Encourages Others to Share Stories of Harm Caused by Conversion Therapy
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Beth Allen Law firm of Portland sent a complaint today to two professional psychiatric associations urging them to investigate the unethical use of conversion therapy by a Portland psychiatrist. The SPLC also launched an online tool that informs users of conversion therapists near them and offers people a safe place to share their stories.
The complaint was sent to the Oregon Psychiatric Association (OPA) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) charging that the Portland psychiatrist unethically subjected Max Hirsh, a 22-year-old University of Oregon student, to conversion therapy.
Hirsh began seeing the Portland doctor for treatment for depression in February 2011 and discontinued therapy the following August after determining the doctor subjected him to conversion therapy – a bogus form of therapy directed at changing his sexuality.
“This is an appalling violation of physician ethics, as well as a breach of a client’s trust,” said Christine P. Sun, deputy legal director for the SPLC. “LGBT people who seek therapy are vulnerable to these covert attempts by doctors to fix what is not broken. We are calling upon the OPA and APA to take steps to end the practice of conversion therapy by its members.”
Conversion therapy, also known as reparative therapy, is a dangerous practice based on the discredited idea that people can change their sexual orientation – literally converting from gay to straight. The practice has been highly criticized by all major American medical, psychiatric, psychological and professional counseling organizations.
Various forms of conversion therapy are practiced around the country and LGBT people continue to face significant societal disapproval of their sexual orientation and gender expression as a result. Central to conversion therapy is the belief that being gay is a mental disorder – a position rejected by the American Psychiatric Association decades ago.
The APA warned over a decade ago: “The potential risks of reparative therapy are great, including depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior, since therapist alignment with societal prejudices against homosexuality may reinforce self-hatred already experienced by the patient.” Despite these and other warnings, the practice of conversion therapy remains essentially unregulated.
To highlight the prevalence of the practice across the country, the SPLC created an interactive map, which notes the locations of nearly 70 therapists who advertise the practice of conversion therapy in 20 states and the District of Columbia.
A tool with the map also allows those recovering from the harm caused by conversion therapy to share their stories.
Hirsh, who identifies himself as a gay man, eventually discontinued therapy after his sexual orientation became the primary focus of the therapy sessions. Instead of addressing Hirsh’s desire to have a more active social and romantic life, the doctor focused intensely on Hirsh’s relationship with his father and even asserted that he didn’t believe Hirsh was gay – approaches typically used by conversion therapists. The psychiatrist also told Hirsh that if he were indeed gay, then Hirsh would need to accept that his love life would always be dissatisfying.
“No one should have to undergo conversion therapy,” Hirsh said. “Ethical doctors respect their patients, but by telling me he didn’t think I was gay and by reinforcing negative stereotypes about gay people, my psychiatrist was deeply disrespectful of who I am.”
The complaint charges that, “rather than assist Mr. Hirsh in developing ways of achieving his clearly articulated goals for treatment, when Mr. Hirsh explained his negative experiences related to his disclosure of his sexual orientation, [the doctor] professed his determination that Mr. Hirsh did not ‘seem gay.’” It specifies four violations of principles of medical ethics, including that the doctor:
* Failed to provide “competent medical care” and “uphold the standards of professionalism”
* Provided treatment known to present significant risks without established benefit specific to that treatment
* Failed to provide treatment with informed consent and “make relevant information available”
* Failed to provide care with “compassion and respect for human dignity and rights.”
“One of the most disturbing patterns we see in reparative therapy is therapists pushing their own ideology at the expense of the patients’ mental health,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out “This can often traumatize a patient because they see the therapist as an expert who is supposed to help, not cause further harm.”
The map and a copy of the complaint are available at http://www.splcenter.org/conversion-therapy.
The SPLC is dedicated to defending the rights of the LGBT community through educational campaigns and legal action.
# # #
The Southern Poverty Law Center, based in Alabama with offices in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, is a nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society. For more information, see www.splcenter.org.
