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Report: Film to look at experiences of gay teens at Christian reform schools

By Fran Jeffries
Dec 13, 2013

A new documentary explores the experiences of gay American teenagers who were sent to church reform schools run by Americans in the Dominican Republic.

"Kidnapped for Christ" takes a compelling look at the stories of some of these teens sent to camps by their parents in an attempt to transform them into "healthy Christian adults," according to a report about the film in the Huffington Post.

Director Kate Logan said she was given access to film inside one of the reform schools, called Escuela Caribe, over the course of a summer. The film is currently seeking funding through a Kickstarter campaign.

Teen testimonials are included in the documentary.

“I was abused under the illusion of ‘God’s love,’ and refused the human dignity to disagree,” said Joshua Sierk, a former student at Escuela Caribe. “… These tales we tell are terrible & horrifying, but they are true.”

The Huffington Post offers a Q & A with Logan about why she feels the film is important.

About the Author

Fran Jeffries is a Newsletter Producer. She joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2005 as an Education Editor. She worked as a Breaking News Editor and Social Media Producer before joining the Newsletter team.

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