Ex-Gay Watch

Exodus Vice President Randy Thomas wrote an article titled “Grace and Gay Men” that recently appeared in the Focus on the Family webzine Boundless. While doing my best to read it with an unbiased eye, I’ll admit that Randy’s erratic blogging and commenting behavior make that difficult. For whatever reason, the man wipes out his entire blogging history on a repeated and regular basis (which makes accountability for past statements nearly impossible).

Also, it has been my experience that Randy is incapable of allowing for or conducting any open and honest discussion with people who disagree with him. Whether he is willing to admit it or not, those sorts of behaviors take away from the credibility of his content and portray him as disingenuous when he talks about loving homosexuals as Jesus would.

The article is prefaced by a disclaimer that is almost long enough to be a piece on its own. I understand the need for a disclaimer now and then, but Randy writes three paragraphs justifying what he is about to say. Number one, someone important at Exodus can attest to how distraught he has been while writing; second, he has thrown caution to the wind against the good advice of a friend who fears he will be perceived as pro-gay; last, gay men are dying of AIDS so it’s time to toughen up and be forthright about how much he cares about all the gay men dying while headed straight for hell. In my opinion, the long disclaimer, just like Randy’s web etiquette, detracts from the sincerity and impact of the entire piece.

Following the disclaimer, there is a sort of mini-essay in which Randy addresses the Body of Christ and its reluctance to demonstrate love and grace to gay men during the initial days of the AIDS pandemic.

I did not and do not think it is appropriate to stigmatize a large group of men whom the Lord loves, dismissing them as unworthy of our love.

And,

Even today, the overarching consistent message coming from the Christian community has been one of stigmatization and warning.

Randy goes on to write an article about gay men that’s full of stigmatization and warning, spending a fair amount of print convincing the reader of his own depravity in the late 80s. It strikes me as suspect when he talks about friends seeming to drop dead during that time frame with no knowledge of what was killing them. This was 1988. Read more…

• Details magazine published an blog piece titled “Would You Really Be Okay with a Gay Kid?” and Albert Mohler posts a response that misses the point and is a glaring example of how many fundamentalists twist meanings to support anti-gay rhetoric.

• The Portland Mercury reviews a Christian children’s book titled “Does God Love Michael’s Two Daddies?”

• Another Details article featuring gay dads.

• Christian TV host comes out of the closet. Hat tip: BTB Original article here.

Peterson Toscano posted a beautifully written narrative yesterday. He describes the almost prison-like atmosphere of the Love in Action program where physical and spiritual sustenance were strictly regulated.

The staff demanded all participants to attend Central Church, an Evangelical mega church with its own fitness center and congressman. No matter if you were Catholic, Adventist or Methodist, the program required each participant to assimilate into the white Evangelical Church semi-Charismatic tradition.

Peterson’s experience clarifies the need for rehabilitation and healing after having participated in this sort of “recovery” program.

• Media follow-ups to the three-day Exodus Freedom Conference held in Fresno, CA last week. KMPH Fox26 quotes Randy Thomas who seems to be taking a more nuanced approach to past statements about changing from gay to straight.  This video version at ABC30 depicts Alan Chambers talking about help and serving a big god – again, no utterance of the word change.  Finally, a scathing editorial at GayWired.

•  Mike Airhart of Truth Wins Out discusses Exodus Global Alliance and their support for the criminalization of homosexuality.

•  UK: Leading anti-gay campaigner, Bishop Michael Reid, resigns over adulterous affair.

• Canadian ex-gay documentary, “The Cure for Love”,  to premiere April 12 on Global TV’s Global Currents program.  The creator of the documentary, Christina Willings, remarks in the article, “I am happy with the gentleness of the piece,” and later laughs, “But hanging out with the Christian right for three years has been excruciating.”

• Peter Labarbera says gays have won the culture war and pleads for ideas via email in a desperate attempt to regain the offensive.  Hat Tip: BTB 

April is chock full of teachable moments lest any teacher’s plan book go empty. We have Keep America Beautiful Month, National Poetry Month, and National Frog Month. April birthdays include Leonardo DaVinci, William Shakespeare, and Daffy Duck.

