You Can’t Pray the Gay Away

When you are raised to believe that the person you are is unacceptable, you hide. And you stay hidden. If you are X-Men and Dance Academy star Tim Pocock, you become an expert at hiding - until you can’t anymore.

Tim Pocock was a born performer. At ten, he took to the stage as a professional opera singer. At twenty-two, he launched his acting career in the blockbuster X-Men Origins: Wolverine and went on to star in the beloved series Dance Academy.

But Tim’s biggest role was one he never auditioned for - the role he played at home as a devout, straight son. Raised in a deeply conservative Catholic family and attending a school with links to Opus Dei, Tim knew that he would never be accepted for who he was. Being gay was out of the question. Tim was encouraged to become a priest and experienced gay conversion therapy to have his sexuality hypnotised out of him.

This captivating memoir reveals shocking details of Tim’s strict religious upbringing and the institutional harms he experienced. After his bid for freedom, Tim traversed the glitzy landscape of Los Angeles, navigated the pressures of the acting industry, and made chaotic forays into the gay dating scene - all while carrying immense trauma.

With unflinching honesty, Tim reveals his journey toward healing, discovery and self-acceptance. In doing so, he offers hope for anyone who is still in hiding from the person they know they are and shows how we can set ourselves free.

Tim Pocock is an Australian actor, producer, musician and advocate originally from Johannesburg, South Africa. An award-winning pianist and singer, Tim began his career on the Sydney Opera House stage at a young age, before embarking on a successful career in the Film and Television industry. With credits including X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Home and Away, the multi-Logie-winning series Dance Academy and three-time AAC TA-nominated film Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism, for which he also served as executive producer, Tim also stars in the upcoming noir thriller Body Blow, set for release in 2025.

In recent years, Tim has set his sights on advocating for the LGBTIQ+ community, speaking out on institutionalised homophobia and playing an active part in recent legislative changes made in the NSW parliament’s criminalisation of conversion therapy practices.