Brazilian church offers gays love, not ‘cures’

waiter, said he participated in several of these rituals at the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God — one of the most powerful evangelical congregations in Brazil to which Rio mayor Marcelo Crivella, a former evangelical bishop, belongs.

“They told me I had the devil in my body, an evil spirit that lives in me from my mother’s womb,” said Fernando, makeup highlighting his delicate features.

To “get it out” the procedure was almost always the same, he explained. He was lined up in front of a church congregation alongside other “sick people” suffering drug or alcohol addiction, for group exorcism sessions.

“There were people who fell, who hit themselves, who acted as if possessed, but it never happened to me,” he said. “I went through a very difficult time psychologically.”

Rejected on all sides, sometimes by their own family, others found themselves on the verge of suicide.

“Here we are welcomed with open arms, without prejudice,” said Katia Maria Soares, 29.

Two years ago, she separated from her husband to live with Carolina, with whom she raises three children from their respective marriages.

If I wasn’t here, I would probably be home, drunk and feeling empty,” said Joao Barbosa, a 47-year-old nurse who has been a member of the church since the days when members had to meet clandestinely in apartments.

Today, the congregation has 10 churches spread through Brazil.

Here there is no rainbow flag adorning the walls, no LGBE slogans. There are three hours of joyous singing with live bands, dancing, Biblical readings and, like churches everywhere, a call for donations at the end.

However, in the last row, two ladies do not look as if they are enjoying the show.

Pastor Fabio explained that one of them has just learned that her daughter is lesbian and promised to cause a scandal when she went on stage to sing. In the end, she left before the service ended.

“The healing process we are proposing here is against prejudice,” said Fabio’s husband Marcos. “Prejudice is the disease that needs to be cured.”