While the world waits to see whether President Barack Obama’s position will “evolve” on gay marriage before Election Day, one thing is certain: His party’s evolution has already taken place.
Obama is probably the last Democratic presidential candidate who can win the nomination without voicing full-throated support for marriage equality. For the past two presidential cycles, LGBT voters have swallowed their pride and openedtheir wallets while the Democratic contenders dissembled. On one hand, they claimed to be for full equality, while on the other they demeaned our relationships and damned them to second-class status.
Implicit in this humiliating deal was that the Republican challenger was so awful that gay voters had nowhere else to go. There was also the underlying fear that turning critical elections into referendums on same-sex marriage might backfire and place an ogre in the White House.
This trepidation was exacerbated by the candidacy of Ralph Nader, who elevated (with the help of the Supreme Court) George W. Bush into the Oval Office. This historic debacle underscored that elections can have severe consequences and that victory in this divided nation often comes by a razor thin margin. In truth, many LGBT voters were concerned about being cast in the role of Nader and blamed for sabotaging a close election.
In terms of Barack Obama, the activist side of me wants him to embrace marriage equality today. As someone who is legally married, I personally feel the sting of not having access to the same federal rights and benefits as my heterosexual peers. Because I travel often for my job, it seems that half of the month I’m in a recognized marriage in Vermont, while the other half I find myself in states where I am officially single and have no legal protection. Such disparate treatment is disgraceful, humiliating, and un-American.
Nevertheless, the pragmatic part of me wonders whether Obama embracing gay marriage will harm his chances in the nine swing states that will decide this election. Clearly, these states are not all bastions of tolerance: Nevada, Colorado, Iowa, Florida, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
There is also concern over how embracing marriage for same sex couples would impact the four states that lean in favor of the Democrats (Minnesota, Michigan, New Mexico, and Maine) and the states that teeter towards the GOP (Arizona, Missouri, Indiana, and North Carolina).
The argument in favor of Obama evolving now is that most voters believe he already supports gay marriage and those who would vote against him because of this issue were never voting for him anyway. Meanwhile, coming out in favor of marriage equality would energize the progressive base and open the floodgates of gay volunteers and money. It would also show true leadership and restore the idea that Obama’s presidency stands for hope and change.
I wrestle mightily with the ramifications, if any, the President might face if he supports gay marriage. LGBT advocates can be mostly correct about the decision having few consequences. But a bad outcome in one or two of the seventeen swing or tilting states could still cost Obama his reelection. Thus, I remain deeply ambivalent about him coming out in favor of marriage equality prior to the election.
What I do know is that Obama being reelected is significantly more important than him supporting gay marriage today. A victory means four more years of Americans becoming comfortable with the idea of their LGBT friends and family members marrying. It means fair-minded Supreme Court justices, who may well have more impact on this issue than any president. It results in almost half a decade of unbridled and irreversible cultural change, while watching polls in support of same-sex marriage approach sixty percent.
I also know that this is the last time we will ever have this debate. Vice President Joe Biden’s comments in favor of marriage on Meet the Press, combined with Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s seal of approval, signals that the debate is over in the upper echelons of the Democratic Party. This is even more apparent when one considers that party elders, such as Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, have endorsed gay marriage. Both are not only former presidents, but committed Christians, which essentially gives Democrats of faith permission to vote their consciences.
It is simply unfathomable that a serious Democratic candidate in 2016 would split hairs and disingenuously claim they believe in full equality, while denying loving same-sex couples the right to marry. That dismissive strategy may have worked when only candidates with little chance of winning, such as Dennis Kucinich, championed the cause. But the equation is changed when leading Democratic contenders, such as Joe Biden, have embraced genuine equality.
After November, any Democrat with presidential ambitions who claims he or she is still evolving will be an unelectable dinosaur.
