Ex-Gay Watch

One of the more curious ironies of the ex-gay movement is how it has helped popularize the theories of Sigmund Freud among conservative Christians, who for many decades viewed his work with skepticism if not open hostility. As it became increasingly untenable for thoughtful Christians to dismiss homosexuality as some sort of conscious, perverse choice, they discovered a new ally in a man otherwise considered (even by himself) an enemy of the faith. With the help of his theories they could acknowledge that people (with perhaps a handful of exceptions) don’t choose their sexual attractions, yet still reduce homosexuality to nothing more than daddy (or mommy) issues that could be reversed with proper treatment.

Although they are now beginning to recognize that they must concede that homosexuality is far more complex than Freud once speculated (and at least partially if not primarily biological in nature), the Freudian works of Elizabeth Moberly, Leanne Payne, Joseph Nicolosi and others remain popular in ex-gay and evangelical circles. Even at the last ex-gay ministry I attended – whose program more closely resembled Wendy Gritters‘ nuanced and grace-oriented approach than your average Exodus affiliate – Moberly’s text topped the recommended reading list and was frequently quoted in talks and group sessions.

The fruits of that commitment to Freudian thought are evident in the wedge that reparative therapy often drives between a patient and his or her parents. Christine Bakke has posted a new essay at Beyond Ex-Gay that examines the harmful effects that Freudian-based therapy has had on many former ex-gays, including herself. While ex-gay therapy can help resolve genuine relational issues (both with parents and with others who may have caused emotional injury), it can also become a “fishing expedition” that seeks to turn even the smallest problem into a life-shattering event – or occasionally even to fabricate them entirely.

While there is certainly a place for ministries that offer practical support to individuals who believe that acting on their same-sex attractions would be contrary to the will of God, the ex-gay movement would be doing everyone that they serve a favor by retiring the misguided theories of Freud and his disciples.

If you like to read but need to stick to a budget or just want to go green, check out wowio.com. They have a nice selection of e-books (PDF format) and they are adding more. Best of all, they are free! There is a decent gay and lesbian section – I just downloaded Going to Heaven: The Life and Election of Bishop Gene Robinson – along with all the other title categories one would expect.

You are asked to sign up, which amounts mostly to verifying your location. Apparently their licensing allows only those in the US to benefit (this may change). A valid, non-free email address will take care of that, or if not, you can use a credit card (verification only) or even your driver’s license. They allow up to three downloads a day, for a maximum of 30 each month. The PDFs are even printable – unusual for e-books.

Compensation seems to come from advertising, both on the site and on the first page of the e-book. There are also quite a few marketing survey questions asked during sign-up, but answers aren’t required. I couldn’t find any catch, but feel free to comment if you do.

So, head over and enjoy guilt-free reading pleasure!

Note: XGW is not affiliated with wowio.com in any way.

• Exodus President Alan Chambers interviewed by  New Man eMagazine.

• Glen T. Stanton of Focus on the Family responds to Dr. Chapman’s critique at Box Turtle Bulletin.

• Humorous editorial in the Montgomery County Sentinal about an ex-gay pamphlet.

• OKC’s Cathedral of Hope pastor, Dr. Scott Jones, debates Sally Kern on local television.

• Cuba considers  same sex unions, inheritance rights, and free sex-change surgeries for citizens.

From the American Psychological Association (APA) on the differences between sex and gender:

Sex refers to biological status as male or female. It includes physical attributes such as sex chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones, internal reproductive structures, and external genitalia.

Gender is a term that is often used to refer to ways that people act, interact, or feel about themselves, which are associated with boys/men and girls/women.

Randy Thomas, who apparently does not understand the differences between sexual identity and gender identity, mentioned in a recent interview with CitizenLink:

These activists are preaching this very strict worldview that there is no gender, and people are left confused. It’s no wonder that they come up with all kinds of ways to identify. [emphasis added]

The gender identifier of a transgender is still very much male or female. Transgenders are in no way confused about their sexual or gender identity. In the beginning of the article, the associate editor of CitizenLink, Devon Williams, cited the APA with a misleading definition of transgender:

According to the American Psychological Association, “transgender” is a term used to describe people whose self-perception differs from their biological gender. This condition is commonly referred to as gender identity disorder.

