Ex-Gay Watch

In a post by Brad Sargent on the Exodus blog, the success rate of ex-gay therapy is addressed.  25 years ago, Brad became involved in Exodus. He started working for them in 1991, and was often addressed with the question, “What is your success rate?” Unable to give any numerical result, he was forced to respond thusly:

That question popped up so often, it became a frustration. There were no formal studies available from Exodus ministries then – who had funds or time to conduct such research? And yet, callers were anxious to know: If I’m going to invest myself in a transformation process, will it pay off? It’s just part of human nature to want a guarantee, but there was (and is) none we could give. What was our success rate? I was at the point of saying, “Well … 100 percent for those who follow Jesus Christ the rest of their life.”

Unable to give a clear, solid answer then or now, Exodus relies on the false dichotomy that “gay” and “Christian” oppose one another. And in fact, they incorrectly interpret- and therfore, deflect – the question at hand:

…I had to realize the REAL question hidden underneath the surface question. It was not ultimately about success rates, but about hope. Can I change? Can things be different? Can I live a normal life? Can I have hope?

Actually, when someone asks what the success rate is, it’s probably fair to assume that this is exactly what they’re asking for. They want some kind of hard data to assess whether it would be worth spending years – sometimes decades – of their lives and possibly thousands of dollars on therapy that will ultimately not make them any more opposite-sex attracted. If somebody gives a success rate of 15%, that person might not think it worth it to enter into a ministry. Others might cling to such a number, thinking they might be in the lucky 15% that wins the heterosexual lottery, so to speak. But giving an answer of “unknown” does not generally  instill confidence.

What is your success rate? The answer never really was a WHAT. It always is a WHO. Jesus Christ is “success” because He was obedient to the Father’s plan. When we find our identity in Christ and not in our own strengths or weaknesses, we too can find success in living. Not perfection, but perseverance. Not absence of temptation, but freedom from feeling we have to give in. Not a guarantee by following rules, but genuine hope empowered by grace.

This ignores, of course, the many LGBTQ’s who indeed have a strong relationship with Jesus and their Creator. If “Jesus Christ is ‘success’” and those sexual minorities indeed have an “identity in Christ,” then would Exodus consider those people to be success stories? Probably not, because in their view, being “gay-identified” – in other words, honest about one’s attractions – is identifying with one’s “weaknesses.” Plenty live “normal” lives and are fulfilled spiritually.

One can, however, be romantically and sexually honest about their attractions without acting upon them, if they find that is contrary to their convictions. This is known by many in the gay Christian community as “Side B.”

Perhaps the deepest success of Exodus has been in restoring a sanctified imagination to those who’ve grown devoid of hope. From that beginning point, we can engage in a trajectory of transformation toward overcoming, restoration, and wholeness.

So it can be deduced that Exodus’ greatest success is not in making a gay person change into a straight person. Otherwise, they would have mentioned it. But this is what many people are looking for when they turn to an ex-gay ministry. This article gives the impression that Exodus is unable to provide this.

At the end of the post, Brad mentions a “scientific study” that they at long last have to reference – the Jones and Yarhouse Study. But this publication has been repeatedly exposed for its glaring flaws in the manner in which it was conducted. Even if the results of the study – a “23% success rate” – are to be taken at face value, that still points to a 77% fail rate. And even the authors themselves admit that said “success” does not necessarily mean “opposite sex attracted,” it means “chastity or celibacy.” Not one “success” story is reported to have relinquished their same sex attractions.

If Exodus’ goal is to help gays live a celibate life, they should say so outright. Touting a false dichotomy and a flawed study as evidence of “success” hides a non-existant gay-to-straight success rate and misleads those looking for such results.

-US District Judge David Carter dismisses a lawsuit against the Defense of Marriage Act on a technicality.

-Harvey Milk is inducted into the California Hall of Fame.

-Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute equates homosexuality with Nazism.

-A Chicago police officer comes under investigation for allegedly harassing and falsely arresting gay and lesbian motorists.

-Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio speaks out in favor of gay marriage.

-Concert promoter Live Nation cancels the four performances it had scheduled for extreme anti-gay singer Buju Banton.

-Washington Families Standing Together files a lawsuit against the WA Secretary of State’s office over the certification process for anti-gay Referendum 71.

