Ex-Gay Watch

There has been a lot of discussion lately over the attendance of Exodus President Alan Chambers at a recent Gay Christian Network conference (GCN).  Chambers participated in a panel discussion with former Love In Action director John Smid, Courage UK founder Jeremy Marks, and  Wendy Gritter, Executive Director of New Direction ministry in Canada (a former Exodus affiliate, now gay affirming).  This was Friday evening, January 6, 2012.

Controversy exists over a number of issues.  Among other things, GCN serves as a refuge of sorts for gay Christians who had bad experiences with ex-gay ministries or who have simply reconciled their faith and their sexuality and seek a place to fellowship with others in similar circumstances.  This is a simplistic and incomplete description but more detail will come with subsequent posts.

The purpose of this post is to provide a copy of the email which was sent out to conference attendees on December 29, 2011.  You may have heard this discussed as you read over accounts of the event.  It has been claimed by some that this email was sufficient to warn those attendees who might be traumatized, hurt or made uncomfortable by the presence of any of those mentioned above and therefore give them a chance to avoid the conference.  The email was sent after registration was over and travel arrangements had been completed.

We provide this for those wishing to evaluate the facts surrounding this incident to judge for yourselves if this email constitutes sufficient warning.  Since we have not seen it posted in any other convenient locations, we are doing so at XGW.  Please feel free to discussion your opinions.  Keep in mind that it was certain long before this email went out that at least some if not all of the panelists would be in attendance.  Also, we were told that no one contacted GCN as a result of this email.

The entire email is available in PDF format here..  Or you may read the germane section below:

AN IMPORTANT NOTE

The vast majority of the attendees of the GCN conference are typically in agreement with GCN’s mission, purpose, and values. However, GCN’s conference has always had an open-door policy, so you may encounter people at the conference whose beliefs, values, and views differ markedly from your own and/or from GCN’s.

Because Orlando is also home to the world’s largest “ex-gay” organization, there may be people affiliated with the ex-gay movement who decide to register and attend part or all of the conference this year.

Our policy remains unchanged: Anyone is welcome to attend the conference, even if they don’t agree with GCN’s mission, but we do ask them to respect the conference’s purpose and behave accordingly. As always, we reserve the right to remove anyone whose behavior, in the sole discretion of GCN’s conference team, is distracting from or working against the stated purpose of the event.

What should you do if you encounter someone whose views are different from GCN’s? Whether that person is a concerned Christian parent, a curious non-Christian, or a member of the ex-gay movement, we encourage you to welcome them with generosity and compassion. The GCN conference is a life-changing experience for many, and it just might change that person’s perspective.

However, in the unlikely event that you encounter someone who is making you uncomfortable or engaging in inappropriate behavior (seeking sexual contacts, advocating a message contrary to GCN’s, etc.), please notify a member of the conference team immediately.

We are also aware that some members of our community have strong emotional reactions to the topic of ex-gay ministry, due to their own painful experiences. If you are concerned about the possibility of encountering someone who might trigger something painful for you, please contact our office in advance of the conference, and we will work with you to address your specific needs and ensure that you are able to attend the conference safely and happily.

In all of our interactions at this year’s conference, let us continually strive to embody our theme, “Ambassadors of Reconciliation,” seeking out ways to build bridges and change lives without compromising our faith or our integrity, as we share Christ’s light and love for all.

We have learned that Exodus president Alan Chambers will be attending the Gay Christian Network conference this evening in Orlando, Fl.  He will be participating in a panel discussion with Jeremy Marks, John Smid, and Wendy Gritter at 8:30 EST.  This is all the information available at the moment.

From the GCN website:

The Gay Christian Network (GCN) is a nonprofit ministry supporting Christians worldwide who happen to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). Our mission, “sharing Christ’s light and love for all,” is carried out in 5 primary directions, to impact individuals, families, communities, churches, and the world.

GCN has acted as a refuge of sorts for some gay Christians who have become disillusioned with ex-gay ideology and seek a community that shares their faith and experience.  There are two major groups in GCN, called Side A and Side B.  From Wikipedia:

Members of the Gay Christian Network have expressed a wide variety of opinions concerning gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender life and how it should be lived from a Christian perspective. For instance, the site is committed to being a safe haven both for members who believe it is okay for gay Christians to enter into healthy, committed relationships (including sex) and for those who believe that the Bible prohibits such behavior and requires chastity. On the site, these two positions have been nicknamed Side A, i.e., those members who believe that homosexual activity is not sinful, and Side B, i.e., those who believe that God does love gay people but does not accept homosexual activity.

