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Katy Perry tried to 'pray the gay away at Jesus camps' as a teen

Pop singer Katy Perry, who is famous for the 2008 hit song "I Kissed a Girl," said that she tried to "pray the gay away at Jesus camps" during her teenage years.

During her speech at the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) Los Angeles gala dinner at JW Marriott L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, she revealed that she did more than just kiss a girl and said that she spoke about her fantasies in "little, bite-sized pop songs" similar to the 2008 hit song.

Singer Katy Perry arrives at the 57th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California February 8, 2015. | REUTERS/MARIO ANZUONI/FILES

"Truth be told: A) I did more than that, but B) How was I going to reconcile that with the gospel singing girl raised in youth groups that [was] pro-conversion camps? What I did know is that I was curious, and even then, I knew that sexuality wasn't as black and white as this dress," said Perry, who received HRC's National Equality Award at the event.

Perry, who began her singing career as a Gospel artist at age 15, said that she was brought up to know that homosexual behavior was wrong, and she prayed to resist such temptations when she was a teenager.

"Most of my unconscious adolescence, I prayed the gay away at my Jesus camps," she remarked.

The pop singer noted that she began to change when she got into the music industry and met more members of the LGBT community, The Christian Post reported.

"They were the most free, strong, kind and inclusive people I have ever met. They stimulated my mind and they filled my heart with joy, and they freaking danced all the while doing it," she said.

In a previous interview with CCM Magazine, Perry revealed that one of her musical influences was Keith Green, who was known for being a bold witness for Christ in his songs. However, she signed with the secular label Capitol Records and later announced that she no longer professed to be a Christian.

Her parents, Keith and Mary Hudson, said that they do not agree with all the choices Perry has made during her career. They still try to express some support for the pop singer by attending award shows with her. Last year, they asked the Christian community to pray for their daughter and not judge her.