-Jason Kuznicki dissects the Washington Post’s puff piece on Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage.

In a piece called “Ministry to Gay Students,” Shawn Harrison of Exodus Youth goes the extra mile to portray condescension and religious supremacism as compassion. He also believes that the Bible is inerrant.

First we get the compassion part:

There is no question that high schools and middle schools across this nation are ground zero for students who face peer pressure, bullying, low self-esteem, depression, and the like. One of the most disturbing of these is bullying… …and occasionally ends with students getting beat up, receiving death threats, missing school, changing schools, and in some cases, even attempting suicide.

On his 611 ministries website/blog, he even shares that he attempted suicide:

I hated my high school years… …walking through the halls and enduring my new lifestyle was enough to bring me to suicide – which was attempted a few times.

Back to the EY article:

This article is not calling to accept behavior that clashes with Biblical beliefs, rather it’s calling for Christians (especially those who are youth workers) to take a stand against bullying, and start teaching the truth about sharing God’s unconditional love with those who think they are undeserving of such love.

The way that sentence is written, it seems unclear as to whether he thinks it’s the bullies who don’t feel they are worthy of God’s love, or gay students, or both. But as evidenced throughout the article, it becomes clear that it’s gay students who supposedly think they are ”undeserving” of God’s unconditional love.

Mr. Harrison then lifts two quotes—without giving credit or link—from of all places, GLSEN’S 2007 National School Climate Survey (PDF):

Read more…

Despite their rather up-beat press release (and more than a few blog headlines), The Superior Court for the District of Columbia handed Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays, Inc (PFOX) a defeat today. PFOX had asked for a review of an earlier decision by the DC Office of Human Rights (OHR) which has jurisdiction over cases involving the DC Human Rights Act (HRA). That decision, prompted by a complaint filed by PFOX in 2003, found that the National Education Association (NEA) was within it’s rights to deny PFOX a booth at their annual convention in 2002. The DC Superior Court denied the relief requested by PFOX:

PFOX asks the Court to reverse OHR’s final decision finding no probable cause that NEA discriminated against PFOX on the basis of sexual orientation when it denied public accommodation services to PFOX by refusing to provide PFOX with exhibit space at EXPO 2002. As a matter of law, OHR erred in determining that ex-gays are not a protected class under the HRA. Regardless of whether or not OHR erred in its classification of ex-gays, it correctly found that PFOX’s exhibit booth application was rejected for non-discriminatory reasons.

Furthermore, while EXPO 2002 was held in Texas, OHR did have jurisdiction over the charge because the rejection of PFOX’s application occurred in D.C., where NEA was headquartered. Therefore, Petitioner’s request to reverse the OHR’s decision, the requested relief, is DENIED.

The confusion upon which PFOX has been able to claim this a victory stems from what appears to have been some sloppy statements in the original ruling by the OHR. While the HRA is written to be extremely broad in it’s interpretation of what might comprise a protected group, the OHR ruling upheld the claim that a group, in this case “ex-gays,” could be excluded as a protected category if it’s distinguishable trait is mutable. Immutability is not mentioned as a requirement in the HRA and so the DC Supreme Court found that the OHR erred in it’s determination as a matter of law.

It is important to note that the court did not make the determination that ex-gays do or do not constitute a protected group under the HRA, only that immutability could not be used as an exclusionary factor. PFOX has carried this, and the entire ruling, way beyond any proportion of fact.

The DC Supreme Court made a clear case for NEA’s right to do what it did:

The Court affirms OHR’s ultimate determination that PFOX’s application was denied
legally. In NEA’s judgment, PFOX is a conversion group hostile toward gays and lesbians.
Thus, even though PFOX vehemently disagrees with NEA’s characterization, it is within NEA’s right to exclude PFOX’s presence at NEA’s conventions. NEA cites Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Group of Boston, 515 U.S. 557 (1995), to support it’s jurisdictional argument, but the Court also finds it helpful in the analysis of whether or not NEA’s reasons for rejecting PFOX’s application were proper. In Hurley, the Supreme Court reversed the Supreme Court of Massachusetts in a unanimous opinion because the state court misapplied the Massachusetts public accommodations law to require private citizens who organize a parade to include among the marchers a group imparting a message that the organizers do not wish to convey. In Hurley, South Boston Allied War Veterans Council (the “Council”) denied defendant GLIB’s request to march in the Council’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. Hurley at 557-58. The Supreme Court agreed with the Council’s argument that it had no prohibition against homosexuals marching in the parade, rather the Council objected to the message GLIB sought to express in the parade. Id. at 572. The Supreme Court reversed the state court because the state court’s interpretation of Massachusetts’s public accommodations law essentially forced the Council to alter the message of its parade. Id. at 578-579.