It is not clear what motivates this or what can be accomplished, but certainly it must be difficult for some who have been deeply hurt by Alan’s ministries to know he has been invited.  We have certainly heard from many who are upset so far this morning.  Apparently he will only appear on the panel and that is an optional event.  No doubt more is to come.

Could this be a venue for Alan to effect some of his promised “re-branding“?  He was impressed by the positive press John Smid received from his recent pronouncements.  Good or bad, watch this one closely.

This is well worth watching in it’s entirety.  LGBT rights are of course human rights, as Secretary Clinton so eloquently illustrates to the United Nations in Geneva.  There are times when we manage to get it right, and this looks like one of those times.  This speech follows the release of a memorandum by President Barack Obama “to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons.”

Full transcript from the State Department below:

CLINTON: Good evening, and let me express my deep honor and pleasure at being here. I want to thank Director General Tokayev and Ms. Wyden along with other ministers, ambassadors, excellencies, and UN partners. This weekend, we will celebrate Human Rights Day, the anniversary of one of the great accomplishments of the last century.

Beginning in 1947, delegates from six continents devoted themselves to drafting a declaration that would enshrine the fundamental rights and freedoms of people everywhere. In the aftermath of World War II, many nations pressed for a statement of this kind to help ensure that we would prevent future atrocities and protect the inherent humanity and dignity of all people. And so the delegates went to work. They discussed, they wrote, they revisited, revised, rewrote, for thousands of hours. And they incorporated suggestions and revisions from governments, organizations, and individuals around the world.

At three o’clock in the morning on December 10th, 1948, after nearly two years of drafting and one last long night of debate, the president of the UN General Assembly called for a vote on the final text. Forty-eight nations voted in favor; eight abstained; none dissented. And the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. It proclaims a simple, powerful idea: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. And with the declaration, it was made clear that rights are not conferred by government; they are the birthright of all people. It does not matter what country we live in, who our leaders are, or even who we are. Because we are human, we therefore have rights. And because we have rights, governments are bound to protect them. Read more…

World Magazine has awarded Exodus President Alan Chambers their 2011 Daniel Award.  With this award, Alan Chambers joins the ranks of Kenneth Star, John Ashcroft, Phillip E. Johnson (“father” of Intelligent design), Peter Akinola (rabidly anti-gay Nigerian priest), and Stephen C. Meyer (Intelligent Design), among other past recipients.

In an article which appears in the December 17th edition, Chambers and Exodus are painted in glowing, courageous terms.  Many of Chambers’ key talking points are covered nicely, while any opposition is portrayed in a one-dimensional fashion.  This website is said to have “whole sections devoted to condemning Chambers and other ministries to homosexuals.”

We would like to think it is the facts which “condemn these groups, but then World Magazine hasn’t exactly attempted to cloak their own bias when it comes to Exodus.  They have written this type of PR piece for Exodus in the past (the same author, Jamie Dean), and one has to ask if this is more of a corroborative effort than journalism.  Could this be the first volley in the effort to re-brand Exodus International, or at least it’s president?  If so, it seems skewed into the conservative space, heavy on “change is possible” rhetoric.

The World Magazine article contains several factual errors.  Let’s give them a brief review of a couple:

Self-denial isn’t a new concept to Chambers. The 39-year-old president of Exodus International—a Christian ministry that helps people struggling with homosexuality—grew up in a Christian home but embraced homosexuality as a teenager. But through years of an active gay lifestyle, Chambers couldn’t shake the biblical conviction that what came naturally to him was also sinful. He didn’t want to be gay. [emphasis added]

According to an early account written by Chambers in 1999, there is no way to say that he had been through “years of an active gay lifestyle.”  Even if one overlooks the generalization of “gay lifestyle,” (assuming that means open and sexually active for this purpose), Chambers could not be said to fit that description for more than a few months in 1990-1991, when he was barely eighteen years old.  He says he had a couple of sexual encounters in Middle School (essentially experimentation during overnight stays), and one in High School.  But all this ended when he was “outed” by the latter, which indicates he was not open before that. Read more…

Exodus International - 190 N Westmonte Dr Altamonte Springs , FL

Exodus President Alan Chambers called a meeting together this past November 16.  The subject was quite simply how to keep Exodus International from social and financial oblivion.  In attendance were Exodus leadership, prominent religious leaders (such as Gabe Lyons) and lay people.  The latter were mostly those who once counted themselves in the ex-gay camp but now are either in the process of changing their views or are fully gay affirming.

