Ex-Gay Watch

As we’ve discussed before, the IFI protest at the Gay Games in Chicago were highly ineffective. The protesters were outnumbered and then rain washed them out after about an hour and a half.

Previous reporting discussed singing atheletes from London, but James Hartline, ex-gay activist from San Diego, gave AgapePress a different report about those who challenged LaBarbera and Hartline.

“When we went inside of the homosexual community,” the Christian activist recalls, “it had to be one of the ugliest spiritual experiences that I’ve ever experienced, because of the hostility that was directed towards us specifically by members of that community. It was like a mob mentality.”

Other folks might think that James’ numerous drug and sex binges and the years he spent incarcerated might be uglier. But James found this visit to harrange gay people to be so discouraging because he faced not just the “hundreds” of demon possessed homosexuals (previous reports mentioned a couple dozen), but ministers as well.

What was most disappointing about the whole situation, the ex-homosexual speaker observes, was the fact that some clergy members in their religious garb stood alongside the homosexual activists, shouting at the Christians. This scenario presented “one of the more telling signs about how far away from the Word of God some of these churches have gotten,” he says.

What was hard to get over, Hartline explains, was “the idea that [although] we’re Christians and we’re doing what the Bible has asked us to do — what the Lord has that told us to do, which is go spread the Word of God and its truth — we would actually be attacked by people wearing collars as ordained ministers, calling us ‘bigots’ and ‘hateful.’”

It can sometimes be difficult to know whether what James Hartline reports actually happened anywhere outside his own head (his blog only mentioned one minister, the AgapePress story sounds like several). But assuming there were ministers present countering LaBarbera and Hartline’s message of condemnation and fear, they are a welcome addition. It is important that people come to recognize that anti-gay zealots do not hold a monopoly on Christianity.

I’m in San Diego this weekend for San Diego Pride and was lucky enough to meet friend of Ex-Gay Watch Autumn Sandeen.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has an article about Courage, the Catholic ex-gay group, meeting there and a protest held by Catholic Action Network for Social Justice.

Protestors objected that Courage views homosexuality as changable through reparative therapy.

Christina Nair, speaking for Courage, said the group does not engage in reparative therapy but would support people who seek out such therapy. The group does not force anyone into a life they don’t want, she said.

“The purpose of Courage is to provide support for men and women with same-sex attractions who want to live a chaste life,” she said. “We’re not trying to ‘cure’ anyone. We provide spiritual support.”

Contrary to Exodus’ message of “change is possible”, those persons who do not wish to live consistent with their same-sex attractions are provided by Courage with a more honest assessment of their future

A “chaste life” for some people might mean eventually getting married to someone of the opposite sex, Nair said. For others, it may simply mean not acting on same-sex attractions.

The Internal Revenue Code has a long history of favorable tax treatment for “ministers of the gospel”. I do not prepare income tax returns for ministers or churches, but there is a good summary of the rules in a December 2005 article in the CPA Journal.

UPDATE: See Below
Read more…

Last month when I wrote about the death of HIV+ Exodus board member Michael Lumberger, the post generated a great deal of comments and discussion. However I left for two weeks of vacation after uploading my post so I wasn’t able to participate in the discussion. Over the last month I realized this is a complex issue and my original post did not fully explore it fully. My addendum elaborates on the following:

-Why Lumberger’s testimony is so offensive to many gay people.

-Why the words of a man who passed away in 2004 are still relevant and demand examination.

-An examination of Lumberger’s choice of words and their possible as well as suggested meaning.

-The total lack of factual substantiation of Lumberger’s claims by both Lumberger and Exodus.

And once again, with that I’m off to San Diego pride for the weekend. If you wish to comment, do so at the amended post.

Focus on the Family’s ex-gay roadshow, Love Won Out, has presented Dr. Nancy Heche (doctorate in pastoral counseling) as an authority on sexual orientation issues. Heche claims to represent “truth and love” in her approach.

Heche’s claim to authority is based on her husband’s closeted life and the very public relationship that her estranged daughter (actress Anne Heche) had with Ellen DeGeneres. She purports that this has given her a “compassionate and unique focus”. Although she presents herself as though she offers help to families, she is also available to campaign against laws that would protect people from discrimination in employment, housing, education, public accommodations and credit.

It appears that Nancy has a new book coming out in which she clarifies exactly what kind of “love” and “compassion” she brings to the discussion. A rather unreliable source (the National Enquirer via ContactMusic.com) reveals the way in which Nancy views gay people.

Anne’s newfound lesbian love affair is like a betrayal of an unspoken vow: WE will never have anything to do with homosexuals.

If this report is accurate, it demonstrates that Nancy, like others in the ex-gay movement, though claiming to love gay people actually hold gay people in contept. The “love and compassion” they bring is as false as their claims of success.

I’m headed to San Diego pride this weekend. Does anyone know if James Hartline has anything festive planned?

Chad Thompson, one of the most fair-minded exgay activists I know just wrote a piece on X-Men 3. (I know he’s a wee bit late.)

Instead of ignoring the obvious ex-gay themes of the movie like the AgapePress and Focus on the Family did, Chad tackles them head on and applies them to his ex-gay perspective. I admire him for that. His article cites metaphors from the movie and argues those with noble and valid reasons for seeking change deserve to be treated with compassion, understanding, acceptance and respect.

From Family News In Focus today:

Some think the ads [on gay marriage] having nothing to do with marriage. Alan Chambers is with Exodus International.

“I think their long-term goal is to portray themselves as equals, as people who are the same as heterosexuals, that their lifestyle is just as legitimate as heterosexuality.”
And, despite the money the gay cause has to throw around, Chambers says conservatives need to have a consistent response.

“We have to fight to protect marriage because marriage is best for children. As Christians we need to respond in love, respond with respect towards people with different opinions from us, but be unwaivered in our pursuit to protect kids and protect marriage.”

[download MP3 of segment]

That’s right, shame on those gays for thinking themselves equal citizens. God I’m glad we have Alan to keep us in our place.

We now have a report from the Windy City Times about Peter LaBarbera’s outreach to Steamworks, a gay bathhouse in Chicago on the final Saturday of Gay Games.

LaBarbera showed up with an armed bodyguard, ex-gay James Hartline, and half a dozen supporters. They were vastly outnumbered by counter-protesters singing and drowning out the anti-gay group. If LaBarbera was counting on divine intervention in his latest efforts to “tell homosexuals there is freedom in Christ”, he must have been sorely disappointed.

The event, which IFI called an “outreach program” on its Web site, was slated to run from 5:30 p.m. until 12:00 midnight outside the business, Officer Judith Jenkins of Chicago’s 23rd District told Windy City Times. However, rains that took place shortly after the Closing Ceremony of the Gay Games played a part in the group leaving at approximately 7 p.m.