The Gaytheist Agenda

Here’s the scoop, sorry for the late notice. I just got notice that there will be a number of events in San Jose to educate people on the dangers of the “Ex-Gay” industry and to protest the Love Won Out symposium. While this is short notice, particularly for the Thursday events, all who can attend are encouraged to do so.

What: TruthWinsOut.org Executive Director Wayne Besen will travel to San Jose this week to help educate people about the dangers of the ex-gay industry. Besen will join a group of local organizations at a press conference on Thursday, in an effort to ensure accurate information reaches the public and those attending the Love Won Out conference. Besen is also the author of “Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth.”

“It’s tragic that most of the people attending Love Won Out are parents who are looking for answers in the wrong place,” said TruthWinsOut.org’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “We are speaking out to stop these parents from being exploited and we hope to dispel myths and misconceptions so they can learn to love and accept their gay children.”

Where: The Billy DeFrank GLBT Community Center
938 The Alameda
(West of the HP Pavilion Arena, between Race St and Hwy 87)

When: Thursday, April 10
11 AM

Who: Aejaie Sellers, DeFrank Center’s CEO/Executive Director

Bill Roth, Catholic Democrats of California

Gloria Nieto, Santa Clara County LGBT Democrats

Wayne Besen, Executive Director, TruthWinsOut.org

Rev. Michael Ellard, Metropolitan Community Church of San Jose

Saturday Activities: On Saturday, April 12, a prayer vigil will take place at 11 AM, in front of the church hosting Love Won Out - Abundant Life Christian Fellowship, 2440 Leghorn Street, Mountain View. Also on Saturday, the DeFrank Center will host a panel discussion on the ex-gay industry at 1:00pm (938 The Alameda, San Jose). Joining Sellers and Besen will be Rev. Michael Ellard (Metropolitan Community Church of San Jose), Bill Roth (Catholic Democrats of California), Gloria Nieto (Santa Clara County LGBT Democrats) and ex-gay survivors.

Love Won Out is a quarterly ex-gay symposium sponsored by Focus on the Family. John Paulk, an ex-gay leader who was on the cover of Newsweek and appeared on Oprah, 60 Minutes and Good Morning America, originally ran the program. Love Won Out suffered a major setback after Paulk was photographed in a Washington, DC gay bar by Besen.

TruthWinsOut.org is a non-profit organization that counters right wing propaganda, exposes the “ex-gay” myth and educates America about gay life.

I’d love to see you there!

This is certainly good news in the fight against the anti-gay agenda.

Ex-Gay Watch Founder Michael Airhart
To Blog Daily On Site

NEW YORK – TruthWinsOut.org (TWO) launched its innovative new website today, enhancing its ability to fight the ex-gay myth and right wing propaganda. The site will be a leading educational resource and an all-encompassing look at the dangerous world of conversion therapy. For years, the ex-gay industry had dominated the flow of information on this topic. With this site, our movement has finally surpassed our opponents and we now have the means to counter ex-gay lies and reach vulnerable people with messages of truth and hope.

“TruthWinsOut.org is a one-stop-shop for information on the ex-gay myth and an action center for those who want to fight back against this insidious industry,” said TWO’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “We believe this site will help people come out, keep families together and even save lives. This is a great day for those who have long wanted to stop the spread of ex-gay misinformation and help people escape the ex-gay trap.”

Michael Airhart, who founded Ex-Gay Watch in 2002, will publish daily on TWO’s blog, offering his penetrating insights and a deep understanding of this topic. Airhart formerly worked as senior business editor for McClatchy-Tribune news wires in Washington. In 2005 he became a director for a leading blog syndication company. He also co-founded Men Can Stop Rape in 1997.

“The ex-gay industry has declared war against GLBT people as it has become enmeshed with the far right,” said Michael Airhart. “By joining with TruthWinsOut.org, I am answering a personal calling to defend individual liberties, religious freedom, constitutional rights, family unity — and sexual strugglers — against exploitation by divisive, intolerant and dishonest extremists.”

TWO’s website will include an extensive and unprecedented video catalogue of “ex-gay” survivors and sexual orientation experts. The videos and website highlight an active and robust year, where TWO will challenge the “ex-gay” industry across America.