Contact: Wayne Besen
Phone: 917-691-5118
E-Mail: wbesen@truthwinsout.org
Greg Quinlan is Liar and PFOX is a Dishonest Organization, Says TWO
Burlington, Vt. – Truth Wins Out disputed Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) dishonest and immature portrayal today of a lawsuit filed against its President Greg Quinlan. The lawsuit was dismissed by the United States District Court in Richmond because Besen was deemed a “public figure,” which raises the bar on proving malice in defamation lawsuits. However, the outcome does not erase the fact that Quinlan is a liar who got successfully called out for lying by Truth Wins Out.
“Greg Quinlan clearly fabricated a story and continues to lie about it, showing he has deep character flaws and is unchristian,” said Truth Wins Out’s Wayne Besen. “I’m pleased that we were able to use our lawsuit to highlight his moral turpitude and unethical conduct. Our legal action hardly cost us any money, but it cost Mr. Quinlan his credibility and reputation.” (What shard of credibility existed, anyway)
On October 7, 2011 Quinlan was interviewed on News-Plus with Mark Segraves (WDCW-TV). At the 10:38 mark of the show, Quinlan fabricates an alleged hit on his life. According to Quinlan:
“Truth Wins Out if you look further, including Wayne Besen. He’s asked for people, you know, somebody needs to run Greg over. He needs to be hit with a bus. Somebody should inject him with AIDS. Those are the things that Wayne Besen and Truth Wins Out says about me. That’s pretty hateful rhetoric.”
When confronted with TWO’s threat of a lawsuit, Quinlan abruptly changed his story on PFOX’s website: “The truth is that Besen once said to me in a private conversation that someone should run me over with a bus or inject me with AIDS.”
First Quinlan alleged that Besen made these statements to other people, then he reversed course and said that Besen addressed him directly in a private conversation. TWO challenges Quinlan to disclose when and where this alleged private conversation occurred. If it was a phone conversation, we hope that Quinlan will provide phone records. If the supposed conversation took place in person, Quinlan should reveal precisely where and when the incident took place. Of course, we will never get honest answers because Greg Quinlan is a liar who consistently misrepresents the truth.
“When one’s entire life is based on a lie, it is easy to see how this might affect truth telling in a number of ways,” says Besen. “My challenge to Quinlan still stands: let’s both take lie detector tests and release the results publicly. Of course this dishonest coward will never rise to this challenge.”
Quinlan also outright lied on PFOX’s website about Besen being fired from the Human Rights Campaign. During the court case TWO provided Quinlan and his legal team with a letter from HRC refuting the bogus charge. Yet, Quinlan repeated the charge today, setting the stage for another potential lawsuit.
To see the dishonesty of PFOX, one has to look no further than the Homepage of its website. On the bottom right-hand side is a video of Dr. Robert Spitzer asserting that some gay people can go from gay to straight, even though Spitzer has now disavowed his study. Right below that is a “Certificate of Appreciation” from the District of Columbia, even though the former mayor, Adrian Fenty said in 2010 that the “honor” was a clerical error.
“Why are the Spitzer video and the DC certificate still on the front page of PFOX’s site?” Asked Besen. “It seems incredibly sleazy of PFOX to deceive their own supporters by deliberately posting misrepresentations and outdated research.”
Truth Wins Out is a nonprofit organization that fights anti-LGBT extremism. TWO specializes in turning information into action by organizing, advocating and fighting for LGBT equality.
Sign petition now urging high school principal to let gay scholar get award at ceremony
Prince of Peace or ‘Prince of Prejudice’?
Truth Wins Out condemned Prince of Peace Catholic school today for refusing to allow outstanding high school senior, Keaton Fuller, to receive Iowa’s Matthew Shepard Scholarship at his school’s awards ceremony on May 20. It appears that the institution may have buckled under pressure from the hierarchy, because Prince of Peace had confirmed two months ago that a Scholarship Committee Member could present the award.
“We were pleased that Prince of Peace promised to support all of their students,” said Eychaner Foundation Executive Director Michael Bowser. “We had faith that their written agreement would mean something.”
