, you’ll never find love.’
“And I stopped him, and I went upstairs, and I packed my car. I said: ‘I can’t do this anymore.’
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“It was the most humiliating, awful thing of my life, ever.”
But since then, the Kentucky-born queen’s life has changed for the better.
Pictures of him smiling and kissing his partner, Mark, then flashed up on the screen.
“Now I have a wonderful fiancé,” he said. “We have a beautiful life together.”
Thank you so much for sharing your story, @dustyraybottoms. We ❤️❤️❤️ you so much! @rupaul @rupaulsdragrace #DragRace pic.twitter.com/JAcAyWUVCy
— World of Wonder (@WorldOfWonder) April 6, 2018
“Things are going really great in my life,” he added, “and I didn’t have to compromise or change for someone’s small-minded view.”
The dangerous and damaging concept of gay ‘cure’ therapy is still practised today around the world.
A study released earlier this year found that 20,000 LGBT teenagers will be forced into so-called gay ‘cure’ therapy with a licensed healthcare professional before they turn 18.
Researchers also discovered that 698,000 LGBT adults aged 18-59 in the US have endured conversion therapy.
The study, which was conducted at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, found that efforts to ban the hateful practice have had an effect on thousands of LGBT children.
Despite this fact, a Republican state senator in Maryland claimed last week that placing a ban on gay ‘cure’ therapy would block Jesus from preaching in the state.
