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‘Boy Erased’ director wasn’t sure he was qualified to make new gay movie
Joel Edgerton says source memoir captivated him immediately
Director Joel Edgerton, center, with actor LUCAS HEDGES filming ‘Boy Erased.’ (Photo by Kyle Kaplan; courtesy Focus Features)
“Boy Erased” director Joel Edgerton was so smitten by the book the new movie is based on, he hunkered down during a vacation and started crafting the script before the movie rights had been secured.
To say it went well would be an understatement; the project quickly jelled with the kind of heat creative types know can’t be forced.
“In the quiet of a hotel room in Budapest where I had gone on holiday, I sort of secretly started working on the script,” Edgerton says during a break two weeks ago at Virginia’s Middleburg Film Festival where “Boy Erased” was screened. I thought I was going to write a couple of scenes. Two weeks after that, I had a rough draft, and two weeks later, after careful polishing, I had a finished draft.”
“Boy Erased,” based on the horrors of gay conversion therapy camps, opens in D.C. theaters Nov. 9.
A recent study by the Williams Institute concluded that nearly 700,000 Americans have been subjected to conversion therapy. Half were adolescents.
Conversion therapy, also known as reparative therapy or “pray away the gay,” is a pseudoscientific intervention to change a person’s sexual orientation through medical or spiritual interventions. Although the practice has been discredited by every major medical association, conversion therapy is still legal in 36 states (only 14 states and the District of Columbia have outlawed the practice).
One of the survivors of conversion therapy is Garrard Conley. As a 19-year-old college student in Arkansas, he was outed to his parents by a closeted classmate. His mother and his father, a Baptist minister and car salesman, gave him an ultimatum: He could either attend “Love In Action,” a conversion therapy program, or be shunned by his family, friends and community. Under duress, Conley enrolled.
Conley eventually wrote a memoir about his experiences called “Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith and Family,” published by Penguin Random House in 2016.
“I didn’t write a word of the memoir for 10 years,” says Conley, who also spoke to the Blade at the film festival. “I was too angry or too upset or totally in denial about what had happened to me. It felt like something to be really embarrassed about. It was incredibly hard to write the real truth and not rely on tricks or overly intellectualizing the experience and to show myself as someone who was susceptible to those ideas.”
Like other survivors of conversion therapy, Conley was also dealing with the effects of his experience on his long-term psychological health. “I was looking at some blogs of survivors of conversion therapy. People were describing instances of not being able to touch their partner for several months or having a sudden loss of sex drive because they feel ashamed. Those were all the things I’d been experiencing over the years. They definitely contributed to a lot of break-ups.”
Author Garrard Conley and his mother Martha on the set of ‘Boy Erased.’ (Photo by Kyle Kaplan; courtesy Focus Features)
One of the early fans of the book was Kerry Roberts-Kohansky, who eventually became a producer of the film. She passed the book along to Edgerton, an Australian actor and filmmaker, who was instantly smitten by the book.
“From the moment I put the book down, I knew that somebody had to make it into a movie,” Edgerton says.
Eventually, Edgerton would write the screenplay, direct the movie and play Victor Sykes, the leader of the Love in Action program. At first, the writer/director/actor was reluctant to get involved with adapting the memoir into a screenplay.
“I didn’t feel qualified quite simply because I’m not a member of the LGBT community,” he says.
But Edgerton had strong ties to the community through his work as a straight ally. He says his political awakening came when he starred as Richard Loving in the film “Loving” (2016). Richard and Mildred Loving were arrested in 1958 for violating Virginia’s law against interracial marriage. They appealed all the way to the Supreme Court and the 1967 ruling in their favor struck down all state laws banning interracial marriages.
The Loving decision served as a precedent in the 2015 Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges decision which legalized same-sex marriages in the United States.
Edgerton says working on that film “impregnated me with the idea of fighting injustice. It got under my skin and I found myself getting political. I got in touch with LGBT organizations and individuals and became involved in the fight for marriage equality in Australia.” (Same-sex marriage was legalized in Australia in 2017.)
“Joel is now an honorary member of the community,” Conley says.
Edgerton finally met with Conley in a Brooklyn café on a cold afternoon in February 2017.