“It is difficult to understand how after I have spent thirteen years at this school and worked hard during all of them, I would be made to feel that my accomplishments are less than everybody else’s,” wrote Fuller in a letter to the student body and staff. “This whole ordeal has been incredibly hurtful, and I am even sadder that this will be one of my last experiences to remember my high school years by.”
Ironically, Keaton learned about the scholarship program, and was encouraged to apply, by Prince of Peace. The school also issued a signed statement that a Committee Member would be allowed to present the award to Keaton at the ceremony if he was selected for the scholarship.
The school ought to change its name to Prince of Prejudice unless it acts responsibly and reverses course. The two lessons that this school is imparting to students are that one does not have to stand by their word and that intolerance is a positive virtue. It is heartbreaking that they are humiliating a student that they ought to instead be celebrating in honor of his achievements.
Iowa’s Matthew Shepard Scholarship is a program of the Eychaner Foundation in Des Moines. The program invests in distinguished Iowa high school students who are openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The $40,000 scholarship to the University of Iowa was awarded to Keaton for his scholastic achievement and work reducing homophobia in his school and community as an openly gay student.
Keaton’s parents, Randy and Patricia Fuller, stand behind their son and are upset that he will not be recognized at the awards ceremony with his classmates. Keaton is releasing the following open letter requesting the school recognize all student awards equally:
To: The Prince of Peace Student Body and Staff
Being the lone openly gay student in a small, Catholic school has not always been easy. Upon first realizing I was gay, I suffered a lot of anxiety over wondering how everybody in this school would treat me if I were to tell people the truth about my sexual orientation. When I did begin to tell people, I was pleasantly surprised and touched to find that nearly everybody treated me with the same acceptance and respect as they always had. I have always been very grateful to all of you for this.
This past March, I was made aware by our school of an incredible scholarship opportunity. The Matthew Shepard Scholarship is awarded to a few LGBT students across the state of Iowa each year by the Eychaner Foundation in honor of a young man who was beaten and later died because of his sexual orientation. The purpose of the scholarship is not only to honor the recipients for their efforts working for the acceptance of the LGBT community, but also to raise awareness and understanding throughout the state.
After becoming one of eight finalists interviewed, I was very excited. The moment I was told that I had been awarded a 2012 Gold Matthew Shepard Scholarship was one of the happiest of my life. It made me feel that my efforts had truly paid off. When word got around about this achievement, I received a great deal of praise from many of you, for which I am extremely grateful.
Part of receiving this generous scholarship includes having a member of the scholarship committee present the award at each student’s graduation or awards ceremonies. This protocol was communicated to the school as part of the scholarship materials and the scholarship committee received written confirmation that should a scholarship be awarded, a representative from the scholarship committee would be allowed to present it in person to me at graduation. Upon being selected for the award in very early April, the scholarship committee wrote to the school confirming that a committee member would present the award on May 20th.
However, on Friday, April 27th, my family and I were told by the school that a member of the foundation would not be permitted to present this award at graduation. The scholarship committee has not been notified of this decision and my family has been put in the middle, so my family has asked for a reversal of the decision.
I have never felt as invalidated and unaccepted as I have upon hearing the news that the scholarship that I have worked so hard for not just in the application process, but also in my deportment and actions over the years, would not be recognized in the way that it should at the graduation ceremony It is difficult to understand how after I have spent thirteen years at this school and worked hard during all of them, I would be made to feel that my accomplishments are less than everybody else’s. This whole ordeal has been incredibly hurtful, and I am even sadder that this will be one of my last experiences to remember my high school years by.
This is a teachable moment for Prince of Peace to stand up against rejecting and invalidating the accomplishments of any student. Please help me by respectfully requesting that this decision be reversed. Share your thoughts about why all students deserve to be treated with respect and dignity at Prince of Peace.
