Ex-Gay Watch

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.

Thomas went on to elaborate about his past article “The Transgender Double Standard“:

The activist community tells me, as a “post-gay,” that I have to embrace my genetic destiny, even though it hasn’t been proven that homosexuality is genetic. Whereas, when it comes to the transgendered, they’re allowed to ignore their genetic destiny and perceive for themselves who they are. So there’s a double standard there.

His belief that transgenders are ignoring their “genetic destiny” is completely inaccurate. He takes for granted the biological, chromosomnal and psychological state of transgenders, as the whole article failed to address sexual ambiguities that may face children even before puberty. The genetic destiny of transgenders actually lies in these various factors, something which Thomas did not seem to be well informed of.

Thomas continued:

I don’t think that the nation is ready for the all-inclusive transgendered agenda that the transgendered activists have laid out. Last year, there was a huge split in the gay community regarding whether transgendered should be included in their legislative goals. So if the gay community is not ready for transgendered so-called “rights,” I doubt that the public at large is going to tolerate that.

The case mentioned here is the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. But the removal of gender identity by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) upon submission of the Act was a political move rather than an attempt to deny transgender rights, and hundreds of gay and lesbian groups were angered by that decision. Has Thomas also overlooked the fact that the Matthew Sheppard Act was submitted inclusive of gender identity? To infer from this that the gay and lesbian community is intolerant towards transgenders is pretty far fetched.

To Thomas, gender identity is important to God. But knowing what gender identity is seems to be of little importance to Thomas. He would do well to study and research more about the complex issues regarding transgenders instead of accusing “transgendered activists” of creating confusion and chaos, while he appears to know almost nothing on the issue. As the vice president of Exodus International, he should educate himself diligently to avoid the embarrassment of talking without facts and speaking without truth.

We would like to note that we went through the proper channels at Exodus to inquire about Thomas’ credentials in dealing with this complex issue, and finally received the following (emails to Thomas went unanswered):

Ms. Choe,

Below is a response to a email that was sent to Julie Neils about Randy
Thomas. I am responding on behalf of Mr. Thomas.

“It is my personal policy to refrain from responding to inquiries from activist organizations and affiliated web sites that have distributed erroneous information and demonstrated intolerance toward my faith and viewpoints. My personal opinions and beliefs surrounding the work of Exodus International are public record both on our corporate web site www.exodus.to and on my personal blog www.randythomas.org.”;

Thank you,

Melissa Condrey

Executive Assistant to Alan Chambers,
President, Exodus International and
Randy Thomas, EVP, Exodus International
mcondrey@exodus.to
407.599.6872

Neither reference provides the credentials requested in our inquiry, and the second reference, Thomas’ personal blog, has been deleted from the web on a regular basis, thereby sanitizing enormous amounts of information which may have helped us understand better if he is qualified to make such statements as those in the original CitizenLink article.

We regret that Exodus, a ministry, is not more transparent with information as basic as this, and we are disturbed that they try to justify this with libelous statements about XGW. In the end, however, we believe CitizenLink should have provided this information with the original article before allowing Thomas to comment authoritatively on the issue.