A Church of England parish has paid a five-figure settlement to Matthew Drapper, a 37-year-old gay man who says he was subjected to an exorcism intended to “cure” him of homosexuality.
Drapper, a volunteer at St. Thomas Philadelphia — a joint Anglican-Baptist church in Sheffield, England — told The Times that during an “Encounter with God” weekend in 2014, he was told “sexual impurity” had let demons enter his body and that he needed an exorcism to cast them out.
He said a married couple who served as prayer leaders at the church performed the exorcism, instructing him to “break agreements with Hollywood and the media” that had led him into what they called an “ungodly lifestyle.”
“Looking back, it seems like something out of a horror movie — for someone to be standing over you saying they can see the demons leaving your body is quite terrifying,” Drapper told The Times. “But when you are deeply tied into the church, as I was at that time, it is easy to believe anything they tell you.”
Drapper was left distressed and vulnerable after the exorcism, and became so depressed that he contemplated suicide. He left the church in 2016.
“I have lost my Christian faith because of this,” he said. “I no longer feel connected to it.”
In 2019, Drapper submitted a formal complaint about the exorcism and requested an apology from St. Thomas Philadelphia, which was supposed to follow the safeguarding rules of the Diocese of Sheffield.
The church, which is also a registered charity, initially claimed there was “no evidence to substantiate” Drapper’s complaint. But he pursued the issue with the diocese, which commissioned the global charity Barnardo’s to investigate the allegations.
Last year, Barnardo’s published a report detailing its investigation and upheld Drapper’s account, calling it a “supported fact” that he was subjected to a prayer session which “was in our view a form of exorcism.” The charity added: “From the evidence available to us, it is our view that the session took place as described by [Drapper] and prayers were administered with the intention of changing his sexual identity.”
Following Barnardo’s report, St. Thomas Philadelphia issued a statement: “We have accepted the outcomes of the first investigation and are saddened that one of our community was not cared for in the way we would have liked. We sincerely apologized to them for this.”
Following the review, Drapper filed a legal claim against St. Thomas Philadelphia, which ultimately resulted in an out-of-court settlement. The compensation amount was undisclosed, although it’s reported to be in the five-figure range.
“I would have liked to have this matter heard in open court, but the church’s insurers argued my claim was beyond the legal time limit, and I knew we could face a lengthy legal process,” Drapper said.
Richard Scorer, Drapper’s lawyer, believes his client’s victory may mark the first time a church has paid compensation to someone subjected to conversion therapy.
“As far as I am aware this is the first ever payment of damages in respect of harm caused by conversion or exorcism practices,” he told The Times. “It demonstrates that churches which engage in these abhorrent homophobic practices may face legal claims and damages awards, and I hope it will encourage churches to ban such practices entirely.”
While the United Kingdom’s Labour-led government has pledged to outlaw conversion therapy, the former Conservative-led government also claimed to support a ban. However, the proposed legislation has repeatedly stalled, facing opposition from right-wing politicians, religious groups claiming infringement on religious freedom, and anti-trans activists who oppose protections for transgender individuals.
Some critics of a conversion therapy ban argue that including gender identity as a protected characteristic could force therapists to abandon exploratory approaches in favor of “affirming” models — potentially pushing gender-questioning youth toward medical transition, which is largely banned for minors in the UK. However, many medical professionals say bans can be crafted to allow exploratory therapy, and similar laws have already been enacted in other countries.
The Church of England has stated that conversion therapy has “no place in the modern world.”
Meanwhile, Drapper and other survivors are launching a website encouraging others with similar experiences to share their stories. Drapper believes the practice is more widespread than reported.
“You imagine this kind of practice to be outdated but it has been revived in recent decades and is often referred to as ‘power healing,'” he said. “I know around 20 people who have been through it but I suspect there are many, many more.”
The U.S. Department of Justice says it has sent more than 20 subpoenas to doctors and clinics allegedly providing gender-affirming health care to minors, as part of an investigation into accusations of "healthcare fraud" and "false statements." In a press release, the department said it is targeting medical professionals allegedly "involved in performing transgender medical procedures on children."
"Medical professionals and organizations that mutilated children in the service of a warped ideology will be held accountable by this Department of Justice," U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
Graeme Reid will continue as the U.N.'s expert on LGBT rights for another three years, as 29 nations back the mandate despite opposition from China, Pakistan, and others.
The U.N. Human Rights Council has voted to extend the mandate of its LGBT rights expert, ensuring continued global oversight of anti-LGBTQ human rights violations for another three years.
Under the mandate, the U.N.'s Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity is tasked with identifying the root causes of anti-LGBTQ violence and discrimination, and advising U.N. member states on how to better protect LGBTQ communities.
The current independent expert, South African scholar Graeme Reid, will continue in the role for another three years. Reid is the third person to hold the position since it was established in 2016.
WorldPride participants share why Pride still matters, what issues drive them, and why visibility remains vital in today’s political climate.
By André Hereford, Ryan Leeds, and John Riley
June 21, 2025
WorldPride DC on Sunday, June 8, 2025 - Photo: Randy Shulman / Metro Weekly
Interviewed on Saturday and Sunday, June 7 and 8, 2025, at the WorldPride Street Festival, Parade, and March for Freedom.
Nic Ashe
Los Angeles, Ca.
Queer, He/Him
Why did you come to WorldPride?
I've been following WorldPride through the lens of Black queerness, namely with a focus on Christianity and religion. Early in my life, when I think about the first times that I was learning that queer may be a pejorative or that being gay was "not good," it was through my church upbringing. So I was very curious to find if there were examples in 2025 of those two oxymoronic opposing forces existing in harmony.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.