Respectfully,
Keaton M. Fuller
Sign petition now urging high school principal to let gay scholar get award at ceremony
Contact: Wayne Besen
Phone: 917-691-5118
E-Mail: wbesen@truthwinsout.org
Prince of Peace is acting Like ‘Prince of Prejudice,’ Says TWO
Burlington, Vt. – Truth Wins Out condemned Prince of Peace Catholic school today for refusing to allow outstanding high school senior, Keaton Fuller, to receive Iowa’s Matthew Shepard Scholarship at his school’s awards ceremony on May 20. It appears that the institution may have buckled under pressure from the hierarchy, because Prince of Peace had confirmed two months ago that a Scholarship Committee Member could present the award. A petition was launched today urging the principal to allow Fuller to get his award on-stage.
“We were pleased that Prince of Peace promised to support all of their students,” said Eychaner Foundation Executive Director Michael Bowser. “We had faith that their written agreement would mean something.”
“It is difficult to understand how after I have spent thirteen years at this school and worked hard during all of them, I would be made to feel that my accomplishments are less than everybody else’s,” wrote Fuller in a letter to the student body and staff. “This whole ordeal has been incredibly hurtful, and I am even sadder that this will be one of my last experiences to remember my high school years by.”
Ironically, Keaton learned about the scholarship program, and was encouraged to apply, by Prince of Peace. The school also issued a signed statement that a Committee Member would be allowed to present the award to Keaton at the ceremony if he was selected for the scholarship.
“The school ought to change its name to Prince of Prejudice unless it acts responsibly and reverses course,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “The two lessons that this school is imparting to students are that one does not have to stand by their word and that intolerance is a positive virtue. It is heartbreaking that they are humiliating a student that they ought to instead be celebrating in honor of his achievements.”
Iowa’s Matthew Shepard Scholarship is a program of the Eychaner Foundation in Des Moines. The program invests in distinguished Iowa high school students who are openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The $40,000 scholarship to the University of Iowa was awarded to Keaton for his scholastic achievement and work reducing homophobia in his school and community as an openly gay student.
Keaton’s parents, Randy and Patricia Fuller, stand behind their son and are upset that he will not be recognized at the awards ceremony with his classmates. Keaton is releasing the following open letter requesting the school recognize all student awards equally:
To: The Prince of Peace Student Body and Staff
Being the lone openly gay student in a small, Catholic school has not always been easy. Upon first realizing I was gay, I suffered a lot of anxiety over wondering how everybody in this school would treat me if I were to tell people the truth about my sexual orientation. When I did begin to tell people, I was pleasantly surprised and touched to find that nearly everybody treated me with the same acceptance and respect as they always had. I have always been very grateful to all of you for this.
This past March, I was made aware by our school of an incredible scholarship opportunity. The Matthew Shepard Scholarship is awarded to a few LGBT students across the state of Iowa each year by the Eychaner Foundation in honor of a young man who was beaten and later died because of his sexual orientation. The purpose of the scholarship is not only to honor the recipients for their efforts working for the acceptance of the LGBT community, but also to raise awareness and understanding throughout the state.
After becoming one of eight finalists interviewed, I was very excited. The moment I was told that I had been awarded a 2012 Gold Matthew Shepard Scholarship was one of the happiest of my life. It made me feel that my efforts had truly paid off. When word got around about this achievement, I received a great deal of praise from many of you, for which I am extremely grateful.
Part of receiving this generous scholarship includes having a member of the scholarship committee present the award at each student’s graduation or awards ceremonies. This protocol was communicated to the school as part of the scholarship materials and the scholarship committee received written confirmation that should a scholarship be awarded, a representative from the scholarship committee would be allowed to present it in person to me at graduation. Upon being selected for the award in very early April, the scholarship committee wrote to the school confirming that a committee member would present the award on May 20th.
However, on Friday, April 27th, my family and I were told by the school that a member of the foundation would not be permitted to present this award at graduation. The scholarship committee has not been notified of this decision and my family has been put in the middle, so my family has asked for a reversal of the decision.