“I thought it was important to share every draft with Garrard,” Edgerton says. “I asked him about casting. I needed his permission and approval and his eyes on everything during shooting and during the editing process as well.”
“We felt connected every step of the way,” Conley says.
Garrard Conley with actor Lucas Hedges, who plays him in ‘Boy Erased.’ (Photo by Kyle Kaplan; courtesy Focus Features)
Edgerton and Conley also thought their collaboration would help “Boy Erased” reach a wider audience.
“It felt like Joel was the person to drive the story of conversion therapy into the mainstream and to target the people around LGBT people,” Conley says. “I didn’t see that as incompatible with the project of my book. Because it’s memoir, by its very nature it’s a queer narrative. It’s from me. The fact that Joel is straight helped us in many ways to think about how this would affect people like my parents who need to hear things in a language they’ll understand.”
Edgerton says working on the screenplay gave him important insights into both Conley’s parents and the staff at Love in Action.
“I had come to the book assuming that the people that sent their kids there were hateful people, that the people that worked at the facility were hateful, profiteering people,” Edgerton says. “But I realized that they were actually doing what they were doing out of love. Given the information they had and the belief system that they lived within, they thought they were trying to help. Everyone was trying to help. The perfect irony of the situation was that Garrard didn’t need any help.”
Edgerton and Conley also wanted to include members and supporters of the LGBT community in the film. Lucas Hedges, who plays “Jared Eamons” has recently publicly discussed his same-sex attractions. Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe, who play Jared’s parents, are LGBT allies and both have played queer characters during their long careers. Tony Award-winning actress Cherry Jones plays a doctor who assures Jared that he is perfectly normal and discusses her own struggle to balance her religious beliefs and her scientific beliefs.
Gay Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan and out singer Troye Sivan play two of the members of Jared’s therapy group and Sivan also wrote the moving song “Resurrection” for the soundtrack. Other members of the support group are played by conversion therapy survivors who used their own narratives as backgrounds for their characters.
Finally, gay producer David Joseph Craig also plays one of the Love in Action staff members.
Conley and Craig have also created a new podcast that will be released in conjunction with the movie. “UnErased” will tell the full story of the conversion therapy movement in the United States though interviews with its creators, critics and survivors.
“Boy Erased” tells a deeply personal story,” Conley says. “‘UnErased’ tells the whole story. ‘UnErased’ will usher our queer stories into the permanent archive of American history where they have always belonged.”
Director Joel Edgerton as Victor in ‘Boy Erased.’ (Photo by Kyle Kaplan; courtesy Focus Features)
a&e features
Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2
Loraine Hutchins remembered as a ‘force of nature’
The Montgomery County Pride Center will host a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Loraine Hutchins, Ph.D., on May 2. People are invited to attend the onsite memorial or a livestream event. The on-site event will begin at 10 a.m. with a meet-and-greet mixer before moving into a memorial service around the theme “Loraine a Force of Nature!” at 11 a.m., a panel talk at 12 p.m., break out sessions for artists, academics, and activists to build on her legacy at 1 p.m. and a closing reception at 2 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to register for the on-site memorial gathering or the livestreamed memorial. The goal of this event is also to collect stories and memories of Loraine. Attendees and others can share their stories at padlet.com.
An obituary for Hutchins was published in the Bladelast Nov. 24, where people can learn more about her activism in the bisexual community. A private service for friends and family was held in December but this memorial service is open to all.
Alongside her groundbreaking work organizing for U.S. bisexual rights and liberation including co-editing “Bi Any Other Name: BIsexual People Speak Out” (1991), she also integrated faith into her sexual education and advocacy work. Her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “Erotic Rites: A Cultural Analysis of Contemporary U.S. Sacred Sexuality Traditions and Trends,” offered a pointed queer and feminist analysis to sex-neutral and sex-positive spiritual traditions in the United States. Her thesis was also groundbreaking in exploring the intersections between sex workers and those in caregiving professionals, including spiritual ones.
In an oral history interview conducted by Michelle Mueller back in August 2023, Hutchins described herself as a “priestess without a congregation.” While she has occasionally had a sense of community and feels part of a group of loving people, she admitted that “I don’t feel like we have the shape or the purpose that we need.”
