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* AluminumChristmasTrees: the film exaggerates somewhat the tactics used by True Directions, but some viewers may be shocked at how similar they are to actual conversion therapy programs--mostly in the use of aversion therapy (like electroshock) and trying to make LGBT people act in more gender conforming ways
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mary brown, played by catherine moriarty
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* AffablyEvil: Cathy Morningside.
to:
* AffablyEvil: Cathy Morningside.Mary Brown.
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* {{Irony}}: If Megan's parents hadn't sent her to the camp, she likely would've gotten married to a man, had children, either never realising her lesbianism due to the justifications she already had in place or eventually realising it but deciding to continue presenting as heterosexual and having a completely miserable life. Because they wanted that life for her, they sent her there, and instead, she thankfully emerged as a happy woman who embraced her lesbianism and who would hopefully have a truly fulfilling life
to:
* {{Irony}}: If Megan's parents hadn't sent her to the camp, she likely would've gotten married to a man, had children, either never realising her lesbianism due to the justifications she already had in place or eventually realising it but deciding to continue presenting as heterosexual and having a completely miserable life. Because they wanted that life for her, they sent her there, and instead, she thankfully emerged as a happy woman who embraced her lesbianism and who would hopefully have a truly fulfilling lifelife.
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Sarcasm Failure is when a character is at a loss for a sarcastic remark.
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* SarcasmFailure: When Megan tries to come up with a cheer celebrating straightness.
to:
* SarcasmFailure: SarcasmBlind: When Megan tries to come up with a cheer celebrating straightness.
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* HeteronormativeCrusader: Mary.
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* ManlyGay: Rock.
to:
* MaleGaze: Mike visibly ogling Rocky in his power vest and tight short shorts.
* ManlyGay:Rock.Rock veers between this and CampGay.
* ManlyGay:
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* HairOfGold: Megan.
to:
* HairOfGold: Megan.HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Megan. Beautiful, young, sheltered Christian who is determined to see the good in everyone.
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That\'s not \"Condescending\". \"Misguided\" is the right word
Deleted line(s) 75 (click to see context) :
* PityingPerversion: True Directions run on this, as do real-life anti-gay camps. The whole idea is that these poor people have been driven into a lifestyle that would only hurt themselves and others and that with help and love from some kind-hearted people they can overcome this obstruction.
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* MenAreUncultured: Boys are discouraged to drink decently and care about the woman's pleasure during intercourse.
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* CoolAndUnusualPunishment:
-->'''Mike:''' Boys! I ever catch you looking at a man again, you'll be watching sports all weekend!
-->'''Mike:''' Boys! I ever catch you looking at a man again, you'll be watching sports all weekend!
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* DeadpanSnarker: Graham.
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* OnlySaneMan: Graham is the most aware of how stupid the camp is.
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* TooKinkyToTorture: The girls are given tasers that give small electric shocks, and are supposed to use to zap themselves whenever they have "impure" thoughts. But as Sinead likes pain, so she uses it for [[ADateWithRosiePalms something else]].
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A 1999 comedy lampooning the idea of [[CureYourGays homosexual reform camps]] with the story of Megan, a God-fearing cheerleader who has never paid her homosexual tendencies any thought until being sent to the True Directions camp. While there, she admits the homosexuality that [[EveryoneCanSeeIt everyone but her had apparently seen]], and falls in love with another of the True Directions members, Graham.
to:
A 1999 comedy lampooning the idea of [[CureYourGays homosexual reform camps]] with the story of Megan, a God-fearing cheerleader who has never paid her homosexual tendencies any thought until being sent to the True Directions camp. While there, she admits the homosexuality that [[EveryoneCanSeeIt [[TransparentCloset everyone but her had apparently seen]], and falls in love with another of the True Directions members, Graham.
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None
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* DeletedRole: The girl in the video described below got her own place in the casting clips at the end of the movie, but of course was cut from the main movie.
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* ArmchairPsychology: Lloyd while arguing with Larry. Unusually, it actually seems to work, and they make up quickly.
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* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: Mary is actually perfectly okay with the students having sex! ...as long as it's heterosexual sex in which the man is dominant and the woman is submissive and there's no foreplay and...
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* PurpleProse: Mary directing the simulated sexual lifestyle:
-->'''Mary:''' He wants to love you, the way God intended, to be inside you, his love muscle ''thrusting''...