To make this dream a reality, TWO has relied on the contributions of generous foundations and individuals. On behalf of the people TWO has already helped and will assist in the future, we would like to thank the Arcus Foundation, Gill Foundation, William A. Kerr Foundation and John Sweet, Andrew Tobias, VanAmeringen Foundation, Jonathan D. Lewis Foundation, Weston Milliken and the Liberty Hill Foundation, Bill Cohen and the Haworth Press, Mitchell Gold, Linda Ketner, Karen Ferguson, Richard Nolan and Bob Pingpank, Worth Ross and Clint Trout.

We would also like to honor those whose smaller donations have been so crucial to our success. And, we give special thanks to our talented webmaster and Internet guru Phillip Perry, Davyd Dixon for leading on this project, Joel Lawson for his strategic public relations advice, Lisa Fels for her ongoing support and Paul Schappaugh, our dedicated IT specialist and database manager.

“This was a team effort and I thank everyone who has invested in TruthWinsOut.org and who labored intensively to create this beacon of illumination,” said Besen. “With continued support, we can build on this achievement and aggressively combat the predatory and well-funded ex-gay industry.”

Additionally, TWO is using its new website to call for volunteers nationally to come forward and help us in cities where we will counter ‘ex-gay’ rallies. In 2008, it is also a major priority for the organization to videotape the testimonials of lesbian and minority survivors. If the so-called ‘ex-gay’ ministries have harmed you, please contact TWO and tell your important story.

TruthWinsOut.org is a non-profit organization that counters right wing propaganda, exposes the “ex-gay” myth and educates America about gay life. For more information, visit Truth Wins Out .

I look forward to this new resource in the ongoing fight against the “Ex-Gay” movement. Kudos to Wayne Besen and Michael Airhart!

Normally the “Ex-Gay” industry is no laughing matter. But this is one of those exceptions.

TruthWinsOut.org today announced its ambitious plans for 2008 – which include several protests, a three-region tour and a significant presence at several Gay Pride events. TWO is also placing a national call for volunteers to help us in the cities and regions we are visiting. We are also asking that local universities, community groups, advocacy organizations, business groups, social clubs and religious institutions inquire about having TWO Executive Director Wayne Besen give a presentation on the so-called “ex-gay” myth while he is in town.

“We are urging volunteers to get involved now to help us at these events and to further our important message,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director, TruthWinsOut.org. “We look forward to educating people across America on the ex-gay industry and right wing extremism.”

TWO plans to have regional tours in the following areas:

California, April 1-13
Florida, June 2-10
Pacific Northwest, June 16-30

TWO plans to work with local organizations to hold protest rallies at the following venues in 2008:

Love Won Out, April 12, San Jose
Exodus Global Alliance, May 8-10, Toronto
Love Won Out, June 7, Orlando
Exodus National Conference, July 15, Ashville
Love Won Out, Sept. 13, Anchorage
NARTH Conference, Nov. 7-9, Denver

TWO plans to work with local organizations to have a presence at the following events:

Exodus West Coast Regional Conference, April 3-5, Fresno
Exodus Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference, April 4-6, Williamsburg, VA
Exodus Asia Pacific Conference, Aug. 2-3, Malaysia
Exodus North Central Conference, Oct. 24-26, Green Lake, WI

TWO plans to have booths at the following Pride Events:

Fort Lauderdale
Long Beach
DC Black Pride
DC
Los Angeles
Portland (OR)
New York City
San Diego
Atlanta
Minneapolis
Chicago
San Francisco
Seattle
St. Louis
Dallas

“We urge our supporters to mark their calendars and help us carry out our mission,” said Besen. “If we will be in your area, consider booking us for an entertaining educational forum on the ex-gay myth.”

All dates are tentative and subject to change as the itinerary continues developing. This is TWO’s first national tour of America. TruthWinsOut.org is a non-profit organization that counters right wing propaganda, exposes the “ex-gay” myth and educates America about gay life. For more information, visit www.TruthWinsOut.org.

