TikToker goes viral with parents’ “exorcism” removing demons “making him gay”

A TikToker went viral after sharing a video of his parents bringing in an “exorcist” to “exorcise the demons” out of his room that they argued was responsible for making him gay. And he caught it all on hidden cameras.

Andrew Hartzler, 25, grew up in Kansas City, Missouri where he lived with his parents. Growing up, Andrew and his family were part of a conservative evangelical religious sect called the International House of Prayer.

At the age of 14, Andrew came out to his family as being gay. In response, his family forced him to undergo conversion therapy three times a week throughout high school.

Talking to Insider, Andrew revealed that he’d secretly ordered and set up surveillance cameras while being home for Christmas after coming out for a second time during his sophomore year of college, fearing that his parents might do something to his room while he’s away.

And he was right, as his parents brought in evangelist John Jacobs, the founder of a bodybuilding Christian group, to perform the exorcism ceremony.

The goal of the exorcism was to remove the “demons” Andrew’s parents believed were the reason for their son being gay. Andrew filmed it all on his surveillance cameras and has now published the clips on TikTok.

Parents brought “exorcist” to deal with their son being gay

In the video published on TikTok, Jacobs walks around the room and says: “Devil to go in Jesus’ name, you foul spirit, you leave. Every evil spirit go now in Jesus’ name. Something foul is happening in this closet in Jesus’ name. Every evil spirit go now in Jesus’ name.”

Andrew said he wasn’t surprised that his parents called Jacobs to rid his room of the “devil.”

“My father thought my identity issues were a ‘demonic stronghold,'” he told Insider. “He always used that type of language around my sexuality.”

Although it’s been several years since the exorcism, Andrew said he decided to post the video now because “it was really important for people to see that there are right-wing Christian fanatics who are subjecting their children to this type of practice and that they believe being gay is something profoundly evil that has to be performed away by some ritual.”

Andrew now works for Oklahomans for Equality, an LGBTQ rights group, and has cut contact with his parents.

Viewers can’t decide if it’s “sad or comical”

In response to posting the video, Andrew has been sent thousands of comments supporting him. And although some viewers found it comical, the overall consensus was that they felt sorry for Andrew.

One person wrote: “lol he did it with his whole chest, it might be a sign that it’s *not a demon*?”

Another said: “Not him feeling something inside the closet LMAO.”

“lt is so painful and at the same time comical in a sad way. OMG honey, I am so sorry,” a third person wrote.

A fourth person said: “Was he taking the coming out of the closet thing literally?”

This is not the first time Andrew has gone viral. In December 2022, Andrew publically called out his Republican aunt, Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler, after she voted against a bill protecting same-sex marriage.