Joshua Haymes — a far-right pastor of Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship, a church near Nashville that counts anti-LGBTQ+ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as a member, according to Right Wing Watch — has claimed that “Jesus can cure” “sodomites” and that 100% of men who seek counseling for the “perversion” of homosexuality” have suffered “horrific” abuse by a gay man as children.

While Haymes’ rhetoric may sound unhinged, his views are widely shared by conservative Christian supporters of ex-gay conversion therapy, the widely debunked practice of trying to alter a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Though the practice has been condemned by nearly all major American medical and psychological professional associations, Haymes continues to push the practice, even as he vilifies gay men as ungodly sexual predators.

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I took my son to conversion therapy. Here’s when I knew it was an awful mistake.
He cried for twenty-four hours afterward. I had never seen Scott so sad in his life.

In a May 5 social media post on X, Haymes wrote, “No one has to be gay. Jesus can cure you of your homosexuality. In his years of pastoring, my father has counseled many who have been tempted by homosexuality. 100% of them were abused by a gay man as children. For the boys, it caused guilt, shame & sexual confusion. For the girls, it caused them to distrust and ultimately despise men.”

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“No one is born gay,” his post continued. “Homosexuality is not a fundamental aspect of your identity. It is a perversion almost always catalyzed by horrific abuse in childhood. Christ can cure you. He can forgive the sin of perverting his beautiful design for sexuality. He can take your guilt and shame from you that you’ve lived with for most of your life from you, and replace it with unspeakable joy and peace that passes understanding. Jesus Christ saves sodomites every day! You need only to repent and believe.”