Friends’ Fears For ‘Gay Cure Clinic’ Student

2:23pm UK, Monday July 20, 2009

Ruth Barnett

A campaign is under way to locate a gay man who has not contacted his friends since he apparently checked into a clinic to “cure” his sexuality.

Bryce Faulkner

Bryce Faulkner is a medical student from Arkansas, United States

Bryce Faulkner, 23, is believed to have signed up for 14 months of “ex-gay therapy” with a religious group.

Boyfriend Travis Swanson told Sky News Online he has not heard from the Christian medical student since a tearful phone call on June 15.

Mr Faulkner, from Arkansas, had told friends he planned to be open about his relationship and move closer to his partner who lives in Wisconsin.

They believe the student could instead be at an Exodus International centre in Florida.

One of the biggest organisations offering “recovery” therapy, it has 230 ministries across the US and Canada.

Its centres are often run by non-professional Christian ministers and some offer “intensive live-in” courses, according to its website.

Treatment is believed to include no speaking for three days, no phone or email access and no physical contact.

Travis Swanson

Travis Swanson

Although the Exodus site features testimonials from Christians who “recovered” from their attraction to same-sex partners, there are several support groups for those who say the treatment does not work.

Peterson Toscano, from the support group Beyond Ex-Gay, spent 17 years battling with his sexuality.

He told Sky News Online the “therapy” can lead to “depression, confusion and suicidal tendencies”.

Hundreds of people in the US have taken part in residential programmes in the last decade and many more have had informal interventions from family or church groups, according to Mr Toscano.

“It’s not getting less common, it’s going underground more,” he said.

His friends have created a ‘Save Bryce’ web campaign to find out where the student is.

It is being maintained by gay rights activist Reverend Brett Harris.

He said they hope to “bring attention to the plight of all the ‘Bryce Faulkners’ in the world” – a reference to other men and women struggling with their sexual orientation.

Since the online campaign to find him began, more than 1,600 people have joined a Facebook group raising awareness.

Rev Harris told Sky News Online it has received comments from all over the world.

“It’s become a grassroots movement,” he explained.

The campaign has gathered such momentum the Facebook group will be turned into a non-profit organisation to help others in the same situation.