Furthermore, NEA persuasively argues that its rejection of PFOX’s application was
proper in light of the facts and Hurley. Indeed, the HRA would not require NEA to accept an
application from the Ku Klux Klan or a group viewed by the NEA as anti-labor union or racist.
Int’s Br. 8-9. Similarly, military organizations and the Boy Scotts of America are excluded from renting exhibit space at the NEA Annual Meetings because of the positions those organizations take with regard to gay and lesbian rights. The analogy is persuasive because NEA rejected PFOX’s application not based on their personal traits, but rather because of PFOX’s mission and message. Certainly, other exhibitors at EXPO 2002 were homosexuals or heterosexuals, like the members of PFOX, but they were distinguishable from PFOX because the other exhibitors presented exhibits the NEA deemed to be agreement with its policies. Thus, PFOX’s arguments miss the point. The NEA did not reject its application because PFOX’s members include ex-gays, homosexuals, heterosexuals, or members of any other sexual orientation. Rather, NEA rejected PFOX’s application because PFOX’s message and policies were, in NEA’s opinion, contrary to NEA’s policies regarding sexual orientation.

The case document is not long and makes it abundantly clear that this was not a win for PFOX but for the NEA. While it could be said that the original opinion was lacking, the court has determined that any errors of law did not affect the outcome of the decision and so it stands as it did before the appeal.

In fact, if the issue of immutability as presented here does anything, it is to counter some extreme, right-wing arguments against the inclusion of homosexuality as a protected class. Certainly there should be more than a few conservative pundants less than enthusiastic about PFOX today.

We encourage other blogs to review the case before helping to sustain the rather energetic spin placed on it by PFOX, an organization which has never been too concerned with the facts.

Exodus expressed dismay at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s decision to allow partnered gay clergy to serve in the church.

Orlando, FL.  Exodus International, the world’s largest interdenominational ministry helping those conflicted by same-sex attraction to live a life that reflects the Christian faith, is troubled by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s vote today to allow congregations to hire clergy involved in same-sex relationships. Exodus says this is a clear move away from biblical teaching on sexuality and a disconcerting approach to this issue.

An Exodus ministry leader named Nate Oyloe presented “his personal testimony of leaving homosexuality” to the ELCA conference in Minnesota.

“In my life, homosexuality didn’t just encompass my attractions, it defined my identity. As a Christian seeking to live by and be defined by the truth of Scripture first, I concluded that I could not pursue both. I am saddened that as a result of the ELCA’s decision, others will find it harder to obtain the biblical answers and compassionate support that helped me to experience life-giving freedom.”

Another way to look at the decision would be to rejoice that people who are attracted to other people of the same sex will no longer be pressured to “change” into an “ex-gay,” and will instead be accepted and loved for who they are.

-Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan vetoes an anti-discrimination ordinance.

-Alvin McEwen examines the anti-gay propaganda promoted by the Christian Medical and Dental Associations.

-The Durham, NC city council passes a resolution endorsing marriage equality.

-Human Rights Watch issues a report on the recent wave of anti-gay violence in Iraq.

-The Guam legislature to consider domestic partnership legislation.

-A Christian mother comes to accept her gay son.

-Jason Kuznicki analyzes the zero-sum logic behind conservative “pro-family” policies.

-The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America adopts a new policy on sexuality that allows local congregations to recognize same-sex couples.

-US District Judge Vaughn Walker denies a petition by LGBT advocacy groups to join Olson and Boies’ lawsuit challenging California Prop. 8.

-If God was responsible for the tornadoes that hit Minneapolis during the ELCA convention, as some allege, what other messages must he be sending us?

-Registration for the 2009 Anti-Heterosexism Conference is now open.

