Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays promotes job discrimination against homosexuals. A past webmaster promoted the killing of gay people and arson against gay-tolerant churches. PFOX-guided discussion boards periodically protest the availability of gay-tolerant messages in public venues, and encourage parents to believe their gay children are possessed by demons.

This month the organization renewed its 2002 pro-ex-gay ad campaign in Washington, D.C., subway stations.

Naturally, some people are upset. A city councilman is seeking a means for the transit system to reject ads deemed untruthful — but deemed untrue by whom?

PFOX executive director Regina Griggs sees truth in a 2001 study of ex-gay political activists by Dr. Robert Spitzer; gay equality organizations see the same study as proof that almost no one can change from gay to straight. Who decides what’s true? And is it appropriate for the city’s transit system expected to subsidize a war of back-and-forth political ads?

The local chapter of the gay-tolerant group PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) has adopted a pro-free-speech position. According to The Washington Blade:

[Local PFLAG executive director Rhonda Buckner] said she wasn’t upset with Metro for allowing the ads to run, because PFLAG was also preparing to launch its own ad campaign to run in the system, possibly by next spring.

“I hate that [the PFOX ads] are there, but if PFOX couldn’t do it, we couldn’t either,” Buckner said. “And I want our ads out there.”

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