Ex-Gay Watch

Federal legislation on expanding hate crimes to include violent attacks against individuals on the basis of “gender, sexual orientation and gender identity” is currently being reviewed by the Senate. Christians have strongly voiced opposition to the expansion, arguing that the bill could silence believers who view homosexuality as sinful. That also applies to the transgender.–Lillian Kwon, Christian Post Staff Writer

Lillian Kwon recently wrote an article for the Christian Post entitled Media Bias on Transgenders Raising Concerns. The concern, expressed by Dr. Robert Gagnon, Peter LaBarbera and Kwon, is that there are portrayals in the first place, and that these portrayals are often positive.

Dr. Robert Gagnon, associate professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, is quoted in the article as claiming that 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 contains a prohibition against transgenderism:

Alluding to Scripture (1 Corinthians 6:9-10), Gagnon quoted Apostle Paul listing persons who will “not inherit the kingdom of God.” The list includes the “effeminate” or “soft men,” which is essentially the closest thing to transgenderism, Gagnon pointed out.

Noted Yale historian John Boswell, in his book Christianity, Social Tolerance, And Homosexuality (p. 106,107) said this about the passage Dr. Gagnon quoted:

There are three passages in the writings of Paul which have been supposed to deal with homosexual relations. Two words in I Corinthians 6:9 and one in I Timothy 1:10 have been taken at least since the early twentieth century to indicate that “homosexuals” will be excluded from the kingdom of heaven.The first of the two, “” (basically, “soft”), is an extremely common Greek word; it occurs elsewhere in the New Testament with the meaning “sick” and in patristic writings with senses as varied as “liquid,” “cowardly,” “refined,” “weak willed,” “delicate,” “gentle,” and “debauched.” In a specifically moral context it very frequently means “licentious,” “loose,” or “wanting in self-control.” At a broad level, it might be translated as either “unrestrained” or “wanton,” but to assume that either of these concepts necessarily applies to gay people is wholly gratuitous. The word is never used in Greek to designate gay people as a group or even in reference to homosexual acts generically, and it often occurs in writings contemporary with the Pauline epistles in reference to heterosexual persons or activity.

Dr. Dale Martin, in Arsenokoités and Malakos: Meanings and Consequences, adds the following:

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The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) issued a press release today announcing the results of Monday’s vote on a variety of issues. Among these is the matter of conversion therapies, where they voted the following:

The American Academy of Physician Assistants opposes any psychiatric treatment directed specifically at changing sexual orientation, such as “conversion” or “reparative” therapy which is based upon the assumption that homosexuality per se is a mental disorder or based upon the a priori assumption that the patient should change his/her sexual orientation.

With this decision, the AAPA joins a large number of prestigious professional organizations in the view that homosexuality is not a disorder to be cured, and therapy claiming to do so not something to be endorsed.

Question: If reparative therapy were a drug, would it pass the FDA as safe and effective?

My experience with ex-gays, ex-gay ministry, and vicariously, with reparative therapy, changed me because it was a learning experience. I’ve always been honest about the fact that change is a relative term with decidedly religious overtones. Furthermore, while I hesitate to say that changing orientation is not possible for some, I am willing to say that I believe it to be highly improbable.

While I described some bizarre practices in Part II, there were some positives derived from the ex-gay therapy experience. Our couples sessions were always quite helpful to us. We learned many great strategies for communicating, and we grew more able to understand and articulate our individual issues. In fact, I’d say that Tdub’s ability to make the straightforward confession of having sought out a same sex relationship (thus ending our marriage), was made possible by growth achieved in therapy. Pre-therapy Tdub was not a forthcoming sort of person with information of that nature and magnitude.

Would I recommend reparative therapy to others? Probably not. I’m not so keen on the methods of the only reparative therapist I’ve known, and I wouldn’t want to take the risk of anyone else going through those sorts of methods. Dr. Throckmorton says he’s not a reparative therapist, but I’d certainly recommend him to someone who felt they must try to change their same sex attractions. However, I don’t believe all gay people need therapy or need to change their attractions any more than straight folks do. Personally, I think it would be just fine if every one of us were issued a few certificates for some free therapy at birth, to be cashed in at some later date.

The most significant lessons I’ve learned from being involved in the world of ex-gay have been from folks I’ve encountered and even grown close to because of my personal blog. Most importantly, I’ve learned that there’s nothing black and white about same sex attraction. Through my blog, I’ve met Christians who are gay and “married” (my friend Brady did have a ceremony here in Texas), gay and celibate, gay and monogamous, and most recently, a Christian who is transgender. All of these folks have come to their place in their faith journey through much prayer, seeking, and study. They are trusting in Christ and figuring things out as they go along, just like me. We have much more IN common than NOT.

And that’s the most important thing I’ve learned.

My journey in, through, and out the other side of ex-gay world has been at times horrific, painful, and agonizing. I use those terms with great humility knowing that I’m not the one who has, in actuality, suffered and paid the greatest price of all. I’m only here to tell my part because of Tdub. My prayers and hopes are that his journey eventually leads him to peace, joy, and contentment with who he is and how God made him. I remain thankful for grace, for peace that passes understanding, and for being trusted by God to live in, and tell of, this story.

On his personal blog, Exodus Executive Vice President Randy Thomas recently complained about an interview with a Florida newspaper. He took issue with the interviewer’s use of the word “alleged” to describe what he reported as a change in his sexual orientation:

You say that you left behind homosexuality fifteen years ago and three years into it you had this alleged sexual orientation shift away from men and sexually attracted to women?

