Ex-Gay Watch

On Jan. 16, the national ex-gay umbrella network Exodus International declared its opposition to the inclusion of sexual orientation in federal hate-crime laws.

Exodus President Alan Chambers cited the Philadelphia-based antigay protest group Repent America as an example of Christians whose First Amendment rights were allegedly violated in 2004 by government officials and gay activists who were supposedly armed with local hate-crime laws.

Focus on the Family launched an almost identical campaign the same day, quoting Chambers and its own pundits as the sole sources of information about hate-crime laws.

Ex-gay activist Stephen Bennett couldn’t resist joining the campaign — boasting on Jan. 17 that he was coordinating a secret White House effort. According to AmericaBlog via Pam Spaulding, Bennett told the following to his mailing list:

“I cannot give any more of the details as of this time, but SBM is coordinating a private meeting with President Bush and other FORMER homosexual men and women, along with their families to VETO this bill, should it come to that point. A very well know Senator who believes in our efforts is working directly with SBM to secure this meeting. Lord willing, this meeting will be taking place VERY soon and we need you to PRAY.”

But just days later, on Jan. 19, a federal court ruled against Repent America for violating the First Amendment rights of others. As it turned out, the ex-gay campaign against gay/straight participation in hate-crime laws was built upon the shifting sands of arrogance, politics, and self-pity, not a solid foundation of fact regarding federal hate-crime legislation.  Read more…

A Tenable Belief analyzes ex-gay activist Stephen Bennett’s holiday fund-raising appeal. On his home page, Bennett claims an immediate need for $25,000 to repay debts and then warns that his activist operation might not continue unless donors supply $100,000 by Dec. 31 to cover just the first three months of 2007.

ATB notices what’s missing from Bennett’s claims of financial hardship:

• No mention is made of funds earmarked for, or expenses paid because of, the radio show, the Jerusalem trip, or the new church.
• A drop in donations would be expected after giving up travel for preaching and speaking engagements in June.
• Receiving $100K in December might increase Bennett’s peace of mind, but only $25K is urgently needed to pay off debt.
• Is the new church is consuming a significant proportion of the ministry’s energy? If so, is there a plan to bring in enough $50/month global members in order to fund it?

You try to make sense out of Stephen Bennett.

I can’t — every paragraph contradicts every other paragraph.

The one consistent element: Self-promotion.

Stephen Bennett of Stephen Bennett Ministries is available for comment on the Foley scandal. From the “Foley, Molestation and Homosexuality — Expert Available for Comment” media release:

…”Former Rep. Foley’s story is so tragically typical – the molested can become the molester. Yes, there are those who can deal with the trauma and make it through. However, we have to stop worrying about being ‘politically correct’ in the media regarding homosexuality and finally deal with the truths and facts that homosexual molestation (and heterosexual) of children can and does produce future homosexual men and women. It robs children of their childhood and in many cases, destroys their lives. I’ve personally dealt with so many homosexual individuals whose lives have been ruined because of childhood molestation – but the great news is they don’t have to be ‘by-products’ or victims of their childhood. These individuals can be ‘victors’ and not ‘victims.’ Change IS completely possible. For former Rep. Foley and so many others, there is help — and there is HOPE.”

Stephen is available to provide expert commentary on the Foley story in regard to homosexual molestation, as well as former NJ Governor McGreevey and share many other true accounts – even the story of a man molested who was jailed for molesting little boys, and hanged himself. He could no longer control his desires to molest boys and instead took his own life.

“No comment” from me (as any comment I would make would seem too obvious a rejoinder), so let me call this a “Foley scandal: Formerly Gay Identified People Speak” entry.
Read more…

In case you forgot, Stephen Bennett is currently conducting an “outreach” at WorldPride 2006. He’s got a special blog to detail their activities here.

I’d be worried if I were Stephen since The Agape (rarely out-done in level of hysteria) is predicting “‘WorldPride’ event might bring God’s judgment.”

I swear to you I am not making that up.