-->''Graham and Rock break apart, [[{{Squick}} disgusted]]''
* QueerRomance
-->'''Mary:''' He wants to love you, the way God intended, to be inside you, his love muscle ''thrusting''...
-->''Graham and Rock break apart, [[{{Squick}} disgusted]]''
* QueerRomance
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* HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday: Of course.
-->'''Graham:''' You're really manly.
-->'''Joel:''' Thanks.
-->'''Graham:''' I like that. Manly is good.
-->'''Joel:''' I feel like the aggressor.
-->'''Graham:''' You're really manly.
-->'''Joel:''' Thanks.
-->'''Graham:''' I like that. Manly is good.
-->'''Joel:''' I feel like the aggressor.
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* ThatCameOutWrong: Near the end of the movie, Joel tries to comfort Andre by telling him he's awesome, but his compliments turn homoerotic pretty quickly.
-->'''Joel:''' You're nice, and clean, and smart, and sexy and firm and luscious and-
-->'''Andre:''' Excuse me. The ''last'' thing I need right now is some fruit who's just proved he's straight telling my ass how sexy I am!
-->'''Joel:''' You're nice, and clean, and smart, and sexy and firm and luscious and-
-->'''Andre:''' Excuse me. The ''last'' thing I need right now is some fruit who's just proved he's straight telling my ass how sexy I am!
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* [[IntentionallyAwkwardTitle Intentionally Awkward Name]]: The gay bar 'Cocksucker'. It's quite amusing to watch the more straight-laced characters trying to force themselves to say it.
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* OfCorsetsSexy: The girls wear purples ones briefly while they give each other makeovers as part of step 2.
to:
* OfCorsetsSexy: The girls wear purples ones briefly while they give each other makeovers as part of step 2.make-overs.
* OneHeadTaller: Larry and Lloyd.
* OneHeadTaller: Larry and Lloyd.
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* RuleOfRomantic: The lighting during Megan and Graham's love scene makes...well, pretty much no sense whatsoever, but ''damn'' if it isn't very, very pretty.
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* GreenEyedEpiphany: Megan getting angry over Graham dancing with Sinead is the impetus for them both admitting they have feelings for each other.
* GreenEyedMonster: It's implied that Sinead has a thing for Graham and is jealous of Megan.
* GreenEyedMonster: It's implied that Sinead has a thing for Graham and is jealous of Megan.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Lloyd and Larry appear like this, but [[HiddenDepths deep down Larry is just as sensitive as Lloyd.]]
* ShutUpKiss: Megan and Graham's first kiss.
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** Rock also wears cut-offs.
to:
** Rock also wears cut-offs.cut-offs, and Andre wears short shorts at the Cocksucker.
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* InterruptedIntimacy: Graham's parents found out that she was gay when they walked in on her with her friend. Also, at one point when Megan leaves the bedroom to masturbate after a dream about Graham, she happens upon two of the guys making out.
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-->'''Megan:''' ...hey, that's really good.
to:
-->'''Megan:''' ...hey, that's really good.
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* SmokingIsCool: Graham smokes as part of her BadGirl image.
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* AbusiveParents: Graham's are the emotionally abusive, neglectful type. They're also economically abusive in threatening to cut her off unless she becomes straight.
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* FallingInLoveMontage
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* IDidntMeanToTurnYouOn: Mike occasionally causes this in the boys.
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* SourPrudes: Graham sees Megan as this initially, but the truth is a lot more complicated.
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* VisualInnuendo: Rock walking out onto the grounds with a broom handle in between his legs, [[SomethingElseAlsoRises rubbing it up and down...]]
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** Rock also wears cut-offs.
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* GrammarNazi: Mary
-->'''Andre:''' Shit, Miss Mary, I ain't the only one who don't got no root.
-->'''Mary:''' Andre, we don't use profanity or double negatives here at True Directions.
-->'''Andre:''' Shit, Miss Mary, I ain't the only one who don't got no root.
-->'''Mary:''' Andre, we don't use profanity or double negatives here at True Directions.
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* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: When pressed to find a 'root' for her homosexuality, Megan hesitantly wonders whether the period where her mother was working and her father took care of the house confused her ideas about the proper roles of men and women. It didn't last very long, though, and her parents are otherwise traditional - Mary still leaped on the idea, though.
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* OfCorsetsSexy: The girls wear purples ones briefly while they give each other makeovers as part of step 2.