I have never felt as invalidated and unaccepted as I have upon hearing the news that the scholarship that I have worked so hard for not just in the application process, but also in my deportment and actions over the years, would not be recognized in the way that it should at the graduation ceremony It is difficult to understand how after I have spent thirteen years at this school and worked hard during all of them, I would be made to feel that my accomplishments are less than everybody else’s. This whole ordeal has been incredibly hurtful, and I am even sadder that this will be one of my last experiences to remember my high school years by.
This is a teachable moment for Prince of Peace to stand up against rejecting and invalidating the accomplishments of any student. Please help me by respectfully requesting that this decision be reversed. Share your thoughts about why all students deserve to be treated with respect and dignity at Prince of Peace.
Respectfully,
Keaton M. Fuller
Truth Wins Out is a nonprofit organization that fights anti-LGBT extremism. TWO specializes in turning information into action by organizing, advocating and fighting for LGBT equality.
In a conversation with David Gregory on NBC’s Meet the Press, Joe Biden threw his support behind marriage equality:
GREGORY: Have your views evolved?
BIDEN: The good news is that as more and more Americans come to understand what this is all about is a simple proposition. Who do you love? Who do you love and will you be loyal to the person you love? And that’s what people are finding out what all marriages at their root are about. Whether they are marriages of lesbians or gay men or heterosexuals. [...]
GREGORY: You’re comfortable with same-sex marriage now?
BIDEN: Look, I am Vice President of the United States of America. The president sets the policy. I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and heterosexual men marrying women are entitled to the same exact rights. All the civil rights, all the civil liberties. And quite frankly I don’t see much of a distinction beyond that. [...] I think Will & Grace probably did more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody has done so far. People fear that is different and now they’re beginning to understand.
Today, on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan followed in Biden’s footsteps and offered support to marriage equality. On the show, Mark Halperin inquired if Duncan supported same-sex marriage and he replied, “”Yes, I do.”
Biden’s statement has the Internet humming with commentary:
Biden told Gregory that he believes all marriages, “of lesbians or gay men or heterosexuals,” are, at their root, about love.
To claim that the man who said that is still “evolving on this issue,” as Biden’s office is trying to do, is — as with the first lady’s comments in March — only possible by taking an adventure into Wonderland. — Chris Geidner, Metro Weekly
While it’s easy to read between the lines and come to the conclusion that Biden is endorsing the freedom to marry – especially considering his past support for the LGBT community – it’s important to keep in mind exactly what the Vice President said and what we want to hear. The two are not necessarily aligned.
The Obama campaign has already started pointing out the nuance of what Biden said and the disconnect between what the media is reporting in a breathless frenzy.
David Axelrod has taken to Twitter to say, “What VP said – that all married couples should have exactly the same legal rights – is precisely POTUS’s position.”
A campaign spokesman gave Politico this statement: “The Vice President was saying what the President has said previously-that committed and loving same-sex couples deserve the same rights and protections enjoyed by all Americans, and that we oppose any effort to rollback those rights.”– Bill Browning, Bilerico
“Only in Washington and in politics could someone attempt to parse the words of what the vice president of the United States said on Meet the Press today. His words speak for themselves — and they send an incredibly important message outside Washington to the young LGBT teenager hearing the vice president of the United States talk about his belief in marriage equality and the fact that he or she can grow up and have the same dreams and aspirations as their friends, their colleagues, their parents. – Chad Griffin, Incoming Human Rights Campaign President
“The full impact of IHOP on Grandview is growing daily, and playing a major transformative role in the City’s future. Many in the community feel that, because it is drawing new people, enthusiasm, homebuyers, and purchasing dollars to the City, that the IHOP movement may be one of the largest, most significant occurrences in the City for the past three-four decades.”
Earlier this week, I went to the Mike Bickle’s International House of Prayer (IHOP) at midnight and poked around for a couple of hours. There was a gigantic 24/7 prayer room filled mostly with teenagers, many of whom appeared to be of high school or college age. One young man I encountered, who was meditating on the personality traits of Jesus, told me that several of the young, trendy crowd were interns.
