Out Pastor: Having Undergone Conversion Therapy and Excluded by the Mainstream Churches, I Hope They will Embrace LGBTQ Lives One Day

[立場新聞專訪] Click for full article originally in Chinese

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“When I saw men I would flick my wrist with a rubber-band so I would associate pain with sexual thoughts of men. ” Joe Pang is Hong Kong’s only out and gay pastor as he recalls his conversion therapy experiences in his traumatic past.

Growing up in Malaysia where he attended theology school, a teacher attempted to put him through a course of self-inflicted pain. After a week of the so-called treatment his sexual orientation has not changed a bit.

He developed depression and even contemplated suicide. He established a LGBTQ inclusive church in Malaysia but was black-listed by other churches, accusing him of working for the devil.

Joe continues to believe his identity and religion can co-exist. After many trials, he came to Hong Kong in hopes that one day every church in Hong Kong will embrace the LGBTQ community with the genuine kindness and respect.

「睇到男人，就拎橡筋帶彈一彈自己手腕……將痛楚同你睇到男人有反應扣連，咁你就唔敢有反應，因為一諗到就痛。」

彭偉業（Joe）是香港唯一公開出櫃的男同志牧師，談起昔日嘗試「拗直」自己的經歷，似乎仍心有餘悸。

他本身是馬來西亞華僑，在大馬讀神學時，老師曾著他嘗試「拗直」。手腕被橡筋彈足足一星期，他的性傾向卻絲毫沒改變。

他曾患抑鬱，甚至想過自殺。他在大馬成立同志友善的教會，卻被主流教會列入黑名單，被謾罵恐嚇，甚至被批評是異端、為撒旦工作。

但他仍然相信，同志身分與宗教可以共存，轉輾來到香港後，決心以牧師身份連結同志與教會，但願有天可以看見所有香港教會均對同志友善。