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* SituationalSexuality: Hilary cites attendance at an [[OneGenderSchool all girls boarding school]] as causing her lesbianism and Dolph claims that he turned gay from too many locker-room showers. Of course, it's made clear these explanations make no sense.
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* InnocentInnuendo / DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: While teaching the girls how to clean, Mary guides Jan in thrusting a vacuum cleaner forwards and backwards while repeating 'in and out and in and out'. She doesn't notice anything unusual about the movement but the other girls sure do. Similarly, Mike works on a car with [[ShesGotLegs legs]] and crotch on full display, also repeating 'in and out'...and then asks the boys [[ThatCameOutWrong "Who wants to go down with me?"]] Almost all raise their hands.
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* WhoWearsShortShorts: Mike. It's especially noticeable in a scene where he is working under a car with only his legs and crotch visible. [[DistractedByTheSexy As a result, the boys he's working with learn absolutely nothing.]]
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* {{Goth}}: Sinead.
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* InternalizedCategorism: Most of the gay characters fall into this at least at some point, but Mike in particular counts, having embraced his status as an 'ex-gay' enough to be working at a camp for turning people straight.
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* LesbianJock: Jan plays softball. [[spoiler:Though in a subversion, she's actually straight.]]
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Sorry for the edit spamming - I\'m kinda watching the movie and adding tropes as I see them.
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* FeminineWomenCanCook: In the video Megan watches on arriving at True Directions, the girl is described as 'rediscovering her femininity' over a shot of her cooking.
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** Also, the one thing that Megan cites as being evidence above all that she's a 'normal' girl, her being a cheerleader, actually forms the main outlet of her latent attraction to girls.
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* DeletedScene: One of Megan watching a ScareEmStraight video of a girl tearfully reciting what lesbianism drove her to, and a shorter one of Megan playing the song she wrote for the others in front of a campfire.
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* GilliganCut: This -
-->'''Megan:''' There is no ''way'' I'm going.
-->''Cut to shot of Megan in a moving car.''
-->'''Megan:''' There is no ''way'' I'm going.
-->''Cut to shot of Megan in a moving car.''
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* SarcasmFailure: When Megan tries to come up with a cheer celebrating straightness.
-->'''Megan:''' Two, four, sex, eight, God is good-
-->'''[[DeadpanSnarker Graham]]:''' God is straight!
-->'''Megan:''' ...hey, that's really good.
-->'''Megan:''' Two, four, sex, eight, God is good-
-->'''[[DeadpanSnarker Graham]]:''' God is straight!
-->'''Megan:''' ...hey, that's really good.
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* PityingPerversion: True Directions run on this, as do real-life anti-gay camps. The whole idea is that these poor people have been driven into a lifestyle that would only hurt themselves and others and that with help and love from some kind-hearted people they can overcome this obstruction.
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* NoBisexuals
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* TeachersPet: Although the movie isn't set at school, Hilary fits the personality type and seems to act as one towards the counsellors.
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* TroubledSympatheticBigot: Megan's dad seems to genuinely have her best interests at heart and at times seriously questions whether he's doing the right thing by forcing her to repress her sexuality. He seems to be falling prey to bigotry in the middle of the movie when [[spoiler:he agrees with his wife that Megan cannot return home unless she becomes straight, but at the very end of the movie there is a brief shot of the two of them at a meeting for parents of LGBT children, indicating they ''are'' trying.]]
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* TheCutie: Megan.
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* HairOfGold: Megan.
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* TheIngenue: Megan, although it's implied that her pureness stems from her lack of attraction to guys and repression of her attraction to girls - while she stays wonderfully kind and optimistic throughout the movie, she becomes a ''lot'' less 'pure' in the traditional sense as her relationship with Graham develops.
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* ThePollyanna: Megan.
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* TomboyishName: Graham.
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* FemaleGaze: The opening sequence, and then the shots interspersed in the scene of Megan kissing her boyfriend, are basically one long series of this from her perspective. Of course, since the female in question is a lesbian, the shots are of scantily-clad cheerleaders with [[{{Gainaxing}} bouncing breasts]] and copious [[PantyShot Panty Shots]].
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* RapeAndSwitch: Discussed, but averted - the True Directions staff believe that being molested would cause a girl to turn into a lesbian, [[spoiler:but the girl in question is actually straight.]]