August has been evangelism season for Stephen Bennett Ministries:

• In 2003, he took a group to Provincetown and met with resistance from gays, some of whom were former ex-gays.
• 2004, the year Stephen named gay relationships a putrid stench in [God's] nostrils, brought scaled-up goals — a $50K campaign to bring hundreds into P-Town, later scaled back to a $25K goal. That campaign coincided with Family Week, so the ministry brought bible gift bags for the kids. They were met by peaceable gay Christians and thoughtful gay parents, and kid-focused activities already in progress.

After taking a break in 2005, it’s time to rev the Bennett evangelism engine back up in 2006 to go to WorldPride in Jerusalem.

My first impression, on reading this, was Huh? A Christ-centric Jews-for-Jesus outreach… to Israel??? I had to re-skim it and grab hold of the concept of a WorldPride event, and that the Bennett ministry has portrayed itself as an International Ministry, without yet speaking of Stephen travelling beyond Canada, until now.
Read more…

Last week I received a rather bizarre email from a woman identifying herself as Carrie informing me DesertStream.org (an exgay ministry) had shut down their online forum “because of all of the posts being made by pro gay advocates.” The nutty part went on to accuse XGW, “how dare you [XGW?] take away their right and support to interact with other people who do not believe people are born gay.” Carrie goes on to say, “last I checked we are not living in China.” I checked Desert Stream’s discussion board and found this posted:

We have had to temporarily shut down our sexuality forums because of the overwhelming interest by the gay rights advocates. Unfortunately they have decided that our content is too offensive for their taste and are reacting against it. The forums will reopen at a later date.

Who exactly is acting like the Chinese government? Seems to me it’s the exgays shutting down and censoring forums. Here, let’s have a look:

Since the inception of the Exodus: Live Out Loud blog (which has essentially become the new media blog) there has been a blanket ban on dissenting comments, no matter how articulate, respectful or factually correct they may be. Comments that make it past Exodus censors are pretty sparse causing the “discussion” to come out feeling like a lobotomized love-fest.

But Exodus’ online dissent policy is hardly alone.

In a post made earlier today I mention Straight Talk Radio appears to be moving to a subscription based service. But prior to the discussion boards going “members only” blogger Joe Brummer managed to get himself banned from the site.

DL Foster has deleted comments:

I have so much compassion, I am deleting your comment out of deep concern for anyone who may be damaged and wounded by it. I have compassion for you. You are apparently lost and extremely out of touch with real life.

Alain’s Newsletter, classified as hate speech by Google and supported by the TVC, recently discontinued publishing and put up a splash page on the domain’s entry which provides no explanation. I emailed former contributor Stacy L. Harp who replied:

Not that you and I are friends, but I was told by someone that he is very ill and had to discontinue the blog until things get better.

Such a peach that Stacy! She’s writing for Newsbusters.org now.

In Stephen Bennett news, the “daily broadcast” hasn’t been updated in two weeks or so and Straight Talk Radio appears to have become a subscription based service. I’m curious if it’s even still airing on the handful of stations it debuted on. Numerous emails sent to STR seeking comment were not returned. The STR main page now reads:

Read more…

Exodus board member Phil Burress wants drugstore condoms locked away to discourage their purchase.

Focus on the Family disapproves of condoms as a fallback when abstinence fails.

Exgay activist Stephen Bennett opposes both condoms and potential prophylactic drugs to prevent HIV infection.

Antigay activist Peter LaBarbera and the antigay Constitution Party of Illinois dictate that clinics that make condoms available should be forcibly closed — and their workers jailed.

The American Family Association’s AgapePress and the AFA’s Michigan affiliate oppose fund-raising for medical treatments and potential cures for HIV/AIDS.

All these folks have something in common with a New York sex party that, according to The Washington Blade, is scheduled for this weekend:

They oppose making sex safer and they oppose disease prevention.

While no one on the political religious right seems willing to promote responsible behavior, thankfully there are gay activists such as Tokes Osubu, Keith Boykin and Phill Wilson who have been outspoken in condemning the sex party’s no-condom policy.

Seems there’s a whole lot of white space on the Straight Talk Radio website these days. As far as Joe Brummer and I can recall, the last new episode aired was on the White House Easter egg roll. An email sent to Straight Talk Radio seeking comment on the long string of reruns was not returned.