I highly recommend anybody who can offer assistance do so. Truth Wins Out is one of the premier organizations fighting against the psycho-spiritual terrorists who call themselves the “ex-gay” movement.

The APA removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses in 1973 and the homophobes have yet to get over it. In 1999 the APA denounced so-called “reparative therapy” as the harmful sham that it is. Nonetheless the charlatans that perpetrate this psycho-spiritual terrorism upon the GLB community continue to fight scientific fact with misrepresented “studies”, propaganda, and blatant lies

They are currently decrying the APA’s refusal to accept the results of a study that allegedly proves sexual orientation can be changed through religious means.

Conducted by psychology professors Stanton L. Jones of Wheaton College and Mark A. Yarhouse of Regent University, the study, Ex-Gays? A Longitudinal Study of Religiously Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation, was published in book form and scheduled for an October release.

…..

The results were impressive: 38 percent of the participants in the Exodus program had either embraced “chastity with a reduction in prominence of homosexual desire” or experienced “a diminishing of homosexual attraction and an increase in heterosexual attraction with a resulting satisfactory heterosexual adjustment.” According to press reports, another 29 percent had had only partial success in leaving the homosexual lifestyle but were committed to continuing their efforts.

Those results are “impressive”? Chaste homosexuals are still homosexuals just like chaste heterosexuals are still heterosexuals. Therefore they are not “ex-gays”. Furthermore a “diminishing of homosexual attraction” means essentially nothing. They’re still gay, or in the case of those who claim to be attracted to the opposite sex as well, bisexual.

The study has likely fallen prey to the hawthorne effect. Subjects so want to change–for the researchers, for themselves, for the program leaders, for God/Jesus–that they temporarily cease same-sex activities. It’s also possible they’re unconsciously or purposely telling Jones and Yarhouse what they want to hear. It’s called the subject-expectancy effect. In any case, that study is hardly indicative of success.

In case you don’t want to take just my analysis of the study, read Dr. Patrick Chapman’s brilliant response to Dr’s. Jones and Yarhouse.

Now back to the wingnuts.

Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, said the shift in opinion among mental health professionals is probably helping to lead the large shift in public opinion toward acceptance of homosexuality. “When ordinary people continually see and hear and read what many mental health professionals believe — that gays and lesbians were born that way and that homosexuality cannot be changed — it’s bound to influence the opinion of the average man on the street,” he said.

You mean the more the public is exposed to facts as opposed to hateful RRRW propaganda, the more they’ll realize that GLBTs are not the monsters the homophobes have made them out to be? LGBT people are ordinary people. They go to work, pay taxes, raise families, attend church and do the same sorts of things everybody else does. RRRW wingnuts who obsess about what other people are doing in their bedrooms are the abnormal ones.

“But we’ve got to keep at it,” Wildmon said. “Even though lies often get a huge head start, ultimately we have to believe that the truth will be victorious.”

It’s already happening, and that’s what the you’re frothing at the mouth about. Your propaganda is falling to the wayside and the real truth is taking over. You can have your own version of reality, but not your own version of the truth.

I discovered via Pam’s House Blend that the psycho-spiritual terrorist group Exodus International is on a crusade to recruit 10,000 churches to their army.

Prominent ‘Ex-Gay’ organization Exodus International has set up an outreach network for people “struggling with same-sex attractions,” Family News in Focus reports.

…..

The plan includes a liaison in each participating branch. “The vision,” says Thomas, “is that there would be churches that people struggling with same-sex attraction could go to where they could learn how to be Disciples of Christ.”

“Struggling” with same-sex attractions, eh? Funny how nobody is ever described as “struggling” with opposite-sex attractions. But then maybe that’s because straight people don’t experience a full-frontal assault on their right to be with who they love, to have equal protections under the law, to be considered Christian (for those who believe) and even on their very value as human beings.

According to Pam:

They’re off to a chugging start as Exodus has managed to sign on a mere 70 churches to build its 10,000-institution pray-away-the-gay network.

70 down, 9,930 to go. While I fervently hope there aren’t that many hate-filled churches in America, I’ve been let down many times before. The hate and lies of the RRRW have oft proven stronger than the truth and love of the left. But ultimately only time will tell.