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* TransEqualsGay: A big misconception of True Directions, to the point where the 'ungaying' process looks more an attempt to make all of the characters live up to their traditional gender roles more than anything else. This is especially mystifying for [[LipstickLesbian Megan]], who is femme but gay [[spoiler:and Jan, who is butch but straight.]]
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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/butima_5410.jpg]]
A 1999 comedy lampooning the idea of [[CureYourGays homosexual reform camps]] with the story of Megan, a God-fearing cheerleader who has never paid her homosexual tendencies any thought until being sent to the True Directions camp. While there, she admits the homosexuality that [[EveryoneCanSeeIt everyone but her had apparently seen]], and falls in love with another of the True Directions members, Graham.
The film carved out an unusual niche for itself as what many have identified as a LighterAndSofter version of a JohnWaters film, combining high camp, dark political comedy and good-natured romanticism under one improbably broad yet [[PinkGirlBlueBoy tantalizingly candy-colored]] roof.
Not to be confused with ''ButImACatPerson''.
----
!!Contains examples of:
* AffablyEvil: Cathy Morningside.
* ButchLesbian: [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] quite brilliantly.]]
* CampGay: Andre. Although almost every single gay male is some amount of camp, except Larry, one of the 'ex-ex-gay' characters. Arguably the point is to demonstrate just how worthless the camp is. [[RuleOfFunny Also because it's funny.]]
* CampStraight: [[spoiler:Jan]] was just assumed to be lesbian because she has such a strong [[ButchLesbian butch]] appearance, but she actually likes boys. She leaves the camp when she discovers this.
** ComingStraightStory
* CastFullOfGay
* TheCheerleader: [[AvertedTrope Averted]].
* CureYourGays. The plot of the film, in fact. [[spoiler:It doesn't succeed.]]
* ADateWithRosiePalms: Megan is explicitly shown doing this, with [[SexyDiscretionShot her hand just out of frame]]. It can be inferred that Sinead does this too, but differently (the campers are given small tazers that emit small shocks, and you're supposed to shock yourself if you ever have 'impure thoughts.' When Sinead introduced herself, she said she liked pain, and she shocks herself on purpose.)
* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: Dolph's pajamas are a sight to behold.
* GayBar
* GirlsWithMoustaches: Jan has a moustache.
* HomoeroticDream
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Megan and a few of the others. Averted by Graham.
* IKEAErotica
-->'''Mary:''' "When it's time for lovemaking, Dan kisses Sue, and touches her breast. Women often find this sensation pleasurable."
** "Foreplay is for sissies! Real men go in, unload, and pull out!"
* {{Irony}}: If Megan's parents hadn't sent her to the camp, she likely would've gotten married to a man, had children, either never realising her lesbianism due to the justifications she already had in place or eventually realising it but deciding to continue presenting as heterosexual and having a completely miserable life. Because they wanted that life for her, they sent her there, and instead, she thankfully emerged as a happy woman who embraced her lesbianism and who would hopefully have a truly fulfilling life
* LipstickLesbian: Megan. In the credits they actually have Julie Delpie listed as "Lipstick Lesbian" (the girl at the gay bar.)
* ManlyGay: Rock.
* {{Meganekko}}: MelanieLynskey as Hilary.
* PlayingAgainstType:
** The world's most famous drag queen, [=RuPaul=], appears not only as a man, ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny but also as an ex-gay counselor]].''
** Richard Moll, who normally plays very scary dudes, is a gruff-but-lovable burly bear.
* PinkGirlBlueBoy: Taken to hilarious extremes, as basically everything is that color for the boys and girls. This includes painting the windows of a car blue.
* RefugeInAudacity: The film takes ex-gay camps and makes them look as [[TastesLikeDiabetes fluffy and inane as possible]] while playing up every gay stereotype in American culture to ensure that viewers get the message.
* SchoolgirlLesbians
* ShoutOut: The whole film feels a lot like a John Waters movie, and indeed Mink Stole, a member of a group of stock actors Waters usually uses in his films, plays the main character's mother.
* StrawmanPolitical: The ex-gay counselors.
* StraightGay: Larry, although his brief fight with his boyfriend had him acting less than manly. Otherwise, he almost looks like a survivalist. Dolph is a smaller example of one, being a varsity wrestler.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Graham and Megan.
