(477) Sat 11 Oct 97 15:22 By: Rod Swift To: Fane Re: Exodus Foundation? St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:f7d3 234b7ac0 @MSGID: 3:690/660.0 343f2922 * On 05-10-97 at 14:09, FANE wrote to ALL, on the topic of "Exodus Foundation?" in echo Holysmoke: FA> Can someone tell me about the Exodus Foundation or whatever FA> it's called, the christianic nonprofit organization that FA> tries to cure homosexuality like it's a disease? Doesn't FA> it have a high suicide rate or something? I heard some FA> talk about it here about a year ago... Exodus International is an umbrella organisation of gay "curing" crackpots. It has been reported that the death rate inside such programs is about 60% by suicide. More information is attached. Rod "...ho ho ho" Swift ;) * OLX 2.1 TD * Don't believe in miracles, expect them --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: The Perth Omen (3:690/660) SEEN-BY: 12/12 112/4 218/890 1001 270/101 353/250 396/1 3615/50 51 SEEN-BY: 3804/180 @PATH: 690/660 396/1 3615/50 218/1001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (478) Sat 11 Oct 97 15:33 By: Rod Swift To: Fane Re: Exodus Part 1 1/ St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:e32a 234b7c20 @MSGID: 3:690/660.0 343f2bb8 ABOUT EX-GAY MINISTRIES By David Williams [For a complete copy of this report, send a $15 donation to: Williams-Nichols Institute, Inc., PO Box 4264, Louisville, KY 40204. Donations are fully tax-deductible. Permission to reprint, distribute, or use the following information in any positive way by any gay, lesbian, or bisexual group or any other group that is working to improve the general status of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, or the transgendered is hereby given]. ___-------------------------------------------------------------------- 8. REPARATIVE THERAPY Because conservative Christians believe that homosexuality is not predetermined through genetics or other causes beyond the control of the individual, it follows logically, then, that they believe is it malleable, "curable," or "reparable." Methods used to "treat" homosexuals for their "problem" have centered mainly around prayer and intensive psychological counseling, but some groups within the movement are now reportedly using more extreme means, such as hypnosis, powerful psychotic drugs, and radical deprogramming techniques to alter the development of homosexuality, especially in adolescents. (1) These religious-based groups, most of which appear on the surface to be well-meaning, believe that, by helping to save souls from certain damnation, they are carrying out the wishes of the founder of their religion, Jesus Christ (who was actually silent about homosexuality). One of the most prominent proponents of "reparative therapy," as it is called, is Rev. Lou Sheldon, head of the Traditional Values Coalition in Anaheim, California. Another is Dr. Charles W. Socarides. 8.2 EXODUS INTERNATIONAL In order to learn more about Exodus International and Transformation Ex-Gay Ministry, we wrote letters to both organizations asking five basic questions (2). A conscious attempt was made to word the questions in as impartial a manner as possible. We asked: 1. How many chapters are currently in operation today? When was your organization founded? 2. How many men and women go through your program each year? How many men and women have gone through your program since its founding? 3. What is your success rate? What is your failure rate? 4. Do you have any statistics on the number of people who may have returned to homosexuality after finishing your program? 5. Do you have any followup programs after a person has gone through your program? Transformation Ex-Gay Ministry (actually Transformation Christian Ministry, according to information supplied by Exodus International) did not respond, but Bob Davies, Executive Director of Exodus International, sent a packet of information detailing their program (3). Exodus International is a referral agency only, according to Davies. In November 1993, it listed 78 agencies in 35 states (not 110 "nationwide," as the May tabloid claims) (4). Two of these ministries are listed for Kentucky: CrossOver Ministries, founded by Bruce Grimsley in Lexington in 1985, and Pathway Ministries, directed by Martin Ward in south Louisville. Exodus International is clearly affiliated with the Protestant Christian belief system. In one of its pamphlets, "Exodus: A Way Out," it offers "Freedom from homosexuality, not through a method but a person, the Lord Jesus Christ!" It believes that only through total surrender to Christ can homosexuals hope to change into heterosexuals (although it does have special materials aimed at Catholics, Mormons, and others). It offers a huge selection of educational items, including videotapes as well as audiotapes, and provides lectures on request. It also publishes a quarterly newsletter, "The Standard." 8.3 EFFICACY OF THE EXODUS PROGRAM Interestingly, Davies had "no idea how many people go through counseling" but said that Exodus processes up to 600 requests for information each month. Presumably, our request was one of those. One of their local agencies, Love In Action, in San Rafael, California (north of San Francisco), estimates that they have processed over 30,000 requests for information since its inception in 1974. Davies guesses that all ministries nationwide have processed over 100,000 requests for information in the past 18 years (5). He provided no information on how many of these requests resulted in individuals signing up for their program. Davies also did not have an answer concerning the success rate. "Each agency would probably give you a different answer," he states. Love In Action, he said, "estimates that about half the men who complete their program remain out of homosexuality after five years." Davies made no mention of any followup programs. Here again, saying that they have remained "out of homosexuality" is not the same as saying they are now heterosexually involved: some of them may be celibate or impotent, or they may simply have given up sex with other members of the same gender but retain homosexual masturbatory fantasies. Without a lack of followup, success rates are difficult to ascertain. In fact, the efficacy of a "cure" has been called into question by many gays who have gone through the Exodus program. And gay activists note that Exodus' so-called success stories consist almost entirely of tormented homosexuals who have become celibate rather than heterosexual, according to Kalmansohn. 8.3.1 Michael Bussee and Gary Cooper Perhaps the most famous "former ex-gays" are Michael Bussee and Gary Cooper, who were instrumental in establishing Exodus International in 1976 (6). Both Bussee and Cooper, troubled by their homosexual feelings, became fervent Christians in 1971 while still in their late teens. They met and became friends while working for a counseling and referral line at the Melodyland Christian Center in Anaheim. Bussee, knowing what a struggle he'd had in dealing with his own homosexual feelings, grew worried when he heard operators of the center's hotline tell gay and lesbian callers that they were "possessed by demons." Requesting specific training for such calls, he learned that none existed. "I told them I was a Christian homosexual," Bussee says. They replied, "There's no such thing. If you trust God, all your homosexual desires will be replaced by heterosexual ones." Accepting this claim at face value, Bussee and Cooper soon became Melodyland's specialists in the conversion of homosexuals. In 1976, they helped found Exodus International. >>> Continued to next message * OLX 2.1 TD * Psychic convention cancelled due to unforeseen problems --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: The Perth Omen (3:690/660) SEEN-BY: 12/12 112/4 218/890 1001 270/101 353/250 396/1 3615/50 51 SEEN-BY: 3804/180 @PATH: 690/660 396/1 3615/50 218/1001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (479) Sat 11 Oct 97 15:33 By: Rod Swift To: Fane Re: Exodus Part 1 2/ St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:132a 234b7c20 @MSGID: 3:690/660.0 343f2bba >>> Continued from previous message Ironically, however, the more they worked together, the more they found themselves falling in love. Their breaking point came simultaneously in the late 70s on a road trip, when they found themselves booked by chance into a hotel room with only one bed. They took this accident as a sign from God and eventually left Exodus in 1979. In 1982, they were married (7). Cooper died of AIDS nine years later. "The desires never go away," says Bussee, "the confrontations begin and the guilt gets worse and worse." Bussee recalls that some people who went through the Exodus program had breakdowns or committed suicide. "One man slashed his genitals with a razor and poured Drano on his wounds." Another man impulsively underwent an incomplete sex-change operation because he believed his sexual desires might receive divine approval were he biologically a woman (8). "After dealing with hundreds of people," Bussee concludes, he and his lover hadn't "met one who went from gay to straight. Even if you manage to alter someone's sexual behavior, you cannot change their true sexual orientation." "If you got them away from the Christian limelight," he concludes, "and asked them, 'Honestly now, are you saying that you are no longer homosexual and you are now heterosexually oriented?'...not one person said, 'Yes, I am actually now heterosexual.'" 8.3.3 Bruce Grimsley Bruce Grimsley is another "ex-ex-gay" who nevertheless harbors no ill will towards Exodus and other such groups. Believing that he, too, could change his sexual feelings, he founded CrossOver Ministries in Lexington in 1985 and had what he thought was a successful five-year ministry. But during its most successful period, he was secretly having homosexual contacts--sometimes right after he had preached in church against them (10). Grimsley notes that while there are Exodus Catholics and Mormons, most are closeted gay evangelicals who never accepted their sexual feelings. "The one thread of continuity of these people is that they never lost ties to their evangelical backgrounds. They were never able to see themselves as anything other than wrong. Homosexuality as wrongness defines the minions of Exodus as much as the closet defines most people in the gay community." He does note one benefit of Exodus which he feels is lacking, overall, in the gay and lesbian community: the love, support, and caring. "When one hurts, the other hurts with him....In the gay community I've noticed a lot of selfishness." Yet Grimsley has no regrets about abandoning his ministry. "The greatest victory that I've ever experienced in my life was in the last year or two that I've accepted the fact that I have a gay orientation...the peace that I have that I don't have to fight!" 