Several ex-gay survivors – people who went through ex-gay therapy but ultimately found it unsuccessful and came out as gay – have been profiled recently by various media outlets. Jacob Wilson, Vince Cervantes, and Daniel Gonzales have been interviewed by Edge Magazine, a gay magazine in Boston, MA. In the article they talk about reasons they went into ex-gay treatment and what harm it did them. 23-year-old Bryce Faulkner’s disappearance into the ex-gay world sparked all sorts of debates about how possible coercion by his conservative Christian family may have played a role in his decision to enter into an ex-gay ministry. Faulkner is clearly a legal adult in America but it was acknowledged that financially he is still dependent on his family’s help. Wilson, who was also a legal adult when he voluntarily entered an ex-gay program, describes the pressure he felt that drove him to the decision:

Jacob Wilson, now 23 and living in Ames, Iowa, was 19 when he left his family and friends behind to enter a Love in Action camp in Memphis, Tenn., hundreds of miles from his then-home in Missouri. He was part of the camp during the same time 16-year-old Zachary Stark received national attention for being forced to attend a similar camp.

Though Wilson denies being forced into the program, he said coercion still had an impact on his decision. His pastor encouraged him to apply for the program once other members of his congregation found out he’d been dating an area preacher. His parents helped foot the bill for the program.

“When I told my parents I was gay, they didn’t take it well, to say it lightly,” Wilson said. “They were all for [the camp] if it could fix me so they encouraged me.”

“I was at the lowest point in my life, the most depressed I’d ever been,” he continued. “I realized, once I got into the program, that this was a common theme. They had all lost everything that’d meant something to them.”

Cervantes, who was interviewed by XGW last year, entered into ex-gay therapy without his family’s knowledge. He even consented to an exorcism, but realized nothing was going to change his sexual orientation. He will appear in an episode of the “Tyra Banks Show” in the fall, where he talks about his experiences.

Daniel Gonzales, who has made videos about his experiences in ex-gay therapy that have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, describes taking the “secular” ex-gay route under NARTH‘s Joseph Nicolosi.

“The idea was that the same-sex attractions were caused by a broken sense of masculinity and lack of self-confidence. You’re attracted to other guys embodying the characteristics you’re lacking,” Gonzales described. “When you’re so desperate to try and change, you’re willing to believe it.”

James Stabile, who made news after claiming to be “cured” of his homosexuality after participating in a “Purity Siege,” was touted by the 700 Club as a success story. He later came out as gay and apologized for his appearance on the show.In an interview with Dallas Voice, he talks about his three month experience at Pure Life Ministries, where he staged a kiss with another man in his therapy group so that he could be kicked out. He announced on June 20th that he was starting “Love Actually,” a local community that gives people leaving ex-gay programs a place to go and feel welcome.

Wilson, Cervantes, Gonzales, and Stabile all found a welcoming place at the online Beyond Ex-Gay community. Former ex-gay Peterson Toscano reports that Beyond Ex-Gay co-founder Christine Bakke has been working on a social networking portion of the site to better connect people recovering from ex-gay therapy.  Toscano has also stated that thanks to ex-gay survivors, many mainstream media sources have been taking notice of the ineffectiveness of such “therapy.”

The growing ex-gay survivor movement has drastically altered the way in which all of the media cover ex-gay stories. Previously, a typical news piece would begin with the question, “Can gay people change?” and then go on to offer a point-counterpoint debate on the issue. Now, with so many ex-gay survivors telling their stories on-line, there’s been a shift in the handling of ex-gay stories. One recent story began with the more skeptical opener, “Some faith-based programs say that they can cure gays and lesbians,” and went on to describe how one woman’s life was almost destroyed by ex-gay therapy.

Since the emergence of the ex-gay survivor movement, mainstream media outlets such as The New York Times, Glamour, People, The Times of London, Good Morning America, and The Tyra Banks Show have all done stories that featured ex-gay survivors. Meanwhile, spokespeople for ex-gay programs have been forced to publicly admit that making a gay person straight is not actually possible, and now they’re on the defensive as they face questions about the potential harm that can result from their programs.

-A new book chronicles the challenges and difficulties faced by gay youth in America through 40 personal stories.

-Tim Horton’s and Blount Fine Foods drop plans to provide food for a NOM rally in Rhode Island.

-The Family Research Council resurrects Paul Cameron’s “statistics” in an attempt to bolster its argument against ENDA.

-Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe makes a major gift to the Trevor Project, which operates a suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ youth.