“I’ve often experienced being the Cassandra in the room, the Cassandra in the community. Somebody who’s kind of way out there ahead, thinking through the strategic action points that my community hasn’t gotten to yet, and getting a lot of resistance and hostile responses from people who are frightened by dissent and conflict and not ready for the changes we have to make to survive,” she said.
“For somebody who’s bisexual in an out political way and who’s been a spokesperson for the polyamory movement in an out political way, it’s very exposing. And it’s very important to me to be able to try to explain and help other people understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality,” she explained citing how even as a graduate student she was “exploring how to feel erotic and spiritual, and not feel them in conflict with each other in my own spiritual contemplative life and my own sensual body awareness of being alive in the world.”
“Every religion has a sense of sacred sexuality. It’s just they put a lot of boundaries and regulations on it, and if we have a spiritual practice that is totally affirming of women’s priesthood and of gay people, queer people’s ability to minister to everyone and to be ministered to be everyone, what does that do to the gender of God, or our understanding of how we practice our spirituality and our sexuality in community and privately?”
“There’s no easy answer,” she concludes, and she continued to grapple with these questions throughout her life, co-editing another seminal text, “Sexuality, Religion and the Sacred: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Polysexual Perspectives,” published in 2012. Her work blending spiritual and queer liberation remains groundbreaking to this day.
Rev. Eric Eldritch, a local community organizer and ordained Pagan minister with Circle Sanctuary who has worked for decades with the DC Center’s Center Faith to organize the Pride Interfaith Service, is eager to highlight this element of her legacy at the memorial service next month.
a&e features
Queery: Meet artist, performer John Levengood
Modern creative talks nightlife, coming out, and his personal queer heroes
John Levengood (he/him) describes himself as a modern creative with a wide‑ranging toolkit. He blends music, technology, civic duty, and a sharp sense of wit into a cohesive artistic identity. Known primarily as a recording artist and performer, he’s also a self‑taught music producer and software engineer who embodies a generation of creators who build their own lanes rather than wait for one to appear.
Levengood, 32, who is single and identifies as gay and queer, is best known as a recording artist who has performed at Pride festivals across the country, including the main stages of World Pride DC, Central Arkansas Pride, and Charlotte Pride.
“Locally in the DMV, I’m known for turning heads at nightlife venues with my eye-catching sense of style. When I go out, I don’t try to blend in. I hope I inspire people to be themselves and have the courage to stand out,” he says.
He’s also known for hosting karaoke at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va., on Thursday nights. “I like to create a space where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, building community, and showcasing their talents.”
He also creates social media content from my performances and do interviews at LGBTQ+ bars and theatres in the DMV. Follow the Arlington resident @johnlevengood.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I have been fully out of the closet since 2019. My parents were the hardest people to tell because my family has always been my rock and at the time I couldn’t imagine a world without them. Their reactions were extremely positive and supportive so I had nothing to fear all along.
I remember sitting on the couch with my mom, dad, and sister in our hotel room in New Orleans during our winter vacation and being so nervous to tell them. After I finally mustered up the nerve and made the proclamation, I realized my dad had already fallen asleep on the couch. My mom promised to tell him when he woke up.
Who’s your LGBTQ hero?
My LGBTQ heroes are Harvey Milk for paving the way for gays in politics and Elton John for being a pioneer for the fabulous and authentic. My local heroes in the DMV are Howard Hicks, manager of Green Lantern, and Tony Rivenbark, manager of Freddie’s Beach Bar. Both of them are essential to creating spaces where I’ve felt welcome and safe since moving to the DMV.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Trade tops the list for me because of the dance floor and outdoor space. It’s so nice to get a break from the music every once and a while to be able to have a conversation.
We live in challenging times. How do you cope?
I’m still figuring this out. What is working right now is writing music and spending time with family and friends. I’ve also been spending less time on social media going to the gym at least three times a week.
What streaming show are you binging?