We had been following odd activity at Exodus for some time.  It was clear that something was up but only after being contacted by some of those directly involved did our speculation clarify into fact.  The past couple of years have seen Exodus cut it’s staff, lose key alliances, and suffer from a general moderation in American views toward homosexuality.  So difficult has this been for them that they have increased efforts abroad where there exists less formal opposition to their message — that living a gay affirming life is sinful, wrong and unhealthy, and change is the only way to truly please God.

Three years ago, Exodus purchased a building for a little over $1.1 Million.  This was at the height of the real estate bubble and it’s value must have decreased significantly since.  While they seem to have shed as many of their obligations as possible, debt service for that building must be a great draw on their meager resources.  According to IRS documents, they burned through $200,000 of their savings in 2010 alone.  In short, if they continue on their current trajectory, there seems little doubt that Exodus will fold in the near future.

Knowing this, Chambers called the New York meeting together and posed the question, “how can we save Exodus?”  Unfortunately for those of us who might have a glimmer of hope to the contrary, this plea does not seem to be based on any deep, inner change of heart or ideology.  According to first person accounts, the emphasis was on how to make Exodus more “donor accessible.”  The meeting was filled with the modern lingo of those who advise on the solicitation of charitable funds.  This is about money. Read more…

Current PFOX president Greg Quinlan appeared for an interview recently on a local D.C. station.  While the interviewer, Mark Segraves (WDCW-TV), was better prepared than most, it doesn’t seem he understood the depth of misinformation Quinlan is willing to put forth.  It would take a week to tease through the factual errors in this short interview, and much of it has been covered before.  For example, claims that PFOX won a suit in D.C to have ex-gays considered a protected class have been confronted before.

Quinlan goes on to accuse noted geneticist Dean Hamer of lying about his research, Dr. Robert Spitzer of not knowing what his own research says on the possibility of sexual orientation change,  and claims that AIDS is a “homosexual disease.”  This is not the first time Quinlan has been accused of distorting a researchers work.

Most astounding were Quinlan’s claims that Truth Wins Out director Wayne Besen wanted someone to run him over with a bus, or inject him with AIDS:

Truth Wins Out if you look further, including Wayne Besen. He’s asked for people, you know, somebody needs to run Greg over. He needs to be hit with a bus. Somebody should inject him with AIDS. Those are the things that Wayne Besen and Truth Wins Out says about me. That’s pretty hateful rhetoric.

These are serious allegations and demand a solid source for confirmation.  For the record, Besen denies ever making the comments and we join him in challenging Quinlan to produce evidence of this claim.  It’s worth reviewing the video in full just to see how fast and lose Quinlan plays with the truth.

Greg Quinlan is listed as president of the anti-gay PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays), and also claims to work full-time for the New Jersey Family Policy Council, a conservative lobbying organization.  One can only wonder what he tells lawmakers.

Full Video Here

In 2007, the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) posted an article by Dean Byrd on their website.  It seemed written to give the impression that noted geneticist Dr. Francis Collins agreed with both the idea that homosexuality did not have a genetic cause and that it could be changed or prevented.  To be sure, NARTH believes all this, but it did not sound like something with which Dr. Collins would agree.  Collins has a reputation for being a brilliant and reasonable scientist, passionate about the truth.

A careful reading of Byrd’s article revealed some select comments from Collin’s book conflated with Byrd’s pontifications and information from other sources.  We decided it best to contact Collins with our concerns to find out what he really thought.  All this along with Collins’ response is detailed in our subsequent post where Collins essentially agreed with our assessment and then some (read the article for details).