However, in their FAQ about transgenders, the APA clears up the misconception. CitizenLink failed to cite the views of other medical and health professionals. Although they quoted the APA, CitizenLink totally misinterpreted their research which uses “transgender” as the “umbrella term” for different kinds of variant gender groups. Gender Identity Disorder (GID) is already known scientifically as a unique subset. Read more…

Last week, Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council (FRC) made the following comments during an interview:

I would much prefer to export homosexuals from the United States than to import them into the United States, because we believe that homosexuality is destructive to society.

Today he issued an apology:

In response to a question regarding bi-national same-sex couples who are separated by an international border, I used language that trivialized the seriousness of the issue and did not communicate respect for the essential dignity of every human being as a person created in the image of God. I apologize for speaking in a way that did not reflect the standards which the Family Research Council and I embrace.

Sprigg’s original comments prompted strong reactions, no doubt inside and out of the GLBT community.

The rumors first posted by Peterson Toscano yesterday have been verified. Josh Morgan, communications manager for Love In Action (LIA), confirmed to XGW this morning that John Smid, president and CEO, has indeed resigned, and that they will release a statement in their monthly newsletter. It will be available online at their website starting April 1st.

LIA has been the subject of much controversy, but they are probably best known to readers for the Zach controversy from 2005, when a teenager was forced by his parents to attend the youth program Refuge after coming out to them at age 16. LIA has since been involved in court battles with the State of Tennessee, and later closed the controversial Refuge program.

LIA maintains that homosexuality is a myth (PDF), and treat homosexual behavior as sin to be conquered, similar to an addiction. As with most such programs, they concentrate on controlling behavior as virtuous, regardless if any change in desire occurs. Stories from some of their past participants are quite upsetting.

LIA is an Exodus member ministry.

• Chasing the Devil: Inside the Ex-Gay Movement to debut at the Birmingham SHOUT Film Festival.

• Openly gay Anglican Bishop Gene Robinson not invited to Lambeth conference; plans a GLBT-supportive event, same Lambeth place, same Lambeth time.

• Box Turtle Bulletin continues its coverage of the Glenn Stanton controversy with an excellent article by Patrick Chapman.

• CitizenLink touts the health benefits of marriage, but don’t hold your breath waiting for them to extend those benefits to same sex couples.

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Jeff Williamson is an articulate young man who grew up in a conservative, Christian family and church. When he came out to his parents last year, they sent him to a counselor recommended by Focus on the Family. He says they sent him there with the absolute expectation that he would become heterosexual. As Jeff had investigated things related to reparative therapy, he came prepared — apparently to the frustration of Hudson.

It’s nice to see a new generation of young people unwilling to listen to the old stereotypes, or be shamed into a situation not of their own choosing. Providing them with the facts, and helping them think for themselves, is one of the main goals of XGW.

Hat Tip: Daniel Gonzales, BoxTurtleBulletin.

Update 3-26-2008: The video is no longer available. According to Daniel, the subject of the video, Jeff, was concerned over “the ramifications of having certain aspects of his story in the public domain.” He has asked that the video be remade with an emphasis on those things he feels are most important about the story. When and if that happens, we will post the new and link to it from here.

Update 3-31-2008: Jeff’s new video is now available and has been put in place of the original and now unavailable one.  The emphasis is different, and were we to post the article today, having never seen the first one, our title and description might be someone different as well.  However, the content is self-explanatory.

Update 5-29-2009: The name of the counselor has been removed at Jeff’s request.  This is a rare occurrence, but we thought it fair to comply this time.  If additional facts come in about this counselor from other sources, we will post that separately.

• Mike Ensley of Exodus reviews pro-gay documentary For the Bible Tells Me So

• Concerned Women for America’s Matt Barber on supposed gay threat to blood supplies

• Kern claims speech was taken “out of context”; read it in its full context here

• Family Research Council’s Peter Spriggs: I’d like to export gays

Focus on the Family’s Glenn Stanton has defended Citizenlink, saying they only changed a controversial article because he was unhappy with how his views were represented – but his explanation still doesn’t put the right-wing news service in the clear.

Earlier this week, XGW detailed how Citizenlink, the official news service of Focus on the Family, rewrote an entire article following a storm of controversy in which anthropologists, including the American Anthropology Association, disputed claims of a “consensus” on the nature of “traditional marriage”. Now Stanton, the researcher supposedly behind the claims, has given Box Turtle Bulletin his side of the story.

First, let’s address one claim that is patently false:

Ex-Gay Watch insinuated that the paper was cobbled together quickly to answer the complaints generated from the first article. Not quite. I worked on this research for quite a few weeks. Read more…