After “Traitors” Season 4 ended, I was in a bit of a show hole, but “Stumble” has me in a laughing loop right now. The writing is so witty.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
At 18, I wish I would have known how liberating it is to come out of the closet. It would have been nice to know some winning lottery numbers as well.
What are your friends messaging about in your most recent group chat?
We are planning our next trip to New York City. If you can believe it, I visited NYC for the first time in 2025 for Pride and I’ve been back every quarter since. Growing up in the country, I was subconsciously primed to be scared of the city. But my mind has been blown. I can’t wait to go back.
Why Washington?
It’s the closest metropolitan area to my family, but not too close. I love the museums, the diversity, the history, and the proximity to the beach and mountains. It’s also nice to live in a city with public transportation.
Aging RFK Stadium has come down, but the RFK grounds are still getting lit up. Welcome back to the stage Project GLOW, D.C.’s homegrown electronic festival, on May 30-31. Back for its fifth year on these musically inclined acres, Project GLOW returns with an even more diverse lineup, and one that continues to celebrate LGBTQ antecedents, attendees, and acts.
Project GLOW 2026 headliners include house and techno star Mau P, progressive house legend Eric Prydz, hard-techno favorite Sara Landry, and bass acts Excision b2b Sullivan King, among the lineup of trance, bass, house, techno, dubstep, and others for the fifth anniversary year.
President & CEO Pete Kalamoutsos — born and raised in D.C. — founded Club GLOW in 1999. In 2020, GLOW entered into a partnership with global entertainment company Insomniac Events to produce live events like Project GLOW, which kicked off in 2022.
As in past years, Project GLOW not only makes space, but is intentionally inclusive of the LGBTQ community, one of its most dedicated fan bases. The festival’s LGBTQ-focused Secret Garden stage blooms again — a more intimate dance area that stands on the strength of DJs and musicians who draw from the LGBTQ community. D.C.’s LGBTQ nightlife mastermind Ed Bailey is the creative mind behind Secret Garden again. He joined Project GLOW in 2023.
“Kalamoustos says that “he’s proud of his partnership with Ed Bailey, along with Capital Pride and [nightlife producer] Jake Resnikow. It’s amazing to collaborate with Bailey at the Secret Garden stage, especially after the curated lineup we worked on at Pride last year.”
The Secret Garden will be a bit different from other stages: Eternal (“At the Eternal stage, time stands still. Lose yourself in the dance of past, present, and future, surrendering to the eternal rhythm of the universe”) and Pulse (“Feel the rhythm of the beat pulse through your veins as the heartbeat of the crowd synchronizes into one. Here, every moment vibrates with life as it guides you through a new dimension of euphoria”). The Secret Garden stage is in the round, surrounded by 16 shipping containers. The containers play canvas to muralists from around the world, who are coming in to paint them in a vibrant garden-style vibe. “We gave this stage some extra love with this layout,” K says, “ we finally cracked the code.”
K says that this will be the biggest lineup yet for the Secret Garden, featuring Nicole Moudaber b2b Chasewest, Riordan b2b Bullet Tooth, Ranger Trucco, Cassian, Eli & Fur, Cosmic Gate and Hayla. The stage is also the largest yet, featuring an expanded dance floor and 360-degree viewing.
Across all stages, K says that his goal for the fifth anniversary is “More art and fan interactive experience, more like a festival, strive to be like a Tomorrowland, as budget grows to add more experience.” Last year’s Project GLOW alone drew 40,000 attendees over two days.
K, however, was not satisfied with one festival this spring. GLOW recently announced a “pop-up” one-day event. Teaming up with Black Book Records, GLOW is set to throw a first-of-its-kind dance-music takeover of Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., headlined by electronic music star Chris Lake. Set for April 18, this euphoric block party will feature bass and vibes blocks from the White House. Organizers expect as many as 10,000 fans to attend. Beyond music, there will be food, activations, and plenty of other activities taking place around 6th St and Pennsylvania Ave NW – a location familiar to many in the LGBTQ community, as this sits squarely inside the blocks of the Capital Pride party that takes place in DC every June.
Over the past two decades, Club GLOW has produced thousands of events, from club nights to large-scale festivals including Project GLOW, Moonrise Festival, and more. Club GLOW also operates Echostage.
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