Ex-Gay Watch

Several readers have noticed ex-gay ads appearing on the margins of the Ex-Gay Watch home page.

This web site does have the ability to filter out ads from specific sources — and I am inclined to do so until those sources agree to host gay-tolerant ads.

But before implementing such a policy, I welcome feedback.

Reflecting on a June 19 New York Times article about the rapid growth of politically organized, grassroots antigay bigotry, Joe Riddle explains — from his own first-hand experience — some of the ways in which antigay parents “torture” their children in the name of love.

Joe’s advice to teen-agers living with antigay fundamentalist parents: “Keep your head down and try to stay out of harm’s way until you’re an adult and you can get away from them.”

Dear Reader,

If you have some writing experience, convey messages with a civil and factual tone, and believe you could improve on our content (such as it is), please consider volunteering for Ex-Gay Watch.

Ideal candidates read XGW or similar blogs frequently, support freedom of religion and expression, reject discrimination and censorship as a tool for one’s own political advancement, oppose the religious right, and relate well with both “liberals” and “conservatives.” Gay-tolerant exgays, in particular, are encouraged to apply.

I’ve started a new job this week, so please accept my apologies for posting so little about the activities of Exodus and Love In Action against same-sex-attracted and confused youths. Other XGW writers have been busy also, though Daniel Gonzales is now back from a long weekend.

We have plenty of news to report, and plenty of room for expansion. So if you like to write and wish to make a difference, consider helping us out. Thanks!

Note From Daniel: Please send news, story leads and tips to Mike through this weekend. I really appreciate the flood of helpful emails readers have been sending me in regards to Love In Action. I’m taking a long weekend and heading for the Central Coast to photograph a college friend’s [government recognized] wedding. (Examples of my work [1], [2] and [3].)

While I’m gone I want all of you to continue emailing the gay media telling them to cover this story. (Except The Advocate who say they’re doing a story on it already.)

Do it, do it NOW.

Love In Action had their press conference today and as of my lunch break here in LA only a few statements had been posted online here. John J. Smid’s statement boils down to, [paraphrased] “Parents who agree with us on homosexuality have the legal right to put their minor child into our program. We’ll take kids who don’t want to be here as long as they don’t prove too disruptive.”

Numerous times throughout his statement Smid refers to homosexuality in general as “unhealthy,” “destructive,” “wrong in the sight of God,” and “inappropriate.” Smid states that “We are a ministry whose mission is to assist others in living a life of self control.” but clearly feels gays who wish to be left alone and raise families must be unable to exercise this self-control he’s so big on. Because gay people lack self control, young “Refuge” participants must be convinced to flee their sexuality out of fear they might otherwise choose to embrace it when they turn 18. I find it of little surprise that a program with rules based on such dated gender stereotyping is now spouting equally tired stereotypes about the homosexual lifestyle. Love In Action mentioned an individual’s right to self-determination in their initial press release but has dropped it so they may attack all gay people as living irresponsible and out-of-control lives.

A statement from Dr. Steve Rice, President of the Christian Medical and Dental Association of America, followed but isn’t uploaded yet. Also statements from a graduate, former staffer and local pastor should be up by the end of the day but I expect them to be largely irrelevant.

Click below to view entire Smid’s entire statement.

Read more…

[Update: Press conference has been held, to view analysis click here.]

Love In Action has finally announced a press conference for Thursday morning. It will be good to hear their side of the story since this whole situation really started by a blog that hasn’t been updated in almost two weeks now. The press release is worded in a fair tone more typical of NARTH and less like something form a small ministry-based organization. Most notably it acknowledges head on:

Controversy over an individual’s right to self-determination and choice in sexuality has recently been the subject of current debate.

Click below to view entire press release.

Read more…

Ok folks, I’m sick of the national gay media NOT covering the current Love In Action fiasco. How about we take some of that energy normally used to post comments relentlessly and redirect it to tell the gay media to get off their butts and cover this important story.

editor@365gay.com

editor@advocate.com

I’ve closed commenting for this post. Send your opinion to the media.

Blogger Mike Ditto confirms that a March 1994 article in We The People quoted former Love In Action participant Tom Ottosen recalling LIA director John Smid favoring suicide over acceptance of one’s same-sex attraction. (Yes, that’s a mouthful.)

Case settled? Not entirely.

As Ditto notes, the recollection is second-hand.

But beyond the potential inaccuracies introduced by one eyewitness’s fallible memory, there is the matter of a given first-hand source’s reputation for accuracy and context.

If we accept Tom Ottosen’s recollection at face value, despite the absence of a track record demonstrating Ottosen’s credibility, then shouldn’t we also accept, at face value, the recent reporting of a Washington Times reporter?

On May 9 The Washington Times quoted PFLAG
deputy executive director Ron Schittler saying, unbelievably, “Our beliefs are superior.” Antigay religious right activists including Exodus president Alan Chambers quickly capitalized on the quotation — not particularly caring whether it was accurate or whether it reflected the context of Schittler’s remarks. In an online message that has since aged off of PFLAG’s web sites, Schittler denied the gist of the Washington Times report. Exodus and its antigay allies declined to pass along Schittler’s denial to their audience.

I spoke today with Schittler via telephone; he again denied the essence of the report and does not recall saying “our beliefs are superior” or words to that effect. He felt that the Washington Times reporter had written his own political spin on Schittler’s message, put the spin in quotes and attributed it to Schittler. I don’t know the Washington Times reporter; I do know the Times’ lousy reputation for accuracy in reporting; and I have no reason to disbelieve Schittler.

My point is this: John Smid also denies an embarrassing quotation.

Like Schittler’s alleged remark, Smid’s remark needs to be assessed within the context of the speaker’s ideology: Does it fit?

And should activists be eager to grab whatever nasty soundbite they can, or should they look at the context of an individual or organization’s overall track record?

The New York Christian Coalition — which last year sponsored an exgay billboard on behalf of exgay activist Stephen Bennett — now says that gay people should be required to wear warning labels.

From 365gay.com, Jun. 13:

“We put warning labels on cigarette packs because we know that smoking takes one to two years off the average life span, yet we ‘celebrate’ a lifestyle that we know spreads every kind of
sexually transmitted disease and takes at least 20 years off the average life span according to the 2005 issue of the revered scientific journal Psychological Reports,” said Rev. Bill Banuchi,
executive director of the New York Christian Coalition.

Psychological Reports is not a scientific journal. It is the propaganda arm of antigay activist Paul Cameron.

Blogger Mike Ditto itemizes ways in which the Love In Action rules for participants resemble the rulebook of a cult.