A band played hypnotic Christian music while the audience of 100 or so youth engaged in a diverse set of worship rituals. Some were seated, as if they were in a traditional church setting. Others danced and skipped, like they were in some sort of fundie rave. One youth twirled a purple fan, as if he were at a gay circuit party. About a quarter of the participants walked in a trance-like state through the aisles muttering to themselves — a practice that I had not seen before. Some of these youths walked non-stop for over an hour, with no signs of stopping to rest.
While the indoctrination of youth to the ghastly ideas of a dangerous cult was disconcerting, it wasn’t the only eyebrow raising experience. When I left the gigantic prayer room, I took a stroll outside the strip mall converted into the IHOP Mission Base. Once I moved past the prayer center there was a coffee shop and then a bookstore, which is all standard mega-church fare. I was a bit taken aback to see a fully decked out IHOP police car — as if this intolerant cult, which is key to the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), also known as the 7 Mountains Movement, had designs on self-government.
I walked a bit further and there were administrative offices which led to a fairly impressive media center. I had come to the end of the strip mall and was stunned to find Glad Heart Realty, which made me wonder if the fundies were trying to take over Grandview and turn it into the next Colorado Springs. With only 25,000 residents, IHOP could probably take over the politics of the entire city with a politically organized and motivated influx of 5,000-10,000 new residents. This would allow them to impose a form of Christian Sharia on the town and use it as a model for other small suburban cities.
Here is what the city wrote about the IHOP coming to town a few years ago:
The organization purchased 125 acres of land immediately adjacent to Interstate 49 in northern Grandview in 2009. Its future plans include an approximately 30 million dollar plus phase one investment that will include moving the core activities of its Mission Base (headquarters) to the new site. The initial activities include a 2500 seat 24/7 prayer room, a 5,000 seat weekend church and conference facility, and apartments for housing students and missionaries. International House of Prayer leadership intentions are that the new campus ultimately will result in a new village-like hub for the activities of the Mission Base as well as add new life, new activities and excitement for Grandview.
Grandview was extremely pleased in the IHOP decision to make the City the movement’s new “home.” Since the decision was made in 2008, the City has seen a rapid influx of IHOP-associated individuals and a “quickening” and positive upswing in hope and optimism for the future.
Perhaps this explains having a real estate firm ensconced on IHOP’s refurbished strip mall.
There is nothing illegal about a religious cult buying property. America is a free country and people can freely move anywhere they choose. However, the experience in Colorado Springs shows that many residents were not thrilled about having their town be overrun with intolerant fundies that changed the character of the town. According to NPR:
Not long ago, Colorado Springs was a fairly small typical Western town with a mix of military people, blue-collar workers and a few colorful characters looking to escape city life. But today, it’s a booming city that’s home to more than 100 evangelical Christian organizations.
Haggard came to Colorado Springs in 1984, and found what he calls a pastor’s graveyard. Only 10 percent of the people went to church and, what he says were pagan-style religions had a good-sized following.
“The mega suburban churches weren’t here at all, and there was a high percentage of New Age and satanic type of activity,” Haggard says.
Perhaps the people of Grandview truly want to become the next fundie haven. Or, maybe they don’t.
In any case, they should be aware of what is happening. Not only is IHOP located there, but they have an incestuous relationship with radical cleric Lou Engle’s The Call, which is in nearby Overland Park, KS. Additionally, Grandview is home to the notorious “ex-gay” organization Desert Stream Ministries, which has a worldwide reach with its Living Waters “pray away the gay” program. This group is known for practicing spiritual warfare with its leader, Andy Comisky writing:
“Satan delights in homosexual perversion because it not only exists outside of marriage, but it also defiles God’ very image reflected as male and female…Another related source of demonization is the homosexual relationship itself…That attachment and communion are indeed inspired, but their source is demonic.”
