Arts & Entertainment

Anti-conversion therapy activist was consultant on ‘Boy Erased’

Born Perfect Campaign co-founder Mathew Shurka shares survivor experience

Published

7 years ago

November 7, 2018

Joey DiGuglielmo

Mathew Shurka, conversion therapy, boy erased, gay news, Washington Blade

Mathew Shurka says conversion therapy is flourishing in places people would not expect. (Photo courtesy Shurka)

Mathew Shurka knows first-hand the horrors of “conversion” therapy. Despite what he says were good intentions on the part of his parents, five years of the practice he calls “particularly cruel and damaging” with a licensed therapist who claimed he could make gay people straight took a heavy toll.

Shurka now works as an anti-conversion therapy activist with the Born Perfect Campaign. He’s co-founder and strategist for the project that’s part of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Based in New York, he’s one of four full-time staff members working on the project.

Shurka knew “Boy Erased” author Garrard Conley years before he wrote his memoir which has been adapted into the movie of the same name (see review here). Shurka and the Born Perfect team were involved throughout the making of the film as consultants to ensure accuracy and sensitivity.

“They really kept us in the conversation the whole time,” Shurka says. “Myself and two other representatives were on the set in, we gave feedback on the script through each round of edits, and then actually involved in the editing rooms. Every time they did a big round of edits, they wanted to make sure it would still make sense to a viewer who’s never even heard of conversion therapy. And then also down to the marketing and stories of survivors. They really kept us in the conversation the whole time.”

Shurka says seeing a major screen production devoted to the topic and being involved in its creation has been powerful.

“I contemplated suicide for two years,” the 30-year-old New York native says. “Conversion therapy was a trauma that I survived and it altered my life forever so to be part of this movie has been really surreal.”

Shurka’s work with the campaign involves keeping tabs on where conversion therapy-related legislation is in the works throughout the country. It’s still legal for minors in most of the U.S. Shurka visits states considering bans and works with regional LGBT groups to ensure passage. He’s not a lobbyist but says his personal story as a survivor gives him credibility with legislators. The campaign was launched in 2014.

Shurka says conversion therapy is alive and well in the U.S. and flourishing in places people might not expect.

“There’s actually a concentration of it in Los Angeles and New York which people can’t even imagine,” he says. “Think, ‘Oh yeah, it’s in Arkansas, that makes sense,’ but actually the biggest organizations are in big cities. … In Los Angeles, they’re in Orange County or in L.A. proper, they’re in urban areas and we’ve seen new ones open in Manhattan in the last two to three years. They’re disguised as therapists and they use different terminology. They sell it as a form of addiction and are very sneaky about it.”

Shurka says that although 2018 has been his organization’s most successful year, 2019 is “looking scarier than ever.”

He says “Boy Erased” provides unprecedented exposure for the issue.

“I think this has great potential to shift or transform hears and minds,” he says.

Find out more about the Born Perfect Campaign at nclrights.org/born-perfect.

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Out & About

This queer comedy show will warm you up

Catfish Comedy to feature LGBTQ lineup

Published

2 hours ago

January 31, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

(Promotional image via Eventbrite)

Catfish Comedy will host “2026 Queer Kickoff Show” on Thursday, Feb. 5 at A League of Her Own (2319 18th Street, N.W.). This show features D.C.’s funniest LGBTQ and femme comedians. The lineup features performers who regularly take the stage at top clubs like DC Improv and Comedy Loft, with comics who tour nationally.

Tickets are $17.85 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

Arts & Entertainment

Catherine O’Hara, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star and celebrated queer ally, dies at 71

Actress remembered for memorable comedic roles in ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘Home Alone’

Published

1 day ago

January 30, 2026

Matt Minton

(Photo courtesy of Pop TV)

Catherine O’Hara, the varied comedic actor known for memorable roles in “Beetlejuice,” “Schitt’s Creek,” and “Home Alone,” has died at 71 on Friday, according to multiple reports. No further details about her death were revealed.

O’Hara’s death comes as a shock to Hollywood, as the Emmy award-winning actor has been recently active, with roles in both “The Studio” and “The Last of Us.” For her work in those two shows, she received Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series and outstanding guest actress in a drama series.

In 2020, O’Hara won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a comedy series award for her work in the celebrated sixth and final season of “Schitt’s Creek.” She was also known as a queer ally and icon for her theatrical and often campy performances over multiple decades. In “Schitt’s Creek,” she played Moira Rose, the wig-loving mother of David Rose (played by series creator Dan Levy). David is pansexual, but the characters around him simply accept him for who he is; the show was embraced by the LGBTQ community with how naturally David’s sexuality was written and portrayed. That show ran from 2015 to 2020 and helped bring O’Hara and her co-stars into a new phase of their careers.

In a 2019 interview with the Gay Times, O’Hara explained why the show got LGBTQ representation right: “Daniel has created a world that he wants to live in, that I want to live in. It’s ridiculous that we live in a world where we don’t know how to respect each other and let each other be. It’s crazy. Other shows should follow suit and present the world and present humans as the best that we can be. It doesn’t mean you can’t laugh, that you can’t be funny in light ways and dark ways. It’s all still possible when you respect and love each other.”

Additional credits include “SCTV Network” (for which O’Hara won a writing Emmy), “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Six Feet Under,” “Best in Show,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” and “Dick Tracy.” O’Hara also lent her voice to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Chicken Little,” “Monster House,” and “Elemental.” O’Hara was expected to return for Season 2 of “The Studio,” which started filming earlier this month.

Calendar

Calendar: January 30-February 5

LGBTQ events in the days to come

Published

1 day ago

January 30, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

Friday, January 30

Friday Tea Time will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Bring your beverage of choice. For more information, contact Mac ([email protected]).

Spark Social will host “RuPaul’s Drag Race S18 Watch Party” at 8 p.m. This event will be hosted by local drag queens TrevHER and Grey, who will provide hilarious commentary and make live predictions on who’s staying and who’s going home. Stick around after the show for a live drag performance. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Saturday, January 31

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Sunday, February 1

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community and Conversation” at noon at As You Are. This event is for those looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ+ community. Look for the Go Gay DC sign on the long table near the front window. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Monday, February 2

“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam (adamheller@t hedccenter.org).

Tuesday, February 3

Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more information, email [email protected].

Wednesday, February 4

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.

Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older LGBTQ+ women can meet and socialize with one another. There will be discussion, activities, and a chance for guests to share what they want future events to include. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.

Thursday, February 5

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.

Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breath work and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.