Ex-Gay Watch

Rich Blinne summarizes the findings of the recent study of sexual “identity” reported by Reuters.

Here is the memo from ex-gay activist Arthur Goldberg announcing the ex-gay movement coalition’s detailed plan to sue schools, counselors, insurers, doctors, and organizations such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters if they act in ways contrary to ex-gay ideology.
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Former Southern Baptist pastor and gay Christian speaker Rembert Truluck offers a positive review of Wayne Besen’s new book, Anything But Straight.

An XGW review of the book is forthcoming, probably within two weeks.

One can often count on Dr. Truluck to write about ex-gays with a tone of righteous indignation.

Gay activist Wayne Besen responds to a threat by an ex-gay political coalition to sue school districts that do not promote ex-gay claims, or that suggest homosexuality may have a biological component.
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Camassia points to worthwhile comments about the eviction of a gay Christian student from a pro-ex-gay school (XGW story).

Read the discussion at Joshua Claybourn’s blog.

Cybercast News Service reports today that a political coalition representing numerous U.S. ex-gay organizations, including hundreds of local affiliate groups, “is developing a legal strategy to litigate on behalf of people who challenge the proposition that individuals are ‘born gay.’”

First, some background: The coalition web site claims to support “personal choice,” “right to know,” “tolerance,” “policy neutrality” and “equal access” — but only for antigay and ex-gay choices, information, and policy. Several member organizations have lobbied

• for discrimination against gays in employment, housing, and public services
• against social and religious tolerance of homosexuality
• against the availability of pro-tolerance or “pro-gay” information in schools and the media, and
• against gay people serving as leaders in church, government, child care, education, and the media.

In the CNS story, ex-gay coalition president Arthur Goldberg says, “We want to make sure that people understand the diversity, that this is an open forum. We want toleration of those who have been able to successfully change and get their rights recognized as real rights.” In other words, the same ex-gay groups that oppose nondiscrimination laws based on any sexual orientation DO seek nondiscrimination laws solely protecting ex-gays.

The article says Goldberg described ex-gays as “the most repressed minority in the world” — a remark that numerous international minority groups, who are killed for their ethnicity or beliefs, may feel is both racist and self-pitying.

According to the article, some coalition members want laws passed so that they can charge researchers and educators with crimes if they air evidence of a biological component to sexual orientation and some listener later has homosexual sex.

According to Goldberg, schools and universities that tell questioning individuals homosexuality is genetic may be liable in lawsuits if clients endanger themselves or others by engaging in sex acts on the advice of school counselors or psychologists.

Here is a public memo from Goldberg announcing the detailed goal of the coalition to sue schools, counselors, doctors and insurers — even Big Brothers/Big Sisters — unless they comply with ex-gay ideology.

Michael Hamar, attorney to victims of ex-gay activist Michael Johnston, comments in depth on the ex-gay coalition’s political campaign:
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Author and gay activist Wayne Besen, to Express Gay News, Oct. 6:

Besen concedes that the gay community is partly to blame for the ex-gay phenomenon. “Gays could be more supportive of their own,” Besen said. “Gay bars can be cruel places. They go to the gay bar one night and are treated terribly, and then they go to the ex-gay ministry and are hugged and treated well. The ex-gay people tell the person, ‘You don’t have to go to this smoky, dark place and be treated like shit anymore. In larger communities, people don’t have to go to the bars; in smaller communities, the bars are often the only places to meet other gay people. Many gays also don’t get support from their families.”

Besen said the programs dangle lofty possibilities in the faces of those who will stick it out and stay straight. “They tell you how happy you’re going to be, how you can be married, how your life will change.” Besen said.

Besen: Coral Ridge Gang Trying to ‘Reclaim the Dark Ages’
Express Gay News, Oct. 10

At an Oct. 10 rally hosted by a South Florida church, author and gay activist Wayne Besen protested the Rev. D. James Kennedy’s “Reclaiming America for Christ” conference, scheduled for Oct. 25 at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale. Kennedy’s conference was to include two speakers who, Besen said, have advocated executing people for homosexuality.

Besen cautioned that groups such as Coral Ridge Ministries ignore science as they cling to backward, extreme ideologies. “Thanks to Coral Ridge Ministries, there are people in our community who reject our basic humanity,” Besen said. “They do so without knowing us as individuals and without giving us a fair chance. The ‘Reclaiming America for Christ’ conference offers a dangerous vision that seeks to divide America and destroy certain Americans.”

Besen noted that Kennedy has been intimately associated with a group of “religious fanatics” known as the Reconstructionist movement. “The Reconstructionists want to replace American law with Old Testament law,” Besen said.

Besen pointed out that one of the speakers at the “Reclaiming America” conference is Gary DeMar, whom Besen described as a recognized leader in the Reconstructionist movement. “DeMar once said of homosexuality: ‘The Bible doesn’t say that homosexuals should be executed. What it says is this: If two men lie together like a man and a woman lie together, they are to be put to death.’”

Besen then quoted from Judge Roy Moore, another speaker at the Coral Ridge conference, who recently made national news after he defied a federal court order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from state property in Alabama. In a court opinion in February 20002, Moore wrote: “Homosexuality is an act so heinous that it defies one’s ability to describe it. The State carries the power of the sword, that is, the power to prohibit conduct with physical penalties, such as confinement and even execution.”

“Leaders of ‘Reclaiming America for Christ’ want to be portrayed in the media simply as religious conservatives,” Besen said. “But there is nothing conservative, in the traditional sense, about their agenda. A true conservative might want to go so far as to repeal New Deal entitlements. But this crowd is so radical they want to repeal the Enlightenment—and return us to the Dark Ages…. They want to reclaim a religious monopoly in America and defeat religious pluralism. And they want to reclaim a horrible world where gay people were executed—sometimes burned to death.”

Besen then took aim at Coral Ridge’s support of the “ex-gay” movement, which he says manipulates vulnerable people for political purposes. “The ex-gay issue has never been about helping people. It’s all about pushing a right-wing, anti-gay political agenda,” Besen said. “To lie and manipulate vulnerable people is not faith healing, as conference leaders suggest, but faith hurting of the most diabolical kind.”

Oct. 6 article about the rally and Coral Ridge Ministries.

Aug. 18 article about Coral Ridge’s connection to ex-gay activist Michael Johnston.

In 1998, the ex-gay movement accepted national ad sponsorship and primetime news appearances via Coral Ridge and its political wing, the Center for Reclaiming America. Tolerance advocates at Bridges Across the Divide blasted the affiliation. Exodus board member Tom Cole asked them why. Chris Purdom of the Interfaith Working Group detailed Coral Ridge’s alleged connections to Christian Reconstruction and the homosexual death penalty. Mr. Cole did not respond to Mr. Purdom.

Also in 1998, a little-known ex-gay speaker named Randy Thomas wrote a letter to Janet Folger, head of Reclaiming America. Mr. Thomas accused Coral Ridge of misusing ex-gay video to promote bigotry. However, in early 2002, the pro-ex-gay web site Justice and Respect withdrew Mr. Thomas’ criticism of Coral Ridge from circulation, and today Mr. Thomas — now the media and outreach of Exodus International — writes press releases sounding much like those of Coral Ridge.

Online media coverage of the ex-gay “Love Won Out” conference in Oklahoma City, and related protests, seems to be sparse.

If you have seen articles published since the event occurred, please let XGW know. Thanks!

Pre-event coverage:
Op-ed by Wayne Besen at GayOKC.com:
“Love Won Out? The Selling of False Hope to Vulnerable People“

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.”