Ex-Gay Watch

-The Israeli government appoints an openly gay judge.

-A hockey player at the University of New Hampshire comes out of the closet to speak in support of the state’s marriage equality law.

-Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie signs civil unions into law.

-Senator Dianne Feinstein announces plans to introduce a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.

-An anti-gay marriage amendment is introduced in the North Carolina senate.

-Actor Mark Ruffalo and his wife voice their support for marriage equality.

-A pair of Tennessee Republicans introduce a bill to ban all mention of LGBT people in the state’s public schools.

-The Maryland Senate votes in favor of marriage equality.

-Kathy Baldock questions Focus on the Family’s “Day of Dialogue.”

-Southern Baptist leader Albert Mohler concedes that marriage equality may be inevitable.

The US government has announced that it is no longer prepared to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court.

The act enshrined in US federal law the definition of marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman. DOMA has been one of the chief weapons of anti-marriage-equality campaigners.

Associated Press says the policy reversal “could have major implications for the rights and benefits of gay couples and reignite an emotional debate for the 2012 presidential campaign.”

Tip of the hat to Box Turtle Bulletin.

An abstinence group based in Jacksonville, Florida, has ties to the anti-gay Ugandan activist Martin Ssempa, according to a report in the Florida Independent.

Project SOS founder Pam Mullarkey is quoted on Ssempa’s website as saying that Ssempa is “the most powerful voice for abstinence in the world and his passion, charisma and character make his vital message irresistible.”

Mullarkey refused to decry Ssempa when contacted for comment; instead she praised him. Other US evangelicals have disassociated themselves from Ssempa when pressed.

The Ugandan pastor is notorious for promoting misconceptions about gays in Uganda, including the myth that eating one another’s “poo-poo” is a defining homosexual practice. He has been the most vocal Christian supporter of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which would result in the death penalty for gays.

Many XGW readers will be familiar with the painful, anti-gay efforts in Uganda, highlighted over the past couple of years by this and other blogs.  The reporting has been at times very detailed, and devastating to take in.  This was all punctuated by the recent murder of Ugandan gay rights advocate David Kato, and signs that the dastardly Anti-Homosexuality Bill may move forward after President Museveni’s recent re-election.

In spite of all the excellent writing on this issue, only the posts of GayUganda have come close to giving this writer the same human connection as this excellent BBC effort.  The degree and scope to which harsh, unyielding anti-gay sentiment has been whipped into the Ugandan population leaves one dumbstruck.  And one begins to realize what a fertile ground the various Western “evangelists” have found when traveling there to plant their own anti-gay doctrines.

Whether one be a pastor, preacher, evangelist, social worker or politician, the only responsible and ethical message you could put forth in Uganda — regardless of personal beliefs — is one of tolerance at the very least.  Ant it is obvious now that the messages of all three from the original meeting — Scott Lively, Caleb Brudidge and Don Schmierer — even if they said what they claim to, acted as match to gasoline.

Please watch the video — Scott Mills does a great job.  There are four parts due to Youtube’s upload limitations, but the playlist will advance automatically to the next segment.

-The New York Times calls for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.

-A marriage equality bill is introduced in the Washington state legislature.

-Same-sex marriage may soon be legal in the UK.

-Authorities in Minsk, Belarus authorize an LGBT rally.

-Authorities in Budapest, Hungary reject an application for a pride parade.

-The US Air Force allows Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach to retire with full rank and pension.

-The Hawaii State Senate votes in favor of civil unions.

-The California Supreme Court agrees to rule on whether Prop 8′s proponents have legal standing.

-Target modifies its corporate giving policy to better screen future political contributions.

-NOM tries to make Maryland voters appear less gay supportive in an effort to stall the current marriage equality bill.

-Facebook adds ‘civil union’ and ‘domestic partnership’ to its list of relationship status options.

-A gay couple in North Carolina are victims of arson.

-Police in Bahrain arrest 127 gay men at a private party.

-A new survey finds that 83% of Kentuckians oppose discrimination against gays.

-The Advocate interviews Ted Haggard.

-Maggie Gallagher inadvertently convinces a Maryland state senator to support marriage equality.

-Nearly 2/3 of adults in New Hampshire oppose repeal of the state’s marriage law, according to a new poll.

-The city of Manhattan, KS adds sexual orientation and gender identity to its non-discrimination ordinance.

-Canada’s House of Commons votes to extend non-discrimination and hate crimes protections to transgender individuals.

