A father dragged his own son into a TV courtroom — not to reconcile, not to apologize — but to demand $6,000 back because the boy refused to be “cured” of being gay.
Gregory Talbert of Memphis, Tennessee had paid for a three-month conversion therapy program after catching his 17-year-old son Michael kissing another boy. He threatened to throw Michael out of the house if he did not attend. So Michael went — not because he believed in it, but because he was terrified of losing his family.
A month in, Michael walked out. The program had told him and the other participants that they were cursed, going to hell, and monsters who needed to be fixed. He texted his father asking to come home. His father replied: “You need to finish what you started. I spent $6,000. Just follow the rules and you’ll be cured in two more months.”
Michael left anyway. His father sued him for the money.
In court, Michael looked at his father and said: “I felt like you valued the money more than your son.”
Judge Eboni K. Williams dismissed the case entirely and then walked off the bench, took Michael’s hands, and told him: “You are not cursed. You are as loved and as worthy as your father, your mother, and everyone else who gets the privilege to reside on this earth. I don’t care what your daddy says. I don’t care what some stupid conversion therapy says. You are perfect.”
The father called it tough love. The judge called it unacceptable, manipulative, and downright cruel.
Note: The case appeared on the TV show “Equal Justice with Judge Eboni K. Williams” and may involve actors portraying a real-life scenario. The show’s own disclaimer states that episodes may be re-enactments for entertainment purposes.