8.4 DEPROGRAMMING TECHNIQUES While most reparative ministries rely on psychological and religious therapies, more radical groups have arisen lately which are targeted especially towards adolescents. Shannon Minter, an attorney for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, has talked with some self-identified gay and lesbian adolescents who were locked up by psychiatrists for such "vaguely defined" problems as "gender identity disorder" and "borderline personality disorder." Once institutionalized, she says, they were subjected to treatments ranging from homophobic counseling, in which the youths are constantly told their homosexuality is abnormal and something they will outgrow, to drugging and hypnosis (11). Many of the males, Minter continues, were subjected to a penile plethysmograph, a ringlike device put around the penis and attached by wires to a computer to measure changes in arousal when they were shown erotic pictures. One boy was held down on a bed by adults who surrounded him and shouted homophobic phrases in an effort to upset him and force him to confront his anger. Gay and lesbian teens are often treated like members of a cult in need of deprogramming. Lyn Duff, a 17-year old lesbian now living in San Francisco, says she spent six months at an institution in Utah where her treatment consisted of isolation rooms, powerful psychiatric drugs, behavior therapy linking sex with the pits of hell, and punishment that included scrubbing floors with a toothbrush. She managed to escape and has since founded a group called Students and Teens Opposing Psychiatric Abuse Network (STOPAN). "People want to believe that the psychiatric abuse of minors doesn't happen," she says, "because if it does, they know they'll have to do something about it" (12). Disorder classifications can be abused, notes Dr. Rochelle Klinger, chairwoman of the APA's committee on gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues. And Dr. Richard Isay, professor of clinical psychiatry at Cornell Medical College and the author of "Being Homosexual," says that if such charges are true it is "poor practice, malpractice, and unethical." At present, however, there are virtually no laws in place that protect minors from being subjected to these kinds of therapies. 8.5 REACTION OF OTHERS Many reparative programs have been in existence since the 1970s, and as late as 1992 a new group of people in the psychiatric profession formed the National Association for Psychoanalytic Research and Therapy for Homosexuals. Several psychologists and psychiatrists continue to insist that they can change homosexuals into heterosexuals if a patient is strongly motivated. One psychologist, writing in 1971, reported that up to half of homosexuals "who enter treatment can anticipate effective personality reorganization and eventual ability to overcome the intrapsychic barriers which prevent them from advancing to a heterosexual orientation" (13). Others, including Drs. Glover, Gershman, and Socarides, have also noted varying degrees of success in their programs (14). But the APA, along with the American Psychiatric Association, has branded reparative therapy a hoax and has taken an official stand against it. Bryant Welch, a director of the APA, says that "efforts to 'repair' homosexuals are nothing more than social prejudice garbed in psychological accouterments" (15) According to the APA, people who voluntarily enter these programs are possibly doing so because of social bias "that has resulted in internalized homophobia." Others doubt the long-term benefits of such therapies. Dr. Klinger says that "there is no published scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of 'reparative therapy' as a treatment to change one's sexual orientation" (16). Dr. Richard Ammon, a clinical psychologist, agrees. In fact, he says, the inherent conflicts involved in such therapy can be severe enough to induce psychosis in some patients. Ammon accuses Lou Sheldon and his supporters of manipulating discredited data in order "to foist untested behavior modification techniques on innocent people" (17) "Exodus set their sights wrong," according to Robert Bray of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "They present us as sick or deranged individuals that need to be changed to fit a heterosexual society. What should be changed is their intolerance of gays and lesbians." Exodus isn't outwardly homophobic, he says, but the homophobia is there nonetheless, beneath the surface. He calls it "homophobia with a happy face" (18). The APA has so far refrained from labeling such therapy unethical; a vocal minority of its membership has discouraged the group from doing so. But the APA continues to stand by its 1973 removal of homosexuality from its list of mental disorders, and Dr. Isay sees no movement within the APA to reinstate it (19). In 1988, Tineke Bodde asked several psychologists and psychiatrists, "Can lesbians and gays change their sexual orientation through therapy or other means?" (20) Their responses are reprinted below. >>> Continued to next message * OLX 2.1 TD * Psychic convention cancelled due to unforeseen problems --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: The Perth Omen (3:690/660) SEEN-BY: 12/12 112/4 218/890 1001 270/101 353/250 396/1 3615/50 51 SEEN-BY: 3804/180 @PATH: 690/660 396/1 3615/50 218/1001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (480) Sat 11 Oct 97 15:33 By: Rod Swift To: Fane Re: Exodus Part 1 3/ St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:832b 234b7c20 @MSGID: 3:690/660.0 343f2bbc >>> Continued from previous message Lee Ellis, Ph.D., Chairman of the Department of Sociology at Minot State University in North Dakota: It would be "...as difficult to make a homosexual prefer to sexually interact with a member of the opposite sex as to make a heterosexual prefer to sexually interact with a member of the same sex." Martin S. Weinberg, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology at Indiana University: "No." James D. Weinrich, Ph.D., a Sociobiologist: "A homosexual orientation, as I define it, is apparently rarely (possibly never) changed by therapy or other means." John Money, Ph.D., Director of the Psychohormonal Research Unit, Professor of Medical Psychology, and Professor of Pediatrics, Emeritus at the Johns Hopkins University and Hospital School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland: "...for those whose bisexual ratio is in the range of 60:40 to 50:50 to 40:60, it may be claimed that they can change--even without therapy." Alan T. Bell, Ph.D., Director of the Counseling and Psychology Department at Indiana University: "Lesbians and gays may...behave sexually in a heterosexual manner, but their basic orientation would be virtually unchanged." Richard Green, M.D., J.D., Psychiatrist at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center: Some gay men "change behavior markedly, but fantasy minimally." Gilbert Herdt, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences at the University of Chicago: "There is virtually no evidence to suggest that lesbians or gays can reverse their orientation through normal therapeutic procedures." Evelyn Hooker, Ph.D.: "I know of no evidence that lesbians or gays can change their sexual orientation through therapy or any other means." Judd Marmor, M.D., University of California at Los Angeles: "A minority of gays and lesbians (usually with a bisexual capacity) can--if strongly enough motivated--learn (through therapy or other means) to suppress their homosexual behavior. But the inclination usually persists in dreams and/or fantasies." Richard C. Pillard, M.D., Director of the Family Studies Laboratory at Boston University School of Medicine: "...many individuals can modify an exclusive homo- or heterosexuality if they are motivated to do so....At the same time, no 'therapy' can currently claim to be able to permanently and reliably alter sexual orientation." June Machover Reinisch, Ph.D., Director of the Kinsey Institute: "Permanent change through therapy in the attraction and emotional components dictating with whom an individual falls in love is therefore not likely....This is evident from anthropological studies of natives in New Guinea whose boys regularly participate in homosexual acts from ages 6 through 19. (It is believed that without the daily ingestation of semen the boys will not become men and procreate). Despite this daily exposure to homosexual acts for 13 years, 99 percent of the boys never again practice homosexuality after age 19, when they are matched with a woman....We also know from studies of twin brothers reared apart that if one twin is gay, it is likely that the second twin will be gay as well (but that is not true for lesbians)." 8.6 COMMENTARY The main objection that most gays and lesbians have to such groups is twofold. First, few of them feel they ever had a choice in determining their sexual attractions. Most gays and lesbians had no significant homosexual models while growing up from which they could develop a healthy homosexual self- image, and the mass media overflows with heterosexual images. Churches continually stress that homosexuals face eternal hellfire if they engage in such behavior. Yet, despite all of these messages, a certain percent of each generation continues to develop homosexually--even among the most fervent fundamentalist Christian households. Secondly, gays and lesbians argue, even if it is assumed that homosexuals can change, they feel that the Declaration of Independent and the US Constitution guarantees them protection in their life choices--just as it does for heterosexuals. The Kentucky Gay and Lesbian Educational Center has no problem with those gays or lesbians who, for whatever reason, wish to attempt a VOLUNTARY change: that is their business, that is their choice, and they should not be hindered. But we are concerned about the kind of message that groups like Exodus is handing out, that homosexuality is shameful and that all homosexuals need to be changed for their own good. Shame seldom changes behavior patterns: it simply redirects it into other channels which are often self- destructive. This is where reparative therapy becomes a problem. Much as many blacks once felt compelled to "konk" their hair and act more like whites in order to gain acceptance from the white superculture, Exodus' main aim is to turn homosexuals into something they are not. This desire for conformity has taken many intrusive forms in American history, but none more insidious than the desire of fundamentalist Christian groups to make the rest of the country over into their own image. History shows us that no society has ever succeeded in such endeavors without severely damaging its own social structure in the end. The current anti-gay rights drive is no more likely to succeed than any other. _____________________ (1) Ingrid Ricks, "Mind Games," "The Advocate," No. 645, December 28, 1993, pp. 38-40. These techniques will be discussed later in this chapter. (2) Letters from the Kentucky Gay and Lesbian Educational Center (now the Williams-Nichols Institute, Inc.) dated November 10, 1993. (3) Letter from Bob Davies to David Williams dated December 17, 1993. (4) It also has seven ministries in three Canadian provinces as well as England, Australia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Concerning the actual number of ministries, one gay and lesbian film festival brochure reported that Exodus consists of "hundreds of ministries," but this seems to be an exaggeration ("New Movie Blasts Ex-Gay Ministry," "The Standard" (San Rafael, CA: Exodus International), Vol. 10, No. 3, p. 8). They