Since then, we have had to recall, re-emphasize and defend that exchange as various groups and individuals repeated the distorted notion of Byrd’s article.  Collins was contacted again and reconfirmed his original position.  Then early this year NARTH resurrected the issue after receiving copies of this writer’s email exchanges with Collins via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.  While they claimed they had made the request themselves, we now know that the information was forwarded to them from the anti-gay Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum who had made the original FOIA request.

In their most recent post, NARTH accused this writer of flattering Collins with “adulation and praise,” and misrepresenting NARTH and Byrd’s article. They announced their discovery of the email exchange as a find, even though the entire thing has been posted on XGW since 2008 for all to see.  Read our response to this if you care to get up to speed on the matter.

We decided to take a page from their book and request any correspondence between NARTH and Collins.  In response, we received a copy of a letter (PDF) sent to him by NARTH President Julie Hamilton sometime after they received the FOIA material from CRC.  In it, Collins is treated more like a doddering old man than the head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  Even though we sent a link to the original article with our email to Collins, and it is clear from his reply that he read it, Hamilton encloses a copy noting “Although Warren Throckmorton [see this post to see where he comes in] and David Roberts led you to believe otherwise, your statements were not misrepresented by NARTH.”  No, Dr. Collins, regardless of what you think, you do agree with us — sheer arrogance.

Hamilton continues to reassure Collins that what he said he saw in the article is not there.  One can almost visualize her speaking slowly to help him understand, the supposition being that if Collins didn’t agree with NARTH, he must certainly have just not understood.  There seems no way for them to comprehend that he really does think they misrepresented him.  Hamilton goes on to lecture Collins in the NARTH mantra of change, trying to plead the case that NARTH is a professional organization and not at all anti-gay.

At the end, Hamilton does what she accused yours truly of, she flatters Collins with her own brand of adulation and praise:

I hope you receive this letter with the sincerity with which it was written.  Your book, The Language of God, has brought joy to many religious professionals, demonstrating that science and faith tradition are not inherently incompatible.  As an evangelical Christian, I testify to God’s love, and it is His love that many of us who provide professional care to those who are distressed by unwanted homosexual attractions find central to our motivation to help.

It should be noted that our FOIA request parameters were broad and yet no reply from Collins to NARTH was included.  In other words, while Collins responded not once but three times to our requests, he did not reply to NARTH’s one and only letter.  That says a lot.

Letter from NARTH to Dr. Francis Collins (PDF)

Image: Google Maps

In 2008, Exodus moved from a modest office that they leased for $2000+ a month to the building above at 190 N Westmonte Dr, Altamonte Springs, Florida, which they purchased at the height of the real estate market bubble for over $1.1 million.  Exodus has an estimated eleven employees working in this two-story office complex, assuming they haven’t quitely let anyone else go.  Presumably this also houses the oft referenced phone that allegedly receives 400,000 calls a year (roughly 45 calls an hour 24/7/365) from people begging to hear about “freedom from homosexuality.”

Image: Google Maps

Unlike NARTH, Focus on the Family, et al, Exodus seems reluctant to let their neighbors know who they are as the only sign marking the building bears the rather nondescript name of the non-profit they created at the time of the purchase, The Worthen Legacy Group (TWLG).  Frank Worthen could be considered one of the founding father’s of the ex-gay movement and was the founder of the infamous Love In Action ex-gay conversion facility.

The Worthen Legacy Group’s 2008 form 990 lists Don Schmierer and his wife as directors, and is actually the only public document we could find which lists Exodus’ new address (though it finally seems to be appearing in searches).  When asked in 2008, Exodus President Alan Chambers refused to provide the location of the new building and all their literature lists their PO Box.  The mission of TWLG is:

To operate for the benefit of, to perform the functions of, or to carry out the purpose of Exodus International North America, Inc.

According to the tax document above, TWLG is a 501(c)(2) Title Holding Company.  While we are not tax experts, the literature indicates that these are used primarily to shield the assets of a 501(c)(3) from liability.  It is possible Exodus was simply following the prudent advice of their tax attorney, or they may consider a future claim of harm by a client a real possibility.  Perhaps others can make more sense of this and comment below.

