Ex-Gay Watch

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…

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

Our local team joins this excellent effort, so I just had to post it.  Thanks guys!

Watch “The Sissy Boy Experiment: Uncovering the Truth,” the Anderson Cooper 360 series, which aired on CNN recently. Below, parts one, two, three and four:

Read more…

In May 18, 2010, 15-year-old Dominic Crouch of Cheltenham, England, committed suicide after being subjected to homophobic taunts at school. In the video below, his father, Roger Crouch, shares his story and talks about the impact anti-gay bullying and the death of his son has had on his life.

Second, a short film from Ireland, titled “Stand Up!” The advertisement, part of a campaign against homophobic bullying in schools, was created by Crossing the Line Films for BeLonG To Youth Services.

Finally, via Evan at Truth Wins Out, here’s a video testimony from Aaron Barton, a member of InFocus Church, Evans, GA. Aaron describes how he grew up experiencing “same-sex attractions” and, as a teenager, “gave the enemy power over that area of my life” by accepting the label “gay.” He was openly gay until finishing college, when he returned to his evangelical faith and discovered, he says, the Lord was “a restorer, a healer and a deliverer.” Aaron became “ex-gay.”

Why the connection to bullying? Because Aaron’s story reveals another kind of bullying. He was taught from an early age to be ashamed of his sexuality. Even when he openly identified as gay, he was never comfortable with his orientation. Is it any surprise that a young gay person loaded down with such shame and self-doubt because of his church’s teaching would find himself unable to express his sexuality in a healthy way and instead end up in relationships that are “destructive and painful”?

This is what happens when you’re only ever presented with two possibilities: Live a shameful, destructive life as a gay person or be fulfilled and whole as an ex-gay Christian. The middle way —  live healthily, contentedly and without coercion as the person you are — goes unmentioned. It may not always — at least in modern western religion — involve sticks and stones, but it remains shame-based bullying.

“She’s My Man” – Scissor Sisters (2007)

Scissor Sisters front man, Jake Shears – It Get’s Better

Perhaps a bit off topic for XGW, but the religious views expressed should be familiar to many readers.  When I read Jackson’s comments they angered me.  When I watched this video clip, I think I felt sad for her more than anything else.  She expresses herself like someone caught in a cult, and it is tragic that she has so much company.

It seems unlikely that any group has done more to damage Christianity and the Church than the “evangelical” movement in this country — very sad indeed.

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.

Joel Burns shares his moving personal story of surviving anti-gay bullying with his fellow Fort Worth City, TX, council members:

Hat tip: Towleroad

This is almost too bizarre for words.