Texas family raising money to rescue teen from 'Bible-based' gay conversion therapy camp

The family of a 17-year-old Austin-area girl are asking the public for help in their quest to "Save Sarah" from an East Texas Christian camp designed to "pray the gay away." The family of a 17-year-old Austin-area girl are asking the public for help in their quest to "Save Sarah" from an East Texas Christian camp designed to "pray the gay away." Photo: GoFundMe Photo: GoFundMe Image 1 of / 39 Caption Close Texas family raising money to rescue teen from 'Bible-based' gay conversion therapy camp 1 / 39 Back to Gallery

A Texas teen's extended family is asking the public for help to "Save Sarah," a 17-year-old girl whose parents sent her off to an East Texas boarding facility to "pray the gay away" after she took her girlfriend to prom.

Joey Jordan, a University of Texas at San Antonio student, put together a GoFundMe page that has raised more than $39,000 that will go toward legal expenses incurred in the fight to rescue the teen from the facility.

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While many have given without apprehension, others have expressed doubt in the story. Jordan updated the page to answer questions regarding where the funding would be going, who will be representing the family in the legal battle and why the teen is not legally allowed to leave the facility at her own will.

"Although 17-year olds are considered adults for certain purposes in Texas, state law permits parents to force their children to stay in a residential boarding facility until their 18th birthday," Jordan wrote on the page. "Additionally, the facility is in an extremely rural area. When Sarah attempted to walk out of the facility shortly after being placed there, staff quickly apprehended her and returned her to the facility, and she was punished for her escape attempt. When close friends of Sarah drove up to the facility in an attempt to free her, local law enforcement threatened to arrest them."

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The Austin-area teen has not been identified by last name to avoid any unwanted publicity or scrutiny, but many have validated the claims of the GoFundMe page indicating that they have first hand knowledge of the situation, or their children go to school with the teen.

According to the GoFundMe page, Sarah will be forced to stay at the facility for an entire year. The boarding school, however, does not allow electronic communication visitors.

"So instead of being surrounded by friends and extended family who love and support Sarah for who she is, she'll be isolated in a place where the fact that she is gay is treated as a sin and an illness," Jordan wrote. "Instead of preparing for college and competing in the state debate tournament, she'll be doing forced labor every day and enduring Bible-based 'therapy' for her 'disease.'"

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Jordan said all left over funds will go toward a college fund for the teen who is also a member of the National Honor Society, top 10 percent of her class, cross country team and debate team.

The CHA Law Group representing the teen and her family confirmed the statements on the GoFundMe page on Wednesday.

"I can't comment on pending litigation, other than to authenticate that to the best of my knowledge, the background information on the GoFundMe shared by Sarah's cousin is truthful," Sarah's lawyer Christine Andresen said.

MMedina@mySA.com

Twitter:@MariahMedinaaa