may be counting some groups which are not in "referral status." Bruce Grimsley, founder of CrossOver Ministries in Lexington, Kentucky and now a "former ex-gay," explains that there are about 100 ministries in "referral status." He estimates that there are about 150 other groups, however, that are working towards that status, a process that takes two years (David DewBerry, "Exodus: The 'Ex-Gay Movement,'" "The Letter" (Louisville, Kentucky), Vol. 4, No. 7, July 13, 1993, pp. 9-10). The 18th Exodus convention held in 1993 in Wilmore, Kentucky, near Lexington, attracted 542 individuals. The authors of the May tabloid, written in 1992, may have counted some groups not yet in referral status, or they may simply have inflated the number in order to make the organization look larger (exaggerations are replete throughout the rest of the tabloid). It seems unlikely that Exodus would have lost 32 American ministries in the space of one year. Four years ago, David Kalmansohn claimed that Exodus had 62 ministries ("Former 'Ex-Gays' Denounce Homosexual 'Healing,'" "Frontiers" (Hollywood, California), March 2, 1990, p. 25). Exodus' own referral list shows 85 referral groups worldwide, or 23 more ministries than four years ago. This figure seems to be the most accurate. >>> Continued to next message * OLX 2.1 TD * Psychic convention cancelled due to unforeseen problems --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: The Perth Omen (3:690/660) SEEN-BY: 12/12 112/4 218/890 1001 270/101 353/250 396/1 3615/50 51 SEEN-BY: 3804/180 @PATH: 690/660 396/1 3615/50 218/1001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (481) Sat 11 Oct 97 15:33 By: Rod Swift To: Fane Re: Exodus Part 1 4/ St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:b329 234b7c20 @MSGID: 3:690/660.0 343f2bbe >>> Continued from previous message (5) Kalmansohn says in "Frontiers" that Exodus had "counseled" over 100,000 people by 1990, but this information seems to be erroneous. (6) Most of the following information about Bussee and Cooper comes from the article by Kalmansohn. (7) The marriage, as for all gay and lesbian unions at present, was not recognized by American law, of course. (8) "Ex-Gay Ministry Founders Recant," "Keeping in Touch" (The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches), May 1990. (9) Information and quotes from Paulk are taken from Dennis Anderson, "'The Gay Agenda' Video Star Repudiates Sheldon's Tactics," "Bay Area Reporter," Vol. XXIII, No. 51, December 23, 1993, p. 5. (10) DewBerry, Ibid. All information and quotes about Grimsley were taken from this article. (11) Ricks, Ibid. (12) Ibid. (13) S. Hadden, "Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality," Vol. 5, 1971, pp. 90- 101. (14) E. Glover, "The Roots of Crime: Selected Papers on Psychoanalysis," Vol. 2 (London: Imago Publishing Company, 1960) says that "Psychotherapy appears to be unsuccessful in only a small number of patients of any age in whom a long habit is combined with...lack of desire to change." H. Gershman, "Psychopathology of Compulsive Homosexuality," "American Journal of Psychoanalysis," Vol. 17, 1957, pp. 58-77, told Socarides ("Homosexuality: Basic Concepts and Psychodynamics," "International Journal of Psychiatry," Vol. 10, March 1972, p. 124) that about 20% of his patients have been able to change from obligatory homosexuality to active heterosexual functioning as a result of combined individual and group therapy. Charles W. Socarides has long been an advocate of this kind of therapy. (15) Ricks, Ibid. (16) Ibid. (17) Kalmansohn, Ibid. (18) Ibid. (19) Ricks, Ibid. (20) Tineke Bodde, "Why Is My Child Gay?" (Washington, DC: Federation of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Inc., 1988). This booklet is available from Louisville P- FLAG, PO Box 5002, Louisville, KY 40205; or from the Williams-Nichols Institute, Inc., PO Box 4264, Louisville, KY 40204. * OLX 2.1 TD * Psychic convention cancelled due to unforeseen problems --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: The Perth Omen (3:690/660) SEEN-BY: 12/12 112/4 218/890 1001 270/101 353/250 396/1 3615/50 51 SEEN-BY: 3804/180 @PATH: 690/660 396/1 3615/50 218/1001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (482) Sat 11 Oct 97 15:49 By: Rod Swift To: Fane Re: Exodus Part 2 St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:cb8d 234b7e20 @MSGID: 3:690/660.0 343f2f80 M e d i A l e r t ! May 31, 1996 Al Kielwasser S P I N N I N G T H E S T O R Y An obsession for "objectivity" has often lead reporters away from the facts -- if not the truth. In an effort to report objectively on issues of public controversy, journalists bend toward a banal "quote vs. quote" style. This is especially so when it comes to covering certain "gay issues." Mr. Fundamentalist Christian said: "Homosexuals can be cured." But said Ms. Gay Rights Activist: "No, they can't." Missing from such journalism is any sense of the reporter's PROFESSIONAL evaluation of source credibility. Dueling opinions about homosexuality are treated not simply as if they were morally equal arguments -- but as if they were FACTUALLY equivalent statements as well. Elizabeth Gilbert's "Queer and Loathing" is a welcome exception. This feature story, which appears in the June 1996 issue of "SPIN" magazine, offers a caviling account of the reporter's visit to a week-long convention of Exodus International -- a group for "recovering" homosexuals. Exodus was founded 20 years ago -- "making it the same age as the psychiatric community's consensus that homosexuality is not a disorder," Gilbert notes. Currently, the organization operates a "central office" in California and boasts "numerous branches across America, Asia, and Europe." Gilbert neatly sums up the group's method and madness: "Exodus rhetoric avoids the word 'cure,' preferring quasi-therapeutic '90s terms like 'redeem' and 'recover' instead. Essentially, the Voyage Out of homosexuality is both a Miracle and a Long Process of many Growth Stages. The Sexually Challenged are Redeemed by Sharing and Disclosing Struggles, and then passing through Recovery. However, there is always a Risk of a Fall, by returning to the Lifestyle. If a Relapse should occur, the Ex-Gay becomes a Former Ex-Gay, although he can always try to Re-Recover and become Ex-Gay again." Quickly, Gilbert rejects any claims to a credible social-scientific basis for such "recoveries." On the "concept of curing homosexuality," she quotes U.C. Davis psychologist Gregory Herek who -- "summarizing the consensus of his peers" -- deems the notion "absolutely absurd." "It's understood today that telling homosexuals they can and should change inflicts great psychological harm," says Herek. "It's frankly unethical." Gilbert herself takes on a paragon of immorality -- quack psychologist Joseph Nicolosi. Nicolosi is the author of "Reparative Therapy of Male Homosexuality" (which Herek describes as "a work of impressively poor scholarship") and founder of the "National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality." NARTH functions as something of a "think [sic] tank" for organizations like Exodus (and is a frequent source of homophobic misinformation in the media). Homosexuality is "a developmental disorder... caused by the father," Nicolosi told Gilbert. So, she asked: "Would you say that every homosexual on Earth had a hurtful relationship with his father?" "Of course," Nicolosi replied. When pressed to explain further, Nicolosi gave an answer Gilbert sarcastically describes as "a triumph of imagination, if perhaps not of science." "You will hear a shallowness in the voice of any homosexual who claims to love and respect his father," Nicolosi said. "On the other hand, when the straight man talks lovingly about his father, you will hear a richness in his voice." After dispatching with Nicolosi, Gilbert focuses -- for several pages -- on deconstructing a painful absurdity that runs through the seminars, literature and membership of Exodus International. "Unsurprisingly, Exodus leaders are not impressed by the currents of professional opinion. As one counselor bragged, 'My only qualification for being here is that I am a B.A. And that stands for Born Again!'" "Loneliness and isolation are not discouraged by Exodus," Gilbert explains. "One seminar class called 'Being Single and Happy' was described in the program notes thusly: 'If the single life was good enough for Jesus, it may be good enough for you!'" Among several of the first-hand experiences recounted by Gilbert: "At lunch on the second day, an ex-lesbian named Carol told me she'd run into her ex-lesbian ex-lover in the cafeteria. 'I didn't know she was here!' Carol shared. 'The temptation was great, but Jesus stood between us and prevented a relapse.'" "My guess is that two millennia ago Jesus had no idea he would ever have to stand between Carol and her ex-girlfriend in a San Diego cafeteria," Gilbert quips. Other convention seminars included "Relapse Prevention," "My Husband is No Longer Homosexual, So Why Am I So Miserable?," and "Misandry--The Hatred of Men." "Exodus teaches that men often become gay because the feminist movement has taught women to strip men of their God-given masculine power," Gilbert reveals. Beyond the obvious conclusion -- that "cures" promote misery, sexism and homophobia -- Gilbert speculates that Exodus can be, at best, an unintentional stepping-stone for the deeply-repressed. A (relatively) independent audit of the files of 800 Exodus members revealed no absolute cures. "Disillusioned members usually leave the organization for an openly gay life," she says. However, "not everyone survives the intense personal guild of failure." Noting at least one Exodus-induced suicide, Gilbert also exposes the hypocrisy -- and real hatred -- that rots at the heart of all "change ministries." "Who taught Exodus members all this guilt?," she asks. "The week's testimonies revealed surprisingly persistent patterns of childhood trauma. It was incredible how many speakers had been molested, beaten, or neglected as children.... They spoke of suicide attempts and double lives. They spoke of families, coworkers, and congregations turning on them...." "No wonder they wanted a change," Gilbert concludes. "They never needed cures for their sexual orientation. They needed cures for their lousy lives." What they needed -- what we all need -- are more CURES FOR HOMOPHOBIA. Reporting effectively on the search for such cures must become a priority in mainstream journalists. For in many ways, reporting IS the search itself. **** ACTION/OPTIONS: Send compliments and comments to Elizabeth Gilbert, Staff Writer, and Christy Goldfinch, Managing Editor, "SPIN," 6 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011, tel. 212-633-8200, fax 212-633-9041, e-mail spinonline@aol.com. * OLX 2.1 TD * Save the whales. Collect the whole set! --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: The Perth Omen (3:690/660) SEEN-BY: 12/12 112/4 218/890 1001 270/101 353/250 396/1 3615/50 51 SEEN-BY: 3804/180 @PATH: 690/660 396/1 3615/50 218/1001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (483) Sat 11 Oct 97 15:37 By: Rod Swift To: Fane Re: Exodus Part 3 St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:0b4c 234b7ca0 @MSGID: 3:690/660.0 343f2cb2 From: dander9829@aol.com (DAnder9829) Date: 9 Jul 1996 01:04:16 -0400 ___---Feb17, 1994----- by dennis anderson -- / "We The People" Sonoma County's (CA) Lesbigay Monthly Newspaper Love In Action: The Final Indoctrination Interview with Tom Ottosen, former Love In Action "ex-gay" --printed MAR 94 issue-- cult: a quasi-religious group, often living in a colony, with a charismatic leader who indoctrinates members with unorthodox or extremist views, practices or beliefs. --Webster's New World Dictionary. "I would rather you commit suicide than have you leave Love In Action wanting to return to the gay lifestyle. In a physical death you could still have a spiritual resurrection; whereas, returning to homosexuality you are yielding yourself to a spiritual death from which there is no recovery" --The Final Indoctrination from John Smid, Director, Love In Action (LIA), San Rafael's "ex-gay" clan. "That's exactly how he put it," states Tom Ottosen, 24, an expressive, articulate two year ex-LIA group member. Ottosen says he clearly recalls that experience. He says it occurred in October of last year during his last one-on-one conference with John Smid, LIA's Executive Director, who claims to be able to change gay men into straight men through a live-in rigidly controlled indoctrination program Smid calls "reparative therapy." Ottosen says Smid clearly and emphatically warned him, "It would be better if I were to commit suicide than go back into the world and become a homosexual again. He felt that a physical death with my soul intact was much preferable to a spiritual death, which would happen if I were to leave the group and go back to being gay. John Smid had very strong feelings on that," claims Ottosen. Ottosen further states that Smid said this at a time when Smid clearly was aware he had strong suicidal feelings and was going through periods of extreme depression, guilt and loneliness. Ottosen recalls his depression had been building for several months during his second year at LIA, primarily because of a warm and emotional relationship he was experiencing with another group member. "It wasn't sexual at all, but it was strictly forbidden and I was kept from even talking to him for several months." Also, earlier in July, "Another house member, who was in his fourth year with the group and in a position of authority, became depressed and attempted suicide" and was sent away for observation. "He was taken from his position of leadership and then he just kinda-disappeared." Ottosen admits that he too, within a few months was at point where he had never been before. "I couldn't work. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't do anything." He says he was so depressed and stressed that he knew he had to do something different if he was going to survive. "When I found myself calling the suicide hot line, I knew it was time to get out." If it weren't for Lea Brown, a lesbian from Spectrum, Marin County's pro-gay and lesbian counseling and information center, Ottosen says he doubts he would have survived. Smid responds that Ottosen's specific reference that he recommended suicide is "totally untrue," however Smid does not deny that a private meeting took place between he and Ottosen in October and confirms other details of Ottosen's account. It has been reported that former cult members who have been under the intense intimidation of guilt-centered religious indoctrination, such as those who escaped the mass-suicide poisoning at Jim Jones "Jonestown" and the firestorm of self-destruction at the Waco Branch Davidian compound, often spend years in intensive therapy trying to overcome the psychological damage which a cult's rigid and uncompromising brainwashing can cause. The same kind of psychological damage can happen in the case of sexual orientation indoctrination, agrees Lea Brown, Spectrum's programs manager. "In this case, the heavy doses of deception and dishonesty which are necessary to try to purge strong feelings of love and compassion from a person's natural affection needs can cause serious problems. What groups like LIA try to do is force people to choose between serving God and living their lives. That's not a choice that anyone should have to make." On the other hand, Psychotherapist Robert Norton, also Sonoma County's Project 10 co-director who provides professional counseling to clients such as Tom Ottosen, strongly condemns Smid's tactics. Norton says he was "shocked and horrified" when he learned of this charge. One wonders "how many other clients [Smid] has told to commit suicide?" Norton sternly blasts these "cult-like organizations," and reminds them that telling a client to commit suicide is clearly "a breach of ethical law." Easing off slightly, Norton says, "The religious right wants people to believe that homosexuality is only a behavior and therefore can be changed. However, it is not just a behavior, it is also a psychosexual and emotional development which is at the core of an individual's self; and just like heterosexual development it can not be altered or changed." Ottosen now understands this, and recalls during his last year at LIA at least 75 percent of the original participants had either left the program because it wasn't working for them or reported many "sexual falls" (homosexual experiences including fantasies and masturbation). Many were "forced from the group" when they began having serious doubts about the program's effectiveness in their life. "They tell them they must leave because the doubters become a threat to the other members. But then on the outside, most ostracized members still feel intense loyalty to LIA, and feel like they are betraying the group if they say anything to anyone about their experience." Ottosen says he was lucky because when he was told to leave, he immediately started seeing a licensed counselor on a regular basis, "...but most are having a very difficult time on their own." Ottosen reveals that like most cults, the indoctrination program at LIA is very effective at fostering feelings of intense loyalty because all group members are isolated within the group homes and all contacts outside the group are extremely limited. "Due the fact that members are not allowed to question anything the hierarchy says, most members who were forced out or who have left on their own end up extremely guilt-ridden, very confused, dogged by the religious dogma given them by the groups, and most end up worse than ever before," Ottosen said. --END-- July 8, 1996 Dennis Anderson "There are no halfway measures against bigotry, hatred and anti-Semitism. It's got to be rejected totally." --Abraham Foxman, Holocaust survivor. (Associated Press, recent "...war of words" battle with Louis Farrakhan) * OLX 2.1 TD * Bugger me with a fish fork! --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: The Perth Omen (3:690/660) SEEN-BY: 12/12 112/4 218/890 1001 270/101 353/250 396/1 3615/50 51 SEEN-BY: 3804/180 @PATH: 690/660 396/1 3615/50 218/1001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (484) Sat 11 Oct 97 15:40 By: Rod Swift To: Fane Re: Exodus Part 4 1/ St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:ef26 234b7d00 @MSGID: 3:690/660.0 343f2d68 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 18:16:04 -0500 Subject: Lesbian Avengers Press Release The following press release is being distributed by NGLTF for the Lesbian Avengers. Questions should be directed to LA at the numbers listed. ___----------- THE LESBIAN AVENGERS a direct action group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered women focused on issues vital to our survival and visibility. Hotline: (415) 267-6195. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: For more information, contact Liz Harris at (415) 824-8509. PHOTOS AVAILABLE FROM: Rick Gerharter, (415) 824-5300. Or Jane Cleland, (415) 661-3878. Or Judi Parks, (510)268-8260. Anti-Queer Agency Targeted for Protest Exodus International Swarmed by Plague of Locusts SAN RAFAEL, CALIF., FEBRUARY 8, 1995 -- The San Francisco Lesbian Avengers summoned a "plague of locusts" onto Exodus International today, a cult-like organization whose mission is to "cure" people of their homosexuality. The San Francisco Avengers chose to target Exodus because conversion programs, a largely invisible form of Christian Right organizing, have profoundly devastating effects on lesbian, bisexual, and gay people. "If anyone deserves a plague of Biblical proportions right now, it's the Radical Right," said Avenger Liz Harris. Five Avengers stormed the organization's headquarters, carrying signs proclaiming "Queer Love Is Not A Disease," and chanting "Exodus, stop your hate and fear! Help like yours is killing queers!" Once inside, the activists climbed onto the reception desk, shouted "We don't need to be cured," and released 1,000 "locusts" (crickets) in an attempt to shut the operation down. The Exodus staff watched dumbfounded as a swarming pile of crickets spread across their office floor. One woman picked up the phone and dialed 911, shaking as she said, "There are lesbians here with bugs." By the time she was able to convince the police that it wasn't a prank call, the Avengers were on their way back to San Francisco. An umbrella referral agency, Exodus claims to have converted 100,000 people since 1976 through a network of 75 "ex-gay ministries" in North America, and affiliated organizations in England, Singapore, Australia, and the Philippines. "Freedom from homosexuality," according to Exodus promotional materials, "is increasingly experienced as the former homosexual matures through ongoing submission to the Lordship of Christ and His Church." Such major right-wing operations as Focus on the Family, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and the 700 Club refer people to Exodus for placement in groups and live-in conversion programs. The Avengers say that groups like Exodus fit into a wider Radical Right attack on bisexuals, lesbians, and gays. They say conversion programs work to covertly eliminate individual homosexuals, while more overt legislative initiatives are designed to create a hostile social climate for queer people. "'Ex-gays' are the trophies of the far Right," says Avenger Katie Hern. "They're used in right wing propaganda to prove that homosexuality is a chosen perversion. And that we therefore don't deserve basic civil rights." The Plague of Locusts demonstration is part of a broader campaign the Avengers are waging against the Christian Right. Fight the Right actions have been staged by many of the more than 60 Avenger chapters across the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, and Russia. And the New York chapter's Civil Rights Organizing Project were instrumental in defeating Proposition One, the anti-queer initiative on Idaho's November ballot. Many bisexuals, lesbians and gays become involved in conversion programs because they can't reconcile their conservative religious backgrounds to their sexual orientation. Some have been devastated by learning they are HIV-positive and are searching for emotional support. "The ex-gay ministries pretend to provide a service to struggling, traumatized people" says Lesbian Avenger Harris, "In reality, this is a cult." According to past participants who have rejected program teachings -- ex-ex-gays -- Exodus leaders zero in on people's weakest emotional areas. For example, HIV-positive gay men are told that they are being punished by God for their homosexuality. Kathy, who was forced into a live-in program by her family, was told that she was only a lesbian because she had been raped. Program leaders insisted that if she turned to Christ for support, she could overcome what they called her hostility toward men. "Of the women I spoke with," says Kathy, who asked that her last name not be used, "I would say 99.9% of us had a history of being sexually, physically, or emotionally abused. And they really used that." At the home where she was placed, five monitors kept constant watch over the seven women participants. Doors were locked from the outside during "support groups." And participants were informed that, to avoid temptation, they could go nowhere by themselves during the year-long program. Kathy was expelled after only two days for resisting treatment, but program leaders continued to call her three times a week until she left the area. Their calls alternated between two messages: that they loved her and that she was going to Hell. According to past participants, both Kathy's experiences at the treatment center and the harassment she endured afterwards are typical of ex-gay ministries under the Exodus umbrella. Some turn to organizations like Evangelicals Concerned for help, a nation-wide, non-profit corporation founded in 1976, that helps people to reconcile their homosexuality with their Christianity (Hotline: 415-621-3297). They make furtive calls to the group's hotline during the rare moments they can get away from their "buddy." This can be especially difficult because they are usually employed in program-designated jobs, where at least one leader or fellow participant is always present to monitor them. Others seek out Evangelicals Concerned after they are expelled from conversion programs for questioning their orthodoxy and methodology. Few participants actually become heterosexuals. According to the documentary, One Nation Under God, Gary Cooper and Michael Bussee, the gay male founders of Exodus, have been lovers since 1979 and have publicly denounced the organization. "What's insidious about the whole thing," says Jallen Rix, an ex-ex-gay and Evangelicals Concerned volunteer, "is that the ministries are very convinced they're being loving. They would never believe they're being hateful." >>> Continued to next message * OLX 2.1 TD * The best prophet of the future is the past --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: The Perth Omen (3:690/660) SEEN-BY: 12/12 112/4 218/890 1001 270/101 353/250 396/1 3615/50 51 SEEN-BY: 3804/180 @PATH: 690/660 396/1 3615/50 218/1001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (485) Sat 11 Oct 97 15:40 By: Rod Swift To: Fane Re: Exodus Part 4 2/ St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:1f26 234b7d00 @MSGID: 3:690/660.0 343f2d6a >>> Continued from previous message Rix says that after years of praying, watching only program-approved television and movies, memorizing scripture, and rigorously modifying their behavior, participants often become despondent when they can't change their underlying sexual attractions. He has seen many become obsessive, mentally ill, and even suicidal. One man's suicide note particularly affected Rix: "He wrote, 'I would rather kill myself and be with God than live as a gay person and spend eternity in Hell.'" Additional Contacts: Jallen Rix, Evangelicals Concerned volunteer: 415-621-3297. Robert Bray, Fight the Right Project, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force: 415-552-6448. Kathy spoke to us on the condition that her real name not be released. She is, however, willing to talk anonymously with reporters. To arrange to speak with Kathy, contact Liz Harris: 415-824-8509. Liz Galst, reporter, The Boston Phoenix: 617-350-0096. --end-- ___----------------------------------------------------------------------- ___----------------------------------------------------------------------- SAN RAFAEL, CALIF., FEBRUARY 8 (1995) -- The San Francisco Lesbian Avengers summoned a "plague of locusts" onto Exodus International today, a cult-like organization whose mission is to "cure" people of their homosexuality. The San Francisco Avengers chose to target Exodus because conversion programs, a largely invisible form of Christian Right organizing, have profoundly devastating effects on lesbian, bisexual, and gay people. "If anyone deserves a plague of Biblical proportions right now, it's the Radical Right," said Avenger Liz Harris. Five Avengers stormed the organization's headquarters, carrying signs proclaiming "Queer Love Is Not A Disease," and chanting "Exodus, stop your hate and fear! Help like yours is killing queers!" Once inside, the activists climbed onto the reception desk, shouted "We don't need to be cured," and released 1,000 "locusts" (crickets) in an attempt to shut the operation down. The Exodus staff watched dumbfounded as a swarming pile of crickets spread across their office floor. One woman picked up the phone and dialed 911, shaking as she said, "There are lesbians here with bugs." By the time she was able to convince the police that it wasn't a prank call, the Avengers were on their way back to San Francisco. ___----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OLX 2.1 TD * The best prophet of the future is the past --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: The Perth Omen (3:690/660) SEEN-BY: 12/12 112/4 218/890 1001 270/101 353/250 396/1 3615/50 51 SEEN-BY: 3804/180 @PATH: 690/660 396/1 3615/50 218/1001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (486) Sat 11 Oct 97 15:46 By: Rod Swift To: Fane Re: Exodus Part 5 1/ St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:2cdb 234b7dc0 @MSGID: 3:690/660.0 343f2ed4 Inside Exodus Boston Phoenix July 1996 Inside Exodus A report from the anti-gay ministry's 21st national conference by Surina Khan Starla Allen wants to help me. She thinks I can overcome my lesbianism if I surrender myself to Jesus Christ. Allen is a staff therapist at the Stillpointe Centre for Counseling and Growth in California, where she counsels homosexuals to "reform themselves." She's also a former vice-president of Exodus International. Founded in 1976, Exodus is a referral network of ministries dedicated to "reforming" homosexuals. A fact sheet put out by the ministry says that its primary purpose is to "proclaim that freedom from homosexuality is possible through the power of Jesus Christ." Yet Exodus is probably best known because two of its founders, Gary Cooper and Michael Busee, left the anti-gay ministry in 1978 after falling in love with each other. They hit the talk-show circuit in the early 1990s to tell their story and get out the message that anti-gay ministries are a fraud that promote homophobia and self-hatred. My interest in Exodus and the ex-gay movement was piqued last fall when my ex-girlfriend Robin called to tell me that her girlfriend Amy had broken up with her. The reason? Amy found God. She had been going to church secretly for three months prior to ending their relationship. Naturally, Robin was shocked. She and Amy had been together for three years -- they shared a home; they had two cats and two dogs. Both were out lesbian feminists. Amy had worked for the National Organization for Women for a number of years. And now she is a born-again Christian. Needless to say, she is no longer a lesbian -- and certainly not a feminist. I don't know if Amy attended an ex-gay ministry to help her through her conversion, but she'd be a perfect recruit for an Exodus ministry. Exodus is an international organization made up of four related coalitions: Exodus International North America, which comprises 75 member ministries in 35 states, plus four ministries in Canada; Exodus International Europe, with 10 ministries serving 10 countries; Exodus International South Pacific, with seven ministries in Australia and New Zealand, one in the Philippines, one in Japan, and one in Singapore; and Exodus International Latin America and Exodus International Brazil, which account for a dozen more ministries. Exodus is also used as a referral by many major Christian-right organizations, including Focus on the Family, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, the 700 Club, Promise Keepers, and D. James Kennedy's Coral Ridge Ministries, effectively linking Exodus to the larger Christian right. I decided to check out the "ex-gay" scene for myself at the national conference of Exodus June 22 through 27 in nearby Wenham. The conference was held at Gordon College, a Christian school; I sent away for an information packet and registered, not knowing what to expect. I was a little nervous about going, but not because I thought they'd be able to convert me. I just thought it would be a little creepy. And it was. -------------------------------------- My conference experience begins with Allen's workshop, "Roots of Lesbianism." Like many of the conference "teachers," Allen speaks from personal experience -- she has been out of "the lifestyle" for 20 years and has evidently, in that time, figured out what modern science is still debating: the roots of homosexuality. This is what I hear in her workshop: we are not born gay, because God made us all and He does not make mistakes; many of us struggle with homosexuality because of family dysfunction; many of us have been sexually abused; and most of us are not "correctly" connected with our mothers; and we're finding love in all the wrong places because we're really trying to find Mom. For the record, I know where my mother is. I don't doubt that many lesbians have been sexually abused, or that some of us come from dysfunctional families, and that some of us may even need to work on our relationships with our mothers. But I suspect the same goes for many heterosexual women. Of course Allen disagrees. "Insecurity and lack of self-worth are the bottom-line motivations for continuing in a lesbian relationship," she says. "Maintenance of the relationship is primarily through manipulation." But, according to Allen, even the most manipulative among us will never succeed in a relationship: "You can't maintain something that God doesn't fully bless." As for the "recovery" process and converting from homosexual to heterosexual, Allen offers these tips: "Allow God to work, and know that it is going to be a long process. We're going to face distortions and we must be willing to see our dark side." She also suggests making a commitment to changing activities (i.e., no going to gay bars), and cultivating other friends (this takes at least a year, she says). "And finally," says Allen, "prepare for the long haul -- don't expect perfection." Of course the most important thing a person can do is to pray, pray, pray. Toward that end, every workshop began and ended in prayer. Between sessions, I watch as other conference-goers gab with each other and excitedly share new ideas. The energy and enthusiasm is like that found at an OutWrite conference, except all the queers are talking about how not to be queer. Another workshop, "How to Avoid Becoming a Statistic," is just as disturbing as Allen's session on the roots of lesbianism. This one is "taught" by Kevin Oshiro, Exodus conference director and a board member of New Hope Ministries in San Rafael, California. The workshop description reads like a sales pitch from a late-night infomercial: Of those who begin the trek out of homosexuality, why do so many give up and give in to the siren song of the old ways, or settle for trudging along as celibate homosexuals? More importantly, what is common among those who do more than conquer their homosexual behaviors, going on to thrive in a new identity? This workshop provides clear, biblical principles for truly growing and living, versus existing in stasis. Basically, Oshiro offers nine guidelines in the form of questions for us to ask ourselves, including: "Have I made an unconditional surrender to Jesus as my Lord?" and "If the [homosexual] feelings never completely go away, will I still follow the Lord?" as well as the basic, "What's my motivation for overcoming homosexuality?" The answer to this last one should be obvious: Jesus Christ. Oshiro also encourages us to see God as the "CEO of the universe." We are to think of ourselves as "son/daughter or slave/employee." That's right -- slave/employee. Not all of the lectures are so frightful. My favorite is "Outward Displays of Inward Healing" which would be campy if it weren't taking place at an Exodus conference. Taught by Anne Paulk, a self-confessed reformed butch dyke and former softball coach, this workshop is a glorified make-over session. The conference brochure advertised: >>> Continued to next message * OLX 2.1 TD * The best prophet of the future is the past --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: The Perth Omen (3:690/660) SEEN-BY: 12/12 112/4 218/890 1001 270/101 353/250 396/1 3615/50 51 SEEN-BY: 3804/180 @PATH: 690/660 396/1 3615/50 218/1001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (487) Sat 11 Oct 97 15:46 By: Rod Swift To: Fane Re: Exodus Part 5 2/ St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:dcdb 234b7dc0 @MSGID: 3:690/660.0 343f2ed6 >>> Continued from previous message Outward femininity as a key aspect of maturity is many times overlooked, minimized, or avoided altogether. This class is vital for women exploring practical ways to embrace an outward heterosexual identity. Former lesbians on the road to recovery often view the outward expressions of femininity as fearful. Since internal change is the horse, external change is the cart. The instructor explores roadblocks that keep women locked in fear by giving biblical examples and anecdotes from her own adventure Paulk shows up for the class outfitted in a sweatshirt, sweat pants, sneakers, baseball cap, and knapsack -- looking like the cute, athletic butch dyke she should be. Although the workshop was limited to just women, Paulk's husband John, another ex-gay who still looks much like the queen he says he used to be, sits in the audience while his wife tells us about her experience growing up as a tomboy. She attributes her "background" as a lesbian to having been molested when she was four -- which led her to reject her femininity. As she fills us in about her experiences in the "lesbian lifestyle" (she used to be a phys-ed teacher), Paulk literally transforms herself by taking off her sweatshirt and sweat pants, under which she's wearing a "feminine" T-shirt and jeans. She takes off her baseball cap to reveal how she has grown out her hair to make herself appear more feminine. But the best part is when, while still talking, she begins applying makeup -- and she does it all: foundation, blush, mascara, lipstick, eyeliner, and eye shadow. And of course, her nails are painted bright red. Paulk says she "wanted to behave more like a woman, look more like a woman." But her definition of a woman is quite narrow: makeup, heels, nail polish, and long hair. In fact, she says, "As I felt more comfortable with my femininity, I applied more makeup." Completely overlooked in this workshop is the existence of feminine lesbians -- and heterosexual women who don't wear makeup and high heels. Unlike the other workshops, which didn't allow for any questions between participants and instructors, this one is more interactive. The women ask Paulk detailed questions about how to apply makeup. One asks what she should do if she can't find anyone to teach her how to apply it properly. Throughout, they seem inspired by the beauty session, as if the act of repressing their lesbianism could be as simple as applying mascara. Other workshops include "Practical Tips for Working with Media," "False Beliefs that Hinder Healing," "Releasing Your Mind from Pornographic Images," "God's Restoration of Women," "Appropriate Touch in Male Relationships," "Bibliotherapy as a Treatment Tool for Homosexuality," "Raising Funds for Small Ministries," "Addressing the Pro-Gay School Curricula," and "Ministering the Gospel to Persons with AIDS." -------------------------------------- Surely one of the biggest surprises of the conference was the number of people who showed up. Exodus organizers said they were expecting between 650 and 750 people and, from the looks of it, they met that goal. I had wondered who would bother to attend such a conference, especially if the very act of signing up would amount to outing yourself. I had expected to see a high number of teens and young adults who had been forced into attending the conference by parents, but I didn't see any teenagers -- and saw just a few people who looked to be in their early to mid 20s. Most of the conference attendees were white, middle-aged adults, fairly evenly divided between men and women. Given that Exodus has primarily ministered to Baby Boomers, that isn't too surprising. But perhaps aware of the generation gap, one of the workshops, "Adapting Exodus Ministry for New Generations," looked at ways to change the language, methods, and ministry structures of Exodus to appeal to younger people. But one thing is sure to remain the same -- the Exodus policy statement on homosexuality: Exodus upholds heterosexuality as God's creative intent for humanity, and subsequently views homosexual expression as outside of God's will. Exodus cites homosexual tendencies as one of many disorders that beset fallen humanity. Choosing to resolve these tendencies through homosexual behavior, taking on a homosexual identity, and involvement in a homosexual lifestyle is considered destructive, as it distorts God's intent for the individual and is thus sinful. Although easy to make fun of, the ex-gay movement is dangerous. It's about furthering a biblical world view in which families are only made up of heterosexual men and women; in which the man leads the family, and his wife and children submit to him; and in which anyone who strays from this rigid model is living in sin. But what I saw at the conference was a sin: the exploitation of people's internalized homophobia, self-hatred, and insecurity. Most gay people can relate to the pain and anguish of coming out; clearly, the Exodus organizers understand it better than most -- they've turned it into an industry. But given the support and resources available today within the broader gay and lesbian community, it's tragic that none of those conference attendees met with acceptance of their homosexuality before stumbling into Exodus. * OLX 2.1 TD * The best prophet of the future is the past --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: The Perth Omen (3:690/660) SEEN-BY: 12/12 112/4 218/890 1001 270/101 353/250 396/1 3615/50 51 SEEN-BY: 3804/180 @PATH: 690/660 396/1 3615/50 218/1001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (488) Sat 11 Oct 97 15:55 By: Rod Swift To: Fane Re: Exodus Part 6 1/ St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:28df 234b7ee0 @MSGID: 3:690/660.0 343f30f4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ FORMERLY KNOWN AS GAY Organizations like New Direction for Life Ministries seek to "cure" homosexuals and lead them back to the promised land of straight Christian values -- what's behind the struggle by some individuals to become "ex-gay"? by Jessica M. Pegis eye WEEKLY Toronto's arts newspaper February 9 1995 COVER STORY ----------------------------------- We came to talk makeovers but nobody brought the lipstick. Here's the story: A decade ago, 30-year-old Rob Goetze of London, Ont., was gay. He had "no sexual thoughts for women at all." Now, two therapists later, he's "about a 1 on the Kinsey scale" -- a married heterosexual and father of one. What happened to Goetze is the subject of rancorous debate among scientists and church leaders. Can homosexuals be made straight through counselling? The Toronto-based group that now employs Goetze as a paid staff worker says they can. New Direction for Life Ministries turned 10 this year. A referral agency for Exodus International, a worldwide network of Christian organizations, it labels all homosexual activity sinful and destructive. According to the 1994 PBS documentary One Nation Under God, Exodus claims to have treated hundreds of thousands of homosexuals and boasts a success rate of 71.6 per cent. But Exodus keeps no follow-up records or statistics to validate the claim "although it's something we ought to be doing," admitted a spokesperson on the phone from their California office. "People are always asking us for numbers." Their mission is underscored by a small group of therapists in Canada and the U.S. who believe that homosexuality is a treatable scourge. Just what they're treating -- and changing -- is a little nebulous. Goetze, for example, never had a gay sexual relationship, only strong feelings of attraction to other men. BLAME YOUR PARENTS Even when sexually active gay men and lesbians stop having sex, fantasies usually persist, says an article on homosexuality in the October 1994 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Moreover, it declared the data on studies of changes in sexual orientation to be wholly inadequate. That doesn't dissuade Joseph Nicolosi, an American psychiatrist and one of the founders of the National Association for Research and Therapy for Homosexuality. "We all have our little fantasies," he says. "We are all meant to be heterosexual." Elizabeth Moberly, a U.S. therapist and Donahue and Shirley veteran, says the new Christian tolerance toward gay sexuality is "contrary to psychological good sense as well as spiritual good sense." Moberly, with a doctorate in theology from Oxford University, has a unique theory that compares gay men and lesbians to "little boy[s] . . .and girl[s]" looking for the love of their same-sex parent. Pointing a finger at mummy or daddy will make "gay men become more comfortable in their masculinity and lesbians become more comfortable in their femininity." The eventual goal: looking, acting and being straight. Goezte assures me it works: "The stuff with my father follows classic Moberly." (Indeed, one of Moberly's books, Homosexuality: A New Christian Perspective, is required reading at ND support groups.) "My father loved me very much, but because he was away at work a lot, and I didn't know that, I felt rejected or forgotten and I wasn't affirmed in my masculinity," says Goetze. He came to that conclusion after reading Moberly's book. So much for the science behind the makeover. "These are all post hoc explanations