-The US Army investigates claims that American soldiers participated in the murder of gay Iraqis and finds no evidence to support the allegations.

-The Anchorage, AK assembly passes a non-discrimination ordinance.  Mayor Sullivan has not yet announced whether he will veto.

-The Spectrum, a Utah newspaper, refuses to run a same-sex wedding announcement.

-Equality California recommends waiting until 2012 to attempt to repeal Proposition 8.

-Ex-gay survivor James Stabile establishes a ministry to help others who have gone through ex-gay programs.

-Hotelier Doug Manchester, a devout Catholic and major Prop 8 supporter, files for divorce.

-Writer Joel Engardio takes another look at the Gay Christian Network in the wake of the APA’s latest report on reparative therapy.

Focus on the Family’s conference on homosexuality joins Exodus’ expanding church outreach

Orlando, FL. — Focus on the Family’s Love Won Out conference on homosexuality will be moving to Exodus International starting November, the longtime allies announced today. The move is a logical step not only for both organizations, but also for a movement that has educated and equipped Christians for decades about the reality that unwanted same-sex attractions can be overcome.

Exodus is making church education a priority effort. Recently, Exodus announced it was merging with outreach ministries of the Presbyterian and Reformed faith communities as well as The United Methodist Church. Those new partnerships will focus on equipping churches with a biblical perspective of sexuality and gender – efforts critical in continuing the original mission of the Love Won Out conference.

“Exodus is thrilled with this opportunity as the Love Won Out conference is a natural fit in our ongoing efforts to share the hope we’ve found,” said Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International. “Love Won Out has been and will continue to be a powerful event dedicated to helping the global Christian church better understand and more effectively reflect biblical truth and Christ-like compassion to a hurting world.”

Focus on the Family launched Love Won Out in 1998 to educate and equip Christians on how to respond to the issue of homosexuality in a biblical way, and has traveled to more than 50 cities worldwide with its message of truth and grace. The conference has always featured Exodus speakers and highlighted Exodus member ministries.

“There is no one better equipped to take over the operation of Love Won Out than Alan and his team,” said Focus on the Family’s Melissa Fryrear, a Love Won Out speaker and host for more than six years. “They have been with us since the beginning. They have stood alongside us in sharing the hope that, with Christ, transformation is possible for those unhappy with same-sex attractions. And we will stand alongside them as they continue to share that message as the organizer of Love Won Out.”

Focus on the Family’s gender team will continue its efforts tracking and analyzing homosexuality and its surrounding issues, as well as providing expert support to other Focus departments and practical help to its constituents.

Gary Schneeberger, vice president of media and public relations for the ministry, acknowledged that financial realities played a role in the conference’s transition to Exodus.

“Everyone knows these are challenging times for organizations and individuals all across the globe,” he said. “It is not an inexpensive undertaking to put on a Love Won Out event; and contrary to what our detractors say, the conferences rarely have recouped the financial investment made in them. That is a cost we have always paid because of the positive impact the events have had.

“With Exodus moving aggressively to strengthen its church outreach, though, they are the ones who ought to be shepherding Love Won Out as it continues on in its second decade. Our financial challenges have led us to recognize a strategic opportunity that makes sense independent of economic circumstances.”

Focus on the Family will continue to support the Love Won Out conference financially, and by providing speakers and marketing support. “Focus remains very committed to sharing biblical view of homosexuality,” said Fryrear. “After all, we’re still in the truth and grace business.”

Focus on the Family will lead its last Love Won Out conference in Birmingham, Ala. on Nov. 7.

-Anti-gay activist Linda Harvey uses the Tel Aviv shootings as another opportunity to bash the gay community.

-The Liberty Counsel tries to separate two young children from the gay foster parents who nurtured them back to health.

-David Link points out why “former homosexual” characters are unlikely to become more common in popular entertainment.

-Anti-gay activists protest the El Paso, TX city council’s extension of benefits to gay couples.

-The Human Rights Campaign releases a new study on LGBT people of color.

-The likelihood of anti-gay Referendum 71 in Washington State making it to the ballot decreases as the error rate increases.

-Brad Pitt reiterates his support for gay marriage.

-Jonathan Rauch asks marriage equality opponents the question for which they have no answer.

-The American Family Association targets AAA for offering family memberships to gay couples.