To this Mr. Thomas responded:

I said that there was nothing “alleged” about the sexual orientation shift. It is my sexual orientation and it changed. There is nothing “alleged” about it…

… I told her, I hope kindly, that I thought her question revealed an inherent bias. For example, if someone told her that he was gay, you wouldn’t state that they are “allegedly” gay. You would think that if they say that about themselves, they would know.

This struck me as incredibly hypocritical considering Mr. Thomas’ own habitual use of the word “identified” (as in “gay identified”) when referring to individuals who have stated that they were gay, just as suggested in the hypothetical. To quote Mr. Thomas’ own words, you would think that if they say that about themselves, they would know. Yet he insists on interjecting this little bit of ex-gay newspeak as if those who report they are gay are not really, but only playing a role – something like gay house perhaps.

I would like to submit the obvious in the interviewer’s defense. Saying that one is gay, even today, is basically a statement against interest – people don’t seem to do so unless it’s true because they have nothing to gain and often a lot to lose. On the other hand, those suggesting that they were once gay, but now are not, are relatively rare, often paid to speak about it (Mr. Thomas himself), connected with scandal, or just move on. In other words, give the interviewer a break, she has good reason to distrust your statement Mr. Thomas. If you are still uncertain as to why, try Shakespeare, though this quote seems more appropriate to me.

Researchers Kenneth J. Zucker and Susan J. Bradley are names that every gay man and lesbian woman should know, especially if they were treated to become “straight” at a camp or a ex-gay affirming psychologist’s office — but almost no one knows who Zucker and Bradley are.

The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuals (NARTH) quotes Zucker and Bradley often in defense of treating children diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder (GID) — described as a “pre-homosexual condition” by Joseph Nicolosi in his book A Parents Guide To Preventing Homosexuality. (Update – See Further Reading‘s GID Reform Advocates: DSM-IV-TR: Gender Identity Disorder in Children, 302.6 for how the Childhood GID applies to LGB people.)

Kenneth Zucker and Susan Bradley are from the Clark Institute (CAMH), specifically the institution’s Gender Identity Clinic.

In Gene Chase’s review of Zucker & Bradley’s Gender Identity Disorder and Psychosexual Problems in Children and Adolescents, Chase states of Zucker and Bradley:

They are specialists in Gender Identity Disorder (GID), which is the last vestige of the characterization of homosexuality as a disorder in the old APA DSM [Diagnostic and Statistical Manual].

Recall that GID is the feeling of conflict in one’s gender. It is not being transsexual (ts), since no biology is a part of the diagnosis. It is not being transgendered (tg) alone, since that may not be conflicting. It is not cross-dressing, since that is a behavior not a feeling.

Here’s what has been said about Zucker and Bradley’s work, some of it in their own words:

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Francis Collins is a respected geneticist most recognized for his leadership of the Human Genome Project. He has championed the free, open access of genomic information to the worldwide scientific community so that as many minds as possible can work on solving the connections between genes and disease. He envisions a world where disease can be prevented and citizens of even the least developed nations can benefit from that work.

Dr. Collins recently published a book, “The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief.” As a man of faith, he rejects Creationism and Intelligent Design, but instead sees evidence of God in boundless scientific discoveries. His own understanding of the nature of life and the universe is called Theistic Evolution. It is an approach I find intriguing and refreshingly honest.

Knowing something of the character of this man, I was confused to find the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuals (NARTH) prominently displaying an article on their website titled, “Homosexuality Is Not Hardwired,” Concludes Dr. Francis S. Collins, Head Of The Human Genome Project. It was written by A. Dean Byrd, president elect of NARTH. My first scan of the article left me further confused, as it did not strike me as something Dr. Collins would endorse.

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Activist Alvin McEwen has published an excerpt from his upcoming book, Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters: Exposing the Lies of the Anti-Gay Industry.

In the excerpt, McEwen recalls an encounter with Robert Knight, director of the antigay office at the social-conservative Media Research Center.

At the 2007 NewFest: The 19th Annual New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival, the closing film will be the New York City premiere of Robert Cary’s drama Save Me, which stars Chad Allen, Robert Gant, and Judith Light. The film centers a confused, gay addict who turns to an ex-gay ministry to be cured, but finds himself drawn to another man.

Source: CitizenLink.com

Nationally syndicated radio host Glenn Beck shared with his listeners today an allegation published in USA Today that Dr. James Dobson had said former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson not Christian enough to be president.

CNN and other national media outlets also have carried the report.

Within the hour, the founder and chairman of Focus on the Family Action was a guest on Beck’s show, debunking the spin of the mainstream media.

“You know very well you can’t believe what you read in the media, especially about evangelicals,” he told Beck. “That was spun by the media. I’m getting sick of that. It’s an effort to marginalize you, to make you look foolish, and to distort your views.”

Dr. Dobson made no such comments about Thompson. The opinion piece twisted what he told a reporter several weeks ago — that whether Thompson is a believer could have an effect on how the GOP’s evangelical base may vote.

“I sincerely and humbly apologize for taking the word of the media over you,” Beck said on the air. “I should have called. I’m sorry that I didn’t make the call to your office. I humbly apologize to you.” [emphasis added]

Find any polyps up there, Mr. Beck?