which are substantiated by a circular process," explains Donald Meen, a Vancouver-based clinical psychologist who served on the Anglican Task Force on Homosexuality. "If you look at the research thoroughly, you'll see that there is no substantiation for any particular pattern of parent-child relationship or any other factor." And Meen says there's no reason to cure people of something that isn't pathological in the first place: "The research is very consistent that gays and lesbians, especially self-affirming gays and lesbians, are as psychologically healthy as any other group. There's a wealth of literature there and a very strong consistency of finding." Besides, insists Meen, it probably doesn't work: "Any evidence for change [of sexual orientation] is anecdotal and descriptive. There has never been any scientifically controlled, experimental evidence -- it just isn't there." "Well yeah, obviously, I have certain beliefs about homosexuality in my life," counters Goetze when I mention that if homosexuality is intrinsically change- worthy, like alcoholism, then surely change should be everyone's goal. "Look, we're very upfront about our beliefs about homosexuality, that we believe change is possible, and that it's a process. Obviously, if someone comes and all they want to do is have arguments with everyone, that's not really appropriate and it's not the place to do it. It's not productive for them or anyone else." But what do you do with the evidence -- the millions of apparently well-adjusted gays and lesbians in North America whose lives are otherwise unremarkable? "My only response to that is that our ministry is here for people who are not happy," says Goetze. FEELINGS OF REJECTION I ask Marion, a tall, reedy woman in her 30s who felt her first sexual attraction to women at age 13, the same question. "For people who don't want to change, it's probably true that they could have an all right life, but I don't think it's God's best," she observes. The curious phrase, "God's best," will surface several times during our interview. Apparently homos are the exception to the glory of the created world. Around Marion's dining-room table in her compact basement apartment, we talk for nearly two hours. Marion used to work in a health food store but now she temps -- sometimes for New Direction, occasionally for 100 Huntley Street, the Christian television show. In the '80s, she'd had a relationship with another woman that lasted eight years. Then an eye operation and making "a personal commitment to Jesus Christ changed my life. A few months later, I felt he was telling me to leave the lifestyle and the relationship." She joined the Toronto-area New Direction for Life support group in 1991 and "just loved it." >>> Continued to next message * OLX 2.1 TD * Today's topic: Life is good if you're happy. Refute. --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: The Perth Omen (3:690/660) SEEN-BY: 12/12 112/4 218/890 1001 270/101 353/250 396/1 3615/50 51 SEEN-BY: 3804/180 @PATH: 690/660 396/1 3615/50 218/1001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (489) Sat 11 Oct 97 15:55 By: Rod Swift To: Fane Re: Exodus Part 6 2/ St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:d8df 234b7ee0 @MSGID: 3:690/660.0 343f30f6 >>> Continued from previous message "The wonderful thing about it was that I was in this room with all these people, more guys than girls, and I thought, this is wonderful. I never thought I'd want to deal with the hurts in my life and here we were, sitting there, talking about the hurts in our childhood ... We had gone through the homosexual lifestyle and now we desired freedom." She then articulates the New Direction for Life philosophy, perhaps best summarized in this passage from a handout to group members: "Everyone has experienced rejection in one form or another, at one time or another. Rejection is part and parcel of the homosexual condition. Part of the reason why we develop homosexual patterns is because of the rejection we experienced as children." Confides Marion, "I was verbally abused most of my life, as a young kid, mostly by peers. I was told I was ugly by one guy I really liked. It just crushed me. I mean, I didn't know it then at 13 but I put a wall up. "I started to sexualize my needs, the need for affirmation, attention, and I started to sexualize it with women because I had a pretty good relationship with my mother, my sisters -- that was where the comfort was." "So you don't follow Moberly?" I ask, pissed off about the schoolyard bully, but wondering if rejection by the family cat will be mentioned next. She clarifies: "Elizabeth Moberly's theory kind of holds true in my case because my mother and I -- we had a great relationship -- but there was a separation when I was very young. I was in the hospital and we were separated for a few weeks. That can be traumatic when you see your parents leaving." It may not be scientific, but no one can quarrel with conviction, and Rob Goetze and Marion wholeheartedly believe -- they know -- they are straight. In Marion's case, the transition seemed, if not exactly painless, then surely fearless. Even the eight-year relationship proved "not really difficult" to break off. "That sounds very cold, but I think God had really done a work in my heart," she offers, folding her arms quietly. A few minutes later she retrieves her bible from the bookshelf and reads me several passages from the New Testament. All the sections on homosexuality are underlined in angry red ink. ___--------------------------------------------------------------------- SIDE BAR THE GROWTH OF EX-GAY MINISTRIES Twenty-five years after Stonewall, counselling homosexuals to "go straight" is as popular as ever. "It's a growing trend," says Barry Lee, who runs the U.S.-based Living Waters program for "the sexually broken" -- including homosexuals -- out of Evangel Temple on Yonge St. Lee says he has a waiting list for each 25-week program cycle. Last year, New Direction for Life Ministries launched a new Winnipeg office. It now holds support groups in Toronto, Ottawa, London, Kitchener and the Niagara Region, and provides one-on-one counselling and Christian resources on various aspects of homosexuality through its head offices. Support groups -- the most popular venue for those seeking counselling -- combine prayer, discussion of theories of homosexuality and discussion of childhood and family issues, and are led by lay counsellors. Last year also saw the opening of Edmonton's Flight Ministries. Its coordinator, Pentecostal minister Norm Layton, told the Western Report that being gay is "an addictive behavior, a source of pain that seeks sex for relief while sinking further into death." Layton says most of the folks in his current support group of 20-plus are gay, but some have problems with sex abuse and sex addiction. He too has a waiting list for each 25-week cycle. The oldest ex-gay group in Canada is run by the Burnaby Christian Fellowship in Burnaby, B.C. Its founder, Frank Shears, died of AIDS in February, 1994, after he admitted his 18-year struggle to be ex-gay had failed miserably. ___--------------------------------------------------------------------- THERAPY INEFFECTIVE a comment by Douglas C. Haldeman Homosexuality, 1991 Recently, founders of yet another prominent "ex-gay" ministry, Exodus International, denounced their conversion therapy procedures as ineffective. Michael Busse and Gary Cooper, cofounders of Exodus International and lovers for 13 years, were involved with the organization from 1976 to 1979. The program was described by these men as "ineffective...not one person was healed." They stated that the program often exacerbated already prominent feelings of guilt and personal failure among the counselees; many were driven to suicidal thoughts as a result of the failed "reparative therapy." ___--------------------------------------------------------------------- * OLX 2.1 TD * Today's topic: Life is good if you're happy. Refute. --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: The Perth Omen (3:690/660) SEEN-BY: 12/12 112/4 218/890 1001 270/101 353/250 396/1 3615/50 51 SEEN-BY: 3804/180 @PATH: 690/660 396/1 3615/50 218/1001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (490) Sat 11 Oct 97 16:12 By: Rod Swift To: Fane Re: Exodus Part 7 1/ St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:eb22 234b8180 @MSGID: 3:690/660.0 343f34f4 "HEALING" HOMOSEXUALITY? From OCRT Canada ----------------------------------------------- GROUPS PROMOTING "HEALING" Most gay and lesbian groups and professional mental health organizations believe that sexual orientation is a fixed and natural condition and cannot be changed by psychotherapy, aversion therapy, prayer, etc. These same groups also believe that heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality are equally natural and normal. The only healing required is to help some gays and lesbians restore the damage that homophobia has done to their self esteem. However, there are a number of groups in North America which believe that homosexuality is an unnatural, deviant disorder that needs healing. They are often called "ex-gay" ministries. Some are: * Exodus International (1,2) was founded by Michael Bussee and Gary Cooper in 1976. It includes many ministries, churches, agencies and individuals as members. Exodus currently has about 75 ministries in the US, and has a presence in Asia and Europe. * Courage a Roman Catholic group with about 15 centers in North America. * Evergreen International Inc. is a Mormon treatment center, founded in 1989, which has 13 branches in the US, Australia and Canada. They claim a 30% success rate. * HA Homosexuals Anonymous has chapters throughout North America. They have a 14 step program that is similar to Alcoholics Anonymous' 12 step recovery program. * L.I.F.E. is a New York City based group. * NARTH (The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality) is an association of about 500-member therapists and social workers who hold these beliefs. * PFOX -- On 1996-OCT-9, the Family Research Council announced the creation of their new organization Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays. It is a national organization of parents and friends of people who once were gay or lesbian and now regard themselves as either heterosexual or celibate homosexuals. There beliefs are that "No one has to be gay. No one should reject a family member because that family member is `gay.' But love does not require accepting behavior that is harmful. In fact, real love in action is a conscious effort to steer someone away from behavior that can hurt or even kill. It isn't always easy, but it can be done, as evidenced by the many who have." (4) * Transforming Congregations is a ministry within the United Methodist Church. The long-term successes of these groups appear to be in two areas: * convincing bisexuals to restrict their sexual activities to members of the opposite sex * convincing homosexuals to become celibate. We suspect that none or essentially none of their clients have ever had their sexual orientation (i.e. their feelings of sexual attraction) changed through prayer, contact with a ministry or therapy. ----------------------------------------------- RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF EX-GAY MINISTRIES Most of the groups are from the conservative wing of Protestant Christianity (i.e. Fundamentalists and other Evangelicals). The exceptions are: * a United Methodist Church ministry which we believe is composed of UMC members with very conservative theological views * a Roman Catholic group which mirrors Protestant Evangelical views on homosexuality * a professional organization whose members are essentially all Evangelicals and conservative Roman Catholics Generally speaking, their theology is quite conservative. They do not realize that many of the occurrences of the word "homo- sexual" in the Bible are in fact mistranslations. They believe that: * the Bible is inerrent (without error) * the apparently anti-Homosexual verses in the Bible should be interpreted literally * God is omnipotent (all powerful) * God will always answer prayer From these fundamentals, the following beliefs are logically derived: * God hates Homosexuality. * Homosexuality is unnatural and sinful * God will help a repentant homosexual convert to a homosexual orientation; to believe otherwise would put limits on God's abilities and on the power of prayer; these are unthinkable thoughts to an Evangelical Christian. To quote one Evangelical minister: "No sin is to big for God to forgive. The homosexual, like anyone else, simply needs to believe in the transforming power of Christ." Many conservative Christians and Christian groups: * believe that homosexuality is a matter of choice; they use the term "sexual preference" rather than "sexual orientation". * agree with the authors of the Bible: that everyone is basically heterosexual, but that some people engage in homosexual acts and perhaps become addicted to them. * view sexual orientation in simplistic terms and ignore the phenomenon of bisexuality; they believe that a person is either totally gay or straight. Their views are essentially unchangeable because they are rooted in fundamental religious beliefs. To change their mind would first require them to believe that the Bible is in error, or that it contains information about homosexuality which was true in Biblical times, but is no longer valid today. Exodus International's statement of belief describes heterosexuality: "as God's creative intent for humanity, and subsequently views homosexual expression as outside God's will.....Exodus upholds redemption for the homosexual person as the process whereby sin's power is broken, and the individual is freed to know and experience true identity as discovered in Christ and His Church. That process entails the freedom to grow into heterosexuality". ----------------------------------------------- PSYCHOLOGICAL BELIEFS OF EX-GAY MINISTRIES Early psychoanalytic theories held that male homosexuality was "caused" by an emotionally distant father and an aggressive mother. These theories have long been discredited and abandoned by the mental health community and by human sexuality researchers. However, Dr. Elizabeth Moberly revisited this concept in the early 1980's. It is her belief that homosexuality is caused by a defective bonding between a child and their same-sex parent. This "defensive detachment" in turn causes the child (and later the adult) to seek reattachment to a member of the same sex. The "cure" to homosexuality is for the adult to enter into a close, intimate, but non-sexual relationship with a same-sex adult, perhaps a therapist or counselor. The client can then go on to overcome the deficiencies in their childhood. Becoming attracted to members of the opposite sex naturally follows. Similar views have been promoted by Dr. Joseph Nicolosi more recently. Most of the specialists in human sexuality who are not Evangelical Christians believe that sexual orientation is determined before kindergarten age by a complex interaction of genetic and environmental >>> Continued to next message * OLX 2.1 TD * God is a Vorlon --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: The Perth Omen (3:690/660) SEEN-BY: 12/12 112/4 218/890 1001 270/101 353/250 396/1 3615/50 51 SEEN-BY: 3804/180 @PATH: 690/660 396/1 3615/50 218/1001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (491) Sat 11 Oct 97 16:12 By: Rod Swift To: Fane Re: Exodus Part 7 2/ St: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ @EID:1b22 234b8180 @MSGID: 3:690/660.0 343f34f6 >>> Continued from previous message factors that are only vaguely known at this time. And they have reached a consensus that sexual orientation in an adult cannot be changed: * The American Psychiatric Association has stated "There is no evidence that any treatment can change a homosexual person's deep-seated sexual feelings for others of the same sex". * A pamphlet by the American Psychological Association states " Scientific evidence does not show that conversion therapy works....It can do more harm than good." ----------------------------------------------- CONVERSION THERAPY "SUCCESS" RATES Many ex-gay ministries do not claim specific success rates. A few estimate that 30 to 50% of their clients make a transition from homosexual to heterosexual orientation. But data on conversion rates should be considered suspect, because: * many of the groups do not perform actual studies * many of studies that are conducted are short term * many of their clients continue to have exclusively homosexual feelings but, for religious reasons, choose to remain celibate * many of their clients are bisexuals who make a decision to restrict their sexual partner(s) to members of the opposite sex Some studies shed light on the meanings of conversion rates: * Two outside psychiatrists, were allowed to interview members of Exodus International in 1978. Of the ministry's 800 members at the time, 30 were picked by the ministry staff as having changed from exclusively homosexual to exclusively heterosexual in orientation. The researchers interviewed the 30 and determined that only 11 had really been largely "cured" of their homosexual orientation. Eight of the 11 still reported homosexual dreams, fantasies and/or impulses. We suspect that all were and remained bisexual, and thus were capable of switching to exclusively heterosexual behavior. Two of the 11 were Michael Bussee and Gary Cooper, the founders of Exodus, who fell in love and were united in a commitment ceremony after this study was completed. As shown in the documentary movie One Nation Under God they later criticized their own organization and other ministries for gays as fraudulent. One can safely conclude from this study that essentially none of their clients were able to change their sexual orientation. * Masters and Johnson(3) claimed an impressive conversion rate of 50 to 60% which was maintained for 5 years after treatment. But there were a number of unusual factors in this study: - the conversion rate refers to behavior, not orientation or feelings - the 67 clients were not randomly selected; they had to be highly motivated to change their behavior - all subjects had to have a partner of the opposite gender with whom to attempt heterosexual sex during the program - 40 of the clients were already married to persons of the opposite sex - all clients were given a test to determine their sexual orientation, ranging from 0 (purely heterosexual) to 6 (exclusively homosexual). Only five of the subjects (7%) were given the latter classification. Presumably there were no "0's" in the study. This means that 93% of the subjects were bisexual. 55 (82%) were rated 2, 3 or 4 and were more or less equally attracted to men and women. It is not known whether any of the exclusively homosexual subjects were able to convert to heterosexual behavior. - the client's own definition of success was used to determine how many subjects changed behavior. Some of the clients had very limited objectives This study basically concluded that many bisexuals are capable of confining their sexual activity to members of the opposite sex, and ignoring their continuing attraction to members of the same sex. * The National Lesbian & Gay Health Association is studying the outcome experience of people who have been treated by both ex-gay ministries and individual therapies in an effort to convert them to homosexuality. The NLGHA study is being conducted by Drs. Michael Schroeder & Ariel Shidlo, 412 6th Ave., Suite 602, New York, NY 10011; telephone: (212)353-2558; Email: gayconvert@aol.com Persons who have engaged in this form of therapy might wish to contact the researchers. A representative of the Honolulu, HI Gay and Lesbian Education and Advocacy Foundation (Email address: HawaiiGay1@aol.com) discussed two Fundamentalist Christian groups dedicated to "curing" homosexuality: Exodus International and Homosexual Anonymous. In a posting to the religion@cpp.critpath.org mailing list on 1996-DEC-5. They said: "In Honolulu we have 25 year old group called the Honolulu Gay Support Group. Over the years we have had hundreds of individuals who tried either of those programs and finally came to honestly deal with their Gayness. I can honestly say, I have never seen one of them claiming they were cured or felt better until they began to accept their goodness as a Gay person." ----------------------------------------------- WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? Most ex-gay ministries will probably continue to follow the theories promoted by Moberly and Nicolosi because they appear to be the only specialists who offer a theory which is compatible with Evangelical Christian belief. As knowledge of sexual orientation increases, it is expected that conservative Christians will begin to recognize that adult sexual orientation is unchangeable, and that only bisexuals can decide to change their sexual activity from one gender to the other. Hopefully, the ministries will in time drop attempts to convert people's sexual orientation. It is expected that they will being to alter their focus towards convincing homosexuals that God wishes them to abstain from all sexual activity, to not seek long term relationships, and live a life of loneliness. ----------------------------------------------- REFERENCES 1. Exodus International of San Rafael, CA, has a "Christian Resources about Homosexuality and AIDS" page with articles on homosexuality from a conservative Christian perspective, a book list, lists of organizations, list of local chapters of Exodus International and Homosexuals Anonymous. See: http://www.messiah.edu/hpages/facstaff/chase/h/index.htm 2. Elizabeth Gilbert, "Queer and Loathing", Spin Magazine, 1996-JUN (a profoundly sad article describing an Exodus International convention) 3. Masters and Johnson, "Homosexuality in Perspective", 1979 4. Lecture given by Bob Knight, Director of Cultural Studies for the Family Research Council, before the National Press Club, 1996-OCT-9 5. A information site for "ex-ex-gays" has been formed to help people who have gone through a "treatment" program and been unsuccessful at changing their immutable sexual orientation. See: http://members.aol.com/exexgay/index.html * OLX 2.1 TD * God is a Vorlon --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: The Perth Omen (3:690/660) SEEN-BY: 12/12 112/4 218/890 1001 270/101 353/250 396/1 3615/50 51 SEEN-BY: 3804/180 @PATH: 690/660 396/1 3615/50 218/1001