For Those Who Have Been Hurt By These Anti-Gay Ministries
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Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth
The real story behind “ex-gay” ministries and reparative therapy!
Nationally known activist Wayne Besen spent four years examining the phenomenon of “ex-gay” ministries and reparative therapies—interviewing leaders, attending conferences, and visiting ministries undercover as he accumulated hundreds of hours of research. The result is Anything but Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth, a groundbreaking exposé of the controversial movement that’s revered by independent religious groups and reviled by gay and lesbian organizations.
The book presents a historical perspective on the dispute, examining “ex-gay” groups such as Love In Action, Exodus International, Homosexuals Anonymous, and profiling a cast of characters that includes Pat Robertson, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, “ex-gay” poster boy John Paulk, National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality activist Richard Cohen, and psychiatrist Dr. Robert Spitzer
American Psychological Association: ‘No Evidence’ In Support of Ex-Gay Therapy – by Wayne Besen – There is “no evidence that sexual orientation change efforts work.” This was the American Psychological Association’s verdict on “ex-gay” therapy after an appointed task force of experts studied the issue for two years.
Beyond Ex-Gay – An online community for those who have survived ex-gay experiences
Truth Wins Out (TWO) – Fighting Right Wing Lies and the “Ex-Gay” Fraud
Darlene Bogle – Author of A Christian Lesbian Journey
“I was a former leader in Exodus International and directed an ex-gay ministry in Hayward, California in the 1980’s and early 1990’s where I was an assistant pastor in a Foursquare Church. I had been a national spokesperson for ex-gay ministry, having appeared on such programs as Sally Jesse Raphael, CBS 48 Hours and Jerry Springer. During that time I authored several books and hundreds of articles promoting an ex-gay lifestyle. My life and ministry changed at a women’s retreat as I was sharing my journey of emotional healing, when I met Des. Our instant attraction grew into love and we began our journey of discovering who we were as gay Christians. . . . .”
Ex-Gay Watch – News and analysis of exgay politics and culture – “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!'” ~ by Auf Wiedersehen
Exodus International To Shut Down ~ June 19, 2013
Excerpt: Exodus International, the oldest and largest Christian ministry dealing with faith and homosexuality announced tonight that it’s closing its doors after three-plus decades of ministry. The Board of Directors reached a decision after a year of dialogue and prayer about the organization’s place in a changing culture.
“We’re not negating the ways God used Exodus to positively affect thousands of people, but a new generation of Christians is looking for change – and they want to be heard,” Tony Moore, Board member of Exodus. The message came less than a day after Exodus released a statement apologizing to the gay community for years of undue judgment by the organization and the Christian Church as a whole.
Gay Men Sue Counselors Who Promised To Make Them Straight ~ Nov 27, 2012
Excerpt: Before Sheldon Bruck told his orthodox Jewish parents he was gay, the teenager looked for a way out of homosexuality.
His search led him to JONAH — Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing — which claimed on its website to help people “struggling with unwanted same-sex sexual attractions.”
JONAH co-director Arthur Goldberg promised Bruck, then 17, that “JONAH could help him change his orientation from gay to straight,” according to a consumer fraud lawsuit filed Tuesday against JONAH, Goldberg and a JONAH counselor.
“This is the first time that plaintiffs have sought to hold conversion therapists liable in a court of law,” said Samuel Wolfe, a lawyer with the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Read the full Article on CNN U.S.
Former Ex-Gay Ministry Leader Comes Out, Recants Previous Teachings ~ by Zack Ford, Oct 11, 2011
John Smid resigned as Love in Action‘s executive director in 2008 and since then has slowly been rethinking his understandings of sexuality and his beliefs about homosexuality.
Excerpts: NO ONE CHANGES: “One cannot repent of something that is unchangeable… I also want to reiterate here that the transformation for the vast majority of homosexuals will not include a change of sexual orientation. Actually I’ve never met a man who experienced a change from homosexual to heterosexual.”
NOT JUST BEHAVIOR: “I used to define homosexuality or heterosexuality in terms describing one’s behavior. I thought it made sense and through the years often wrote articles and talked from that perspective. Today, I understand why the gay community had such an issue with my writings. My perspective denied so many facets of the homosexual experience. I minimized a person’s life to just their sexuality but homosexuality is much more than sex.”
Read the full Article on ThinkProgress LGBT .
Time For ‘Ex-Gay’ Hordes To March On Washington
I know this is hard to believe, but the “ex-gay” group Exodus International is the next Starbucks. The organization, according to its executive director Alan Chambers, is expanding so fast that it will soon have storefronts on every corner where forlorn homosexuals can pray away the gay.
In 2003, Chambers claimed that there are “thousands of former homosexuals.” By 2004, he announced that he knew “tens of thousands of people whom have successfully changed.” Last week, Chambers stunned the world when he boasted to The San Francisco Chronicle that there are “hundreds of thousands” of ex-gays. This must have been shocking news to the masses of gay people in San Francisco’s crowded Castro neighborhood, that didn’t know they were on the verge of extinction. Read more …
WASHINGTON – Wayne Besen, author of ANYTHING BUT STRAIGHT: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth, today condemned ex-gay group Exodus International for running a false and misleading $200,000 ad campaign saying that gay people can become heterosexual through prayer and therapy. Besen says the politically motivated ads grossly distort gay life and fails to mention that leaders of their last high-profile ad campaign reverted back to homosexuality. Read more …