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Ex-ex-gay

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Ex-ex-gaypeople are those who formerly participated in theex-gay movementin an attempt to change theirsexual orientationtoheterosexual,but who then later went on to publicly state they had anon-heterosexualsexual orientation.[1][2]

Organizations in the ex-gay movement such asExodus Internationalofferconversion therapy,with the claim that anLGBTperson's involvement in the programming can change their sexual orientation to heterosexual.[3]This type of programming is opposed by major medical organizations in the US, including TheNational Association of Social Workers,TheAmerican Psychological Association,TheAmerican Psychiatric Association,TheAmerican Counseling Association,and TheAmerican Academy of Pediatrics.[4]The American Psychiatric Association describes conversion therapy as ineffective at changing sexual orientation, and as harmful to the LGBT person's well-being.[5][6]It is also opposed by theUnited Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy,who issued a joint leaflet with theBritish Psychoanalytic Council,theRoyal College of Psychiatrists,theBritish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy,theBritish Psychological Society,Pink Therapy,The National Counselling SocietyandLGBTrights groupStonewallagainst such practices.[7][8]

Three publicly ex-ex-gay people areGünter Baum,Peterson ToscanoandChristine Bakke.In April 2007, Toscano and Bakke founded Beyond Ex-Gay, an on-line resource for ex-ex gays. In June 2007, together withSoulforceand the LGBT Resource Center atUniversity of California, Irvineorganized the first-ever Ex-Gay Survivor Conference.

In 1979,Exodus International's co-founder Michael Bussee and his partner, Gary Cooper, quit the group and held a life commitment ceremony together.[9]On June 27, 2007, Bussee, along with fellow former Exodus leaders Jeremy Marks and Darlene Bogle, issued a public apology for their roles in Exodus.[10]Exodus disbanded as an organization on June 20, 2013.

People who no longer support the ex-gay movement[edit]

