Ex-Gay Watch

I founded the Ex-Gay Watch web site in 2002 to promote new voices in the social dialogue regarding so-called ex-gays.

After two years of writing 20 hours per week (or more) about ex-gay political activists, I began to run out of energy and time.

XGW could have ended right there, but two excellent writer/researchers — Daniel Gonzales and Timothy Kincaid — stepped in, rescued Ex-Gay Watch, and took the project to the next level. At a time before “Make it work!” became a popular catchphrase, that’s what Daniel and Timothy did — spectacularly.

XGW further evolved with the issues and changing times in 2007 when David Roberts took over as editor and recruited additional writers who were diverse in perspective and geography.

With the web site in capable hands, I’m ready to move on and pursue a more activist approach against efforts by ex-gay political activists to undermine equality, freedom of speech, religious freedom, and sexual honesty.

The specifics of that different approach will be announced in the near future. Meantime, Ex-Gay Watch has exciting plans of its own.

Best wishes to the writers and commenters of Ex-Gay Watch. As a certain hero of mine would say: “Carry on!”

Ex-Gay Watch often points out how specific ex-gay programs worsen sexual struggle and emotional and spiritual trauma rather than curing it. It also documents how some ex-gay programs exploit strugglers for selfish political or financial gain.

But it’s less often that we clearly spell out appropriate, constructive steps that strugglers and their supporters can take.

What can XGW and other gay-tolerant groups do to support people whose values require them to remain celibate outside of heterosexual marriage, or who need assistance to reduce unhealthy compulsions or depression?

Brian Murphy, a Soulforce Equality Rider, attended the Ex-Gay Survivor Conference that was co-sponsored by Soulforce, Beyond Ex-Gay and the LGBT Resource Center at the University of California-Irvine.

Murphy, a filmmaker, interviewed fellow attendees and taped footage of various conference activities including the Chalk Talk, a time of written expression and reflection.

Watch Murphy’s complete film:

Three-minute trailer:

Brian Murphy’s weblog: All Points In Between

Filmmaker Morgan Jon Fox has released an extended preview for the feature-length documentary, “This Is What Love In Action Looks Like.”

According to the filmmaker:

In the summer of 2005, a 16-year-old from Memphis, Tenn., wrote on his MySpace blog about his parents sending him to a “Fundamentalist Christian” program that claimed to offer “freedom from homosexuality.” What followed is a modern-day message in a bottle, as teen-agers in the local community stood up for their friend with daily protests which eventually grew to include a plethora of individuals demonstrating at the facility in what would become an international news story.

The documentary features several former clients of the organization who tell their personal stories about the time they spent within the programs walls, including exclusive never before seen interviews with several teenagers who were forced into the “Refuge” program.

The documentary producer’s intent was to show the passion and conviction of both sides of such a strong debate, however, countless attempts to interview Love In Action officials, and their wider network of affiliates were continuously denied, unfortunately thwarting [the filmmaker's] wishes to allow them to tell their personal stories in detail.

This Is What Love In Action Looks Like will premiere in February 2008.

Facebook users: Join the Cause.

In early 2007, Truth Wins Out and former ex-gay Daniel Gonzales produced a YouTube video that found a blend of untruths and misleading “truthiness” in the annual antigay “Day of Truth” campaign.

Gonzales has updated the video to reflect changes at the ex-gay counseling program Love In Action — and the failure of Exodus to take corrective action against the campaign’s errors and unethical tactics.

Hat tip: Box Turtle Bulletin

The webmaster for Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays, Gabriel Espinosa, has been cited by Box Turtle Bulletin for his use of the F word (and little else besides the expletive) in correspondence with public officials about what constitutes fair access by transgendered persons to gender-specific restrooms.

Espinosa’s only suggestion for those who seek fairness for transgendered persons:

Hopefully, it will be one of your daughters who gets raped first!

Previous XGW coverage of Gabriel Espinosa.

Other coverage: Wayne Besen

At Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s gospel concert in South Carolina this weekend, singer and ex-gay activist Donnie McClurkin had an opportunity to take the high road: Show good will and extend an olive branch toward his gay co-singers and audience members.

Instead, according to the New York Times political blog, The Caucus, McClurkin took the low road.

Read more…

Ex-gay activist and Exodus executive vice president spoke at a press conference last Friday to oppose the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Video courtesy of People For the American Way.

Here are some excerpts.

I know what it is to be an out and proud gay-identified man … I was out and proud in the workplace …

I know what that’s like first-hand.

But I also know what it’s like to say … If I’m doing a bad job, then I definitely need correction, but if I’m not, she does. And it was taken care of right then. And I actually got promoted over her. What I’m trying to point out is this was 1990.

I do respect civil rights. I do respect Dr King. And for ENDA to create a special class, or a protected class, undercuts civil rights to the core.

As a former gay man, I see this from the perspective of knowing what it’s like to be a gay man in the workplace … But I also see it from the perspective of “I want my religious liberties protected.”

Update: Commenter Emproph provides a transcript of Thomas’ full remarks.

Thomas’ argument has no logic. His line of reasoning jumps from admitting that homosexuals can be discriminated against, admitting that it’s wrong to discriminate, to “but I want my religious liberties protected.” Which is it? He wants to have his cake and eat it.

Did he really just defend a right of Christians to commit wrongs — sins — against others?

The New York Times and Washington Post report that U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will tour South Carolina with gospel singers including ex-gay advocate Donnie McClurkin.

The name of Obama’s tour? “Embrace the Change.”

Author and activist Keith Boykin profiles McClurkin here. Previous XGW coverage of McClurkin is here.

Hat tip: AmericaBlog

Exodus and Focus on the Family made prominent use of ex-gay advertising at the so-called Values Voter Summit today.

Courtesy of People for the American Way Foundation and Flickr, here are some snapshots:

(Ex-Gay Watch reviewed the above ad here in 2005.)

Note that, for the moment, PFOX has dropped “and Gays” from its name.

Finally, I noticed this photo from Bishop Harry Jackson’s High Impact Leadership Coalition. In all fairness, I’m not sure what kind of “change” it’s referring to. Political? Spiritual? Sexual? But the anger and fearmongering are obvious.

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[Update: This shirt is a protest against radical Islam and multiculturalism.]

Also prominent in the images: Posters and brochures for the abstinence-only movement.

Taken together, PFAW Foundation’s images suggest a summit preoccupied by sexual issues to the detriment of other, arguably more urgent matters facing the United States. If others have more objective information about the summit, please feel free to post your observations or links in the comments.

In related news, Exodus executive vice president Randy Thomas commented on his blog about the summit:

It’s been an amazing day and it is only a little over halfway done! OH … and if you hear about ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) on the news… I might be on it. I participated in a press conference today concerning the matter and all of the major cable news and MSM were there. It was an amazing opportunity that will have it’s own post!

Yesterday, Thomas commented:

This is the event for the “social conservatives” of the Republican party. The registration packet had all kinds of stuff ranging from a ten commandments bookmark, to our Exodus brochure, to an EXCELLENT program book, to a rubber wristband with “ouramericanvalues.org” on it (Gary Bauer is the President.) Rubber wristbands are the new “ribbon” for symbolic cause jewelry.

The Exodus booth that Brad and David had set up earlier looked great. They, with Caryn on Publications, did a great job. We also have prime real estate in the exhibit hall … amazing traffic flow.