Now, Dr. Warren Throckmorton, professor of psychology at Grove City College, and author of the Sexual Identity Therapy Framework has come up with The Golden Rule Initiative. Dr. Throckmorton’s aim is to provide an appropriate response for straight, evangelical students to the GLSEN sponsored Day of Silence on April 25.

The Day of Silence began 12 years ago with the purpose of proactively bringing attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying, and harassment on high school campuses. GLSEN’s DOS has increased in participation and exposure each year since its inception, but opposition remains from “christians”, some of whom refuse to allow their children to attend school on that day.

Day of Silence participants are most notably opposed by the ADF sponsored Day of Truth which occurs on April 28 and was established 4 years ago to “counter the promotion of the homosexual agenda and express an opposing viewpoint from a Christian perspective”. It reminds me of one of those “loving” and “compassionate” Sally Kern rallies.

While Dr. Throckmorton may have the best of intentions with the Golden Rule Initiative, he’s getting mixed reviews from all sides. He says… Read more…

• Virginia writer details Pat Robertson’s “4 Aces” of Christian fundamentalism in this expose’.

• No homosexuals in Iran.

• Wayne Besen holds his ground with O’Reilly.

• Mormon leaders to meet with gay group. (BTB) 

• Evangelical group seeks to move away from anti-gay political stance and focus on social justice issues.

• Mike Haley receives a mixed reception at Hastings College.

• AFA goes after General Motors after declaring “victory” over Ford.

•  Sally Kern cites Paul Cameron and Exodus affiliated ministry director attends a “Sally Rally” in OKC.

•  Happy 1st Birthday to Beyond Ex-Gay!

• TWO’s Wayne Besen to appear on Fox’s O’Reilly this evening. (8PM)

• Exodus President Alan Chambers interviewed by  New Man eMagazine.

• Glen T. Stanton of Focus on the Family responds to Dr. Chapman’s critique at Box Turtle Bulletin.

• Humorous editorial in the Montgomery County Sentinal about an ex-gay pamphlet.

• OKC’s Cathedral of Hope pastor, Dr. Scott Jones, debates Sally Kern on local television.

• Cuba considers  same sex unions, inheritance rights, and free sex-change surgeries for citizens.

• Chasing the Devil: Inside the Ex-Gay Movement to debut at the Birmingham SHOUT Film Festival.

• Openly gay Anglican Bishop Gene Robinson not invited to Lambeth conference; plans a GLBT-supportive event, same Lambeth place, same Lambeth time.

• Box Turtle Bulletin continues its coverage of the Glenn Stanton controversy with an excellent article by Patrick Chapman.

• CitizenLink touts the health benefits of marriage, but don’t hold your breath waiting for them to extend those benefits to same sex couples.

The recent hateful rant by Representative Sally Kern hit home with me, not because of the more widespread comparison she made between gay folks and terrorists, disgusting as it is, but because of her continued rant about the public schools “indoctrinating” children as young as two years old with “the homosexual lifestyle is an acceptable lifestyle.” As a 19-year veteran public school teacher, and an Oklahoma educator at that, where do I begin?

First of all, I’d like to let Representative Kern know that even though I contribute voluntarily to a pro-gay site, I’ve yet to receive my official copy of “the homosexual agenda.” Does that thing come in the mail? If so, mine is lost and I can scarcely think or conduct myself regarding these issues without such a document. In all seriousness, I’m not naive enough to say that I don’t operate from an agenda. Anyone with a couple of synapses making connections does, in fact, function based on one. I like to think of mine as a “love your neighbor as yourself” agenda. I do not base my agenda on sexuality, gay or straight, and the educators I know, even the ones who teach two-year-olds, are with me on that.

I’d venture to say that every public school in our country, and likely some private schools, are now teaching some form of character education. This has to be what Representative Kern is referring to in her rant because I know of no other curriculum that is widespread and could even begin to hint at the “indoctrination” to which she repeatedly refers. A simple search reveals that character ed programs are as prevalent in today’s schools as the soybean burger, though hopefully more tastefully produced. Read more…