* TransparentCloset: Megan is the most prominent. Notably, ''every'' character at the camp [[spoiler: except for the extremely butch girl]] is written to be in one [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped to leave no doubt that the camp is not working]].
* TrialBalloonQuestion
----
A 1999 comedy lampooning the idea of [[CureYourGays homosexual reform camps]] with the story of Megan, a God-fearing cheerleader who has never paid her homosexual tendencies any thought until being sent to the True Directions camp. While there, she admits the homosexuality that [[EveryoneCanSeeIt everyone but her had apparently seen]], and falls in love with another of the True Directions members, Graham.
The film carved out an unusual niche for itself as what many have identified as a LighterAndSofter version of a JohnWaters film, combining high camp, dark political comedy and good-natured romanticism under one improbably broad yet [[PinkGirlBlueBoy tantalizingly candy-colored]] roof.
Not to be confused with ''ButImACatPerson''.
----
!!Contains examples of:
* AffablyEvil: Cathy Morningside.
* ButchLesbian: [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] quite brilliantly.]]
* CampGay: Andre. Although almost every single gay male is some amount of camp, except Larry, one of the 'ex-ex-gay' characters. Arguably the point is to demonstrate just how worthless the camp is. [[RuleOfFunny Also because it's funny.]]
* CampStraight: [[spoiler:Jan]] was just assumed to be lesbian because she has such a strong [[ButchLesbian butch]] appearance, but she actually likes boys. She leaves the camp when she discovers this.
** ComingStraightStory
* CastFullOfGay
* TheCheerleader: [[AvertedTrope Averted]].
* CureYourGays. The plot of the film, in fact. [[spoiler:It doesn't succeed.]]
* ADateWithRosiePalms: Megan is explicitly shown doing this, with [[SexyDiscretionShot her hand just out of frame]]. It can be inferred that Sinead does this too, but differently (the campers are given small tazers that emit small shocks, and you're supposed to shock yourself if you ever have 'impure thoughts.' When Sinead introduced herself, she said she liked pain, and she shocks herself on purpose.)
* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: Dolph's pajamas are a sight to behold.
* GayBar
* GirlsWithMoustaches: Jan has a moustache.
* HomoeroticDream
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Megan and a few of the others. Averted by Graham.
* IKEAErotica
-->'''Mary:''' "When it's time for lovemaking, Dan kisses Sue, and touches her breast. Women often find this sensation pleasurable."
** "Foreplay is for sissies! Real men go in, unload, and pull out!"
* {{Irony}}: If Megan's parents hadn't sent her to the camp, she likely would've gotten married to a man, had children, either never realising her lesbianism due to the justifications she already had in place or eventually realising it but deciding to continue presenting as heterosexual and having a completely miserable life. Because they wanted that life for her, they sent her there, and instead, she thankfully emerged as a happy woman who embraced her lesbianism and who would hopefully have a truly fulfilling life
* LipstickLesbian: Megan. In the credits they actually have Julie Delpie listed as "Lipstick Lesbian" (the girl at the gay bar.)
* ManlyGay: Rock.
* {{Meganekko}}: MelanieLynskey as Hilary.
* PlayingAgainstType:
** The world's most famous drag queen, [=RuPaul=], appears not only as a man, ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny but also as an ex-gay counselor]].''
** Richard Moll, who normally plays very scary dudes, is a gruff-but-lovable burly bear.
* PinkGirlBlueBoy: Taken to hilarious extremes, as basically everything is that color for the boys and girls. This includes painting the windows of a car blue.
* RefugeInAudacity: The film takes ex-gay camps and makes them look as [[TastesLikeDiabetes fluffy and inane as possible]] while playing up every gay stereotype in American culture to ensure that viewers get the message.
* SchoolgirlLesbians
* ShoutOut: The whole film feels a lot like a John Waters movie, and indeed Mink Stole, a member of a group of stock actors Waters usually uses in his films, plays the main character's mother.
* StrawmanPolitical: The ex-gay counselors.
* StraightGay: Larry, although his brief fight with his boyfriend had him acting less than manly. Otherwise, he almost looks like a survivalist. Dolph is a smaller example of one, being a varsity wrestler.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Graham and Megan.
* TransparentCloset: Megan is the most prominent. Notably, ''every'' character at the camp [[spoiler: except for the extremely butch girl]] is written to be in one [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped to leave no doubt that the camp is not working]].
* TrialBalloonQuestion
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