-The Dallas Voice shares the story of a couple that met in an ex-gay program.

-A British radio host is forced to flee Uganda.

-The Hawaii House votes in favor of civil unions.

He’s not joking, the book is You Don’t Have to be Gay by Jeff Konrad.  If you want to get a copy, look no further than the Exodus bookstore — not that Exodus has anything to do with gays going straight or anything.

I tend to agree with one commenter from the Amazon listing:

He [the author] says that in high school, he had a big crush on a girl but was too shy to do anything about it or was hurt by her. He then got a boyfriend and, at first, was “disgusted” at the idea of kissing him. This tells me that the author was either bi-sexual, heterosexual, or 90% heterosexual to begin with. As a gay man, I have never had an attraction to a girl, and the idea of kissing a man I loved was wonderful to me and still is.

Whatever Konrad was, it doesn’t sound like he was gay.  Yet he’s giving advice that gay men are supposed to follow to become straight (something which is either extraordinarily rare and unpredictable, or just impossible).  This illustrates in a nutshell a significant avenue of damage caused by these organizations.  Most are painfully unprofessional and unscientific, which leads to a buffet of recommendations consisting of every amateur idea and “therapy” one can imagine — just about anything will do.

Exodus must think a lot of Konrad’s ideas, as they don’t just sell his book but highly recommend it.  From a review in their newly renovated student (youth) section:

I strongly encourage any male struggling with homosexuality to read this book.  It is not only educational; it is transformational and filled with hope and optimism.  Konrad does a fine job by utilizing support from well-known psychologists and scholars on homosexual issues to address the root of the matter and provide an alternative to the world’s view of what to do with this attraction.  As a struggler himself, he pulls from a life of experience to provide heartfelt wisdom to a man that is in desperate need of answers.  Reading this book will truly bring great insight and healing for the homosexual struggler, and enlightenment to those who don’t struggle.

Res ipsa loquitur.

A new website brings a fresh look to Exodus International, and XGW took a fresh look at their Frequently Asked Questions to check on what their official positions are concerning several topics, including political and civil topics.

1. They refuse to talk about a success rate for sexual orientation change.

When asked, they redirect the question so that the one actually posed never gets answered – and that’s the one we want answered: whether people can successfully change from homosexual to heterosexual.

Let’s rephrase that question. Is there realistic hope that men and women who experience same-sex attraction can overcome those temptations and lead a life of sexual integrity? Can they reasonably expect a time when same-sex attraction will no longer dominate their existence, determine their behavior, or define their identity? The answer to those questions is yes!

They eagerly emphasize that behavior can change. You can go from being a creature with a sexual appetite to one that is sexless. You can be celibate. But nobody, gay or straight, seriously denies that you can do any of these things. The question people really want to know is “can someone change their core sexual orientation from gay to straight?” And they refuse to provide an answer.

2. You cannot be gay and Christian – the two are incompatible.

No, you’re not supposed to judge others, and you are  not to presume you know the heart of another human being as intimately as, for example, God would – but that doesn’t mean you can’t question it, to yourself, out loud, within their earshot.

if someone actively pursues homosexual involvement and refuses to acknowledge this behavior as sin, it’s valid to humbly question whether his or her commitment to Christ – and especially to growth in holiness – is genuine.

It’s not enough to let it go as yet another schism; “pro-gay theology” must be “refuted.”

That’s why it’s critical to understand, confront and refute so-called “pro-gay theology,” which alleges that Scripture has been mistranslated and misinterpreted when it comes to the issue of homosexuality.

Exodus knows the correct way to read the Bible concerning the topic of homosexuality. It is unequivocal for them. Read more…

-Champion cyclist Graeme Obree comes out of the closet.

-The wife of a British anti-gay activist files for divorce, citing physical abuse.

-One Colorado launches a campaign to bring civil unions to the state.

-Barbara Bush, daughter of George W. Bush, voices her support for marriage equality.

-Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signs civil unions into law.

-A 19-year-old son of a gay couple testifies on behalf of marriage equality in Iowa.

-The Iowa House approves an anti-gay marriage amendment.

-Maryland Senate Minority Leader Alan Kittleman, a Republican, announces his support for marriage equality.

-Six transgender women are murdered in Honduras in a two-month period.

-The National Organization for Marriage learns why hotlinking is not a good idea.

-The National Center for Transgender Equality and the NGLTF release a new survey highlighting the difficulties faced by transgender individuals.