His position as director of TWLG may partially explain why Exodus was so intent on shielding Schmierer from blame or consequence for his participation in the Uganda “Anti-Homosexuality Conference” of 2009.  Additionally, Schmierer’s LinkedIn profile still has him working as program officer at Fieldstead & Company.  According to their website, “Fieldstead is a private company that manages the assets of the Howard F. Ahmanson, Jr. family.”  Could this be one of Exodus’ funding sources?

The sign does say that space is available — anyone need to lease office space?

During the years from 2005 to 2007, IRS records show Exodus designated over $1 million for “various education programs and publications that explain how to change sexual orientation…”

Exodus International Form 990 for year 2007

This period begins several years into Alan Chambers’ tenure as Exodus President, and covers what might be called their pinnacle.  While those of us who study Exodus may not find this particularly startling, we must remember that they have vehemently denied ever having this as their goal.  To have an official record stating those intentions is important.

Of course, Exodus’ history is littered with evidence of their emphasis on change.  Their motto, Change is Possible, has been plastered on billboards across the country.  They have routinely claimed a 30% to 50% success rate in changing from homosexual to heterosexual (a laughable figure), and even paid $100,000 for a study intended to substantiate that figure.  To this day the Exodus bookstore features books on reparative therapy by Joseph Nicolosi and others which promote pseudo-scientific theories on causation and conversion of homosexuality.

Exodus representatives repeatedly deny the idea that they seek to bring sexual orientation change to anyone.  In a symphony of semantics, they deflect responsibility for most anything they do.  In a particularly sarcastic article written in 2009 when Exodus could still afford professional PR people like Julie Neils, she wrote:

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard the words, “Exodus International” and “religious group that claims to cure gays” in a sentence I’d be rich . . . and in Tahiti right now.

Exodus International Form 990 for year 2006

Exodus also makes a big deal of the claim that they only exist to help those who seek them out — those “400,000 phone calls and emails” we are always hearing about.  Until 2006, Exodus put the following expense claim on the same form to the IRS:

Missions and outreach projects allow Exodus to reach individuals not actively seeking help who may be open to change.

Again, hardly a surprise to those familiar with Exodus but basically we have here evidence of their intent — ironically enough — to recruit those not “actively seeking” their help in the first place.  This directly contradicts their own claims, but Exodus has a way with words that enables them to say one thing and mean another.

Perhaps equally significant is the fact that this verbiage has been removed in years since.  Clearly Exodus still does these things yet they don’t wish to make that fact so obvious as they once did.  What kind of message does all this double-talk send?  Perhaps it is just this kind of mixed-message that sends churches like Willow Creek in the other direction.

Supporting Documents

Exodus Form 990 — 2005

Exodus Form 990 — 2006

Exodus Form 990 — 2007

Last weekend saw the latest Love Won Out conference, the ex-gay roadshow which was once sponsored by Focus on the Family (with Exodus as partners) but is now completely run by Exodus International.  The latest locale was Sugarland, Texas (outside Houston) — firmly in the Bible Belt and where one might expect more than the usual number of sympathetic participants.

According to he Houston Chronicle, however, that doesn’t seem to have been the case.  They report 450 in attendance, for what we believe is the lowest figure yet — certainly in recent years.  That’s less than half the numbers reported in it’s heyday of just a few years ago.  Remember also that most attendees are repeat visitors, part of a small core who use the conferences to visit socially.  Even in such a venue, however, some ministries maintain rather strict requirements.  Living Hope Ministries, an Exodus affiliate in Arlington, Texas, (and old stomping ground of former Exodus VP Randy Thomas) requires their attendees to mark out the last names on their name tags lest they be tempted to contact each other by means not sanctioned by the group.

There would seem little doubt that Exodus is in decline.  Recent months and years have seen their pleas for funds become more dire, their staff and benefits cut, significant ministry partners disassociate, and now their main recruiting tool attract fewer attendees.  Some time ago they began combining the figures for their member groups with their stagnant church affiliates, perhaps to give the impression that they have grown (or at least not shrunk).  Their church affiliate network, which then VP Randy Thomas predicted would have 10,000 members by 2010 never got past about 100.

Exodus still has a presence and can do damage to those who mistake them for a safe harbor.  And they continue to export their untruths to countries less equipped to provide an informed opposition. Unfortunately, we have already witnessed what kind of fire can start from those sparks.