  • Günter Baumfounded an ex-gay ministry inGermany.Later he formed Zwischenraum, which helps gay Christians to accept their sexuality and to reconcile it with their beliefs.
  • Michael Bussee and Gary Cooper, co-founders ofExodus International,left the organization and in 1979, held alife commitment ceremony.Bussee went on to become an outspoken critic of Exodus and the ex-gay movement.[9][11]In June 2007, Bussee issued an apology for his part in the ex-gay movement.[12]
  • Ben Gresham is an Australian man who went through three years of ex-gay therapy starting at sixteen years of age.[13]He does media appearances, includingABC TV'sThe Hack Half Hour,SX NewsandTriple J(radio) regarding what he sees as the dangers of ex-gay programs and the psychological harm associated with them.[14]Along with this, Gresham is a part of "Freedom2b",which offers support toLGBTpeople from church backgrounds.
  • Noe Gutierrez appeared inWarren Throckmorton's ex-gay videoI Do Existin 2004. This garnered some notice, as Gutierrez had previously appeared in a video for gay youth known asIt's Elementary.Gutierrez later left the ex-gay movement and wrote about his experience.[15]
  • John Paulk,founder ofFocus on the Family's ex-gay ministryLove Won Outand former chairman ofExodus International North America,renounced his claim to ex-gay status, denied that sexual orientation change is effective, and apologized for the harm he had caused in a formal apology in 2013.[16]
  • John Smidis the former director of theMemphis, Tennesseeex-gayministryLove In Action,a position in which he was a leading spokesman for convertinghomosexualsintoheterosexuals.[17]In 2011, years after having left his Love In Action post, he stated that he was homosexual, and that he had "never met a man who experienced a change from homosexual to heterosexual."[18]
  • Peterson Toscanois an actor who was involved in the ex-gay movement for 17 years. He performs a related one-mansatiretitledDoin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House,and withChristine Bakkeruns Beyond Ex-Gay, a support website for people coming out of ex-gay experiences.
  • Anthony Venn-Brownis a former Australian evangelist in theAssemblies of Godand an author whose book,A Life of Unlearning,describes his experience in Australia's first ex-gay program.[19]Venn-Brown co-founded Freedom2b, which offers support to LGBT people from church backgrounds and who have been displaced from the ex-gay movement.[20]In 2007 he co-ordinated the release of a statement from five Australian ex-gay leaders who publicly apologized for their past actions.[21]Venn-Brown has been a leader in monitoring ex-gay activities in Australia, New Zealand and Asia and countering the "ex-gay myth".[22]
  • McKrae Game founded Hope for Wholeness, one of the largest conversion therapy programs in the United States. He came out as gay in June 2019, two years after being fired from the program.[23][24][25]
  • David Matheson,a counselor who ran a weekend program offered by Rich Wyler's conversion therapy organizationBrothers on a Road Less Traveled,came out via Facebook in early 2019 after a different private Facebook message by Wyler was obtained by the LGBT non-profitTruth Wins Out.[26]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Journal; Lott's Lesbian Ally Frank Rich".The New York Times.July 22, 1998.Archivedfrom the original on June 1, 2013.RetrievedOctober 17,2013.
  2. ^Holland, Gale (1998-08-19)."Seeking the Heterosexual Within - Page 2 - News - Los Angeles".LAWeekly.com.LA Weekly. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-10-17.Retrieved2013-10-17.
  3. ^"Ex-Ex-Gay Reparations".Thestranger.com.2006-06-22.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-10-22.Retrieved2013-10-17.
  4. ^"Just the Facts about Sexual Orientation & Youth: A Primer for Principals, Educators & School Personnel".Apa.org.2007-02-23.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-10-13.Retrieved2013-10-17.
  5. ^"COPP Position Statement on Therapies Focused on Attempts to Change Sexual Orientation (Reparative or Conversion Therapies)".psych.org.March 2000. Archived fromthe originalon February 23, 2004."...the American Psychiatric Association opposes any psychiatric treatment, such as 'reparative' or conversion therapy, which is based upon the assumption that homosexuality per se is a mental disorder or based upon the a priori assumption that a patient should change his/her sexual homosexual orientation...
  6. ^"Sexuality".Apa.org.Archived fromthe originalon 2015-08-23.Retrieved2013-10-17.
  7. ^"Conversion therapy: Consensus statement"(PDF).healthylives.stonewall.org.uk.The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 4 March 2016.Retrieved5 January2015.
  8. ^"Reparative Therapy".healthylives.stonewall.org.uk.Stonewall. Archived fromthe originalon 8 July 2014.Retrieved5 January2015.
  9. ^abTheir story is one of the foci of the documentaryOne Nation Under God(1993), directed byTeodoro Maniaciand Francine Rzeznik.
  10. ^"Apology from Former Ex-Gay Leaders".beyondexgay.com.June 27, 2007.Archivedfrom the original on December 20, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 6,2009.As former leaders of ex-gay ministries, we apologize to those individuals and families who believed our message that there is something inherently wrong with being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Some who heard our message were compelled to try to change an integral part of themselves, bringing harm to themselves and their families. Although we acted in good faith, we have since witnessed the isolation, shame, fear, and loss of faith that this message creates. We apologize for our part in the message of broken truth we spoke on behalf of Exodus and other organizations. We call on other former ex-gay leaders to join the healing and reconciliation process by adding their names to this apology. We encourage current leaders of ex-gay programs to have the courage to evaluate the fruit of their programs. We ask them to consider the long-term effects of their ministry.
  11. ^Simon, Stephanie (18 June 2007). "Approaching agreement in debate over homosexuality; More conservative Christians say being gay isn't a choice that can be changed by prayer".Los Angeles Times.
  12. ^Bussee, Michael (June 27, 2007)."Apology from Former Ex-Gay Leaders".beyondexgay.com.Archivedfrom the original on December 12, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 6,2009.
  13. ^Gresham, Benjamin (October 31, 2010)."Christian, happy and gay. Yes, it's possible!".SX News.Evolution Publishing. Archived fromthe originalon November 12, 2010.
  14. ^"Reconciling Sexuality & Faith: Ben Gresham's Story", ABC television'sHack Half Hour,February 27, 2009
  15. ^Gutierrez, Noe (2008-05-16)."Noe Gutierrez: What I Learned From Ex-Gay Ministry".exgaywatch.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2012-03-20.Retrieved2013-10-17.
  16. ^Brydum, Sunnivie (2013-04-24)."John Paulk Formally Renounces, Apologizes for Harmful 'Ex-Gay' Movement".Advocate.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-10-17.Retrieved2013-10-17.
  17. ^"Ministry seeks to lead away from gay life".Arizona Daily Star.1997-11-08.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-10-11.Retrieved2011-10-13.
  18. ^Wayne Besen (2011-10-12)."Former 'Ex-Gay' Activist Admits Gay People Don't Change".Falls Church News-Press. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-10-15.Retrieved2011-10-13.
  19. ^"Anthony Venn-Brown: Book".Gayambassador1.blogspot.com.au.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-10-17.Retrieved2013-10-17.
  20. ^"Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans & Intersex from Christian backgrounds".freedom2b. 2013-09-16.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-10-17.Retrieved2013-10-17.
  21. ^"Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International: Five of Australia's Ex-gay Leaders Change Perspective – But why has it taken so long?".Gayambassador.blogspot.com.au.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-10-17.Retrieved2013-10-17.
  22. ^Venn-Brown, Anthony (July 23, 2012)."Ex-gay Away".Gay News Network.Archived fromthe originalon July 25, 2012.
  23. ^"Conversion therapy crusader has something to say: He's gay".NBC. Associated Press. 2019-09-03.Retrieved2019-09-03.
  24. ^Goldstein, Joelle (24 September 2019)."Conversion Therapy Founder Comes Out Publicly as Gay After 20 Years of Leading Homophobic Program".PEOPLE.com.Retrieved2019-11-03.
  25. ^McKrae Game. "Newsmakers Online, Gale, 2019. Gale In Context: Biography,https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1618007025/BIC?u=wikipedia&sid=BIC&xid=3f2c61f1.Accessed 27 Jan. 2020
  26. ^Julie Compton (2019-01-23)."Once-prominent 'conversion therapist' will now 'pursue life as a gay man'".NBC.Retrieved2019-09-03.

External links[edit]

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