Beware Grandview and Kansas City. You have an aggressive, militant, angry, fundie cult growing under your nose. It’s time to wake up before you become the next Colorado Springs. Don’t be caught flat footed wondering, “How did this happen?”
Consider this your first warning. I’ll leave you with a few videos of the New Apostolic Reformation’s leaders and prophets. Folks, meet your potential new neighbors:
David Roberts at Ex-Gay Watch reports that the first Love Won Out “ex-gay” roadshow ever has been cancelled. According to an Exodus letter sent to would-be participants who expected to be healed of their homosexuality in Albuquerque:
It is with great disappointment that we are notifying you today that the Love Won Out Conference scheduled for May 19th at Legacy Church in Albuquerque, NM has been cancelled.
First, we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. In my seven years serving on the Exodus team, this was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make. Unfortunately, due to the low number of registrations we simply were unable to justify the substantial cost of bringing the LWO Conference to the Albuquerque area.
As Truth Wins Out noted in Houston and Atlanta, attendance has tanked at these events aimed at confusing the parents and friends of LGBT teens. This is a positive development and signals the decline of this organized lie in the United States. Unfortunately, the myths perpetuated by Exodus are now rampant overseas where there is less organized opposition to “ex-gay” misinformation.
One almost has to feel sorry for the poor so-called “ex-gays.” Imagine dedicating so much of your life to an experiment that has failed? It must be painful to see the studies you revered fall one by one. It must hurt to see the “healed” leaders you looked up to admit that they still look at dudes. It must be depressing to witness the scandals that revealed the “ex-gay” myth to be nothing more than a mirage. It must be painful to know that the remaining cast of “ex-gay” activists are dead enders like Alan Chambers, or bizarre and delusional misfits like D.L. Foster, Richard Cohen, and Greg Quinlan.
I’ll leave you with a wise quote by Joe.My.God that pretty well sums up my thoughts on the “ex-gay” scheme:
As everybody here doubtlessly knows, “ex-gay” therapy is a con job, a scam, a cash-cow designed to separate self-hating homosexuals from their money. It’s sort of brilliant, really. You’re never “cured” so you just have to keep paying and paying and paying. It’s like Jenny Craig, but without the delicious cardboard aftertaste.
Contact: Wayne Besen
Phone: 917-691-5118
E-Mail: wbesen@truthwinsout.org
Truth Wins Out Statement: We Are Now All Members of Billy Graham’s Church…Whether We Like It Or Not
Onetime anti-Semite Billy Graham has come out in support of Amendment 1, the constitutional marriage discrimination amendment being put before North Carolina voters next Tuesday. In 14 North Carolina newspapers this weekend, Graham will talk to North voters in this ad:
“At 93, I never thought we would have to debate the definition of marriage. The Bible is clear — God’s definition of marriage is between a man and a woman. I want to urge my fellow North Carolinians to vote for the marriage amendment… Watching the moral decline of our country causes me great concern. I believe the home and marriage is the foundation of our society and must be protected.”
I’m a little confused here, because I thought we lived in America. Yet, Graham is now trying to jam his own church’s rules and doctrine down my throat. The last time I checked, I never signed up for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. (BGEA). I don’t even like his church, yet he thinks I should be forced against my will to live by its rules.
Do we now make our civil laws based upon Christian Sharia? Do we all have to follow his version of the Bible or be punished by government? And if this is the case, are we really a free country? Are we really much different than Iran, or is it only by a matter of degrees or a matter of time until these so-called “Christian Supremacists” get their paws on all of our laws?
“The Bible is clear,” Graham says in his ad? Just like it was, I suppose, when he spouted Anti-Semitic trash to Richard Nixon at the expense of America?
Aside from Graham being dead wrong about the Bible being clear, who gives a damn if it is?
If I wanted to join his church, I’d have a membership card. I never signed up, never walked in the doors, never sat in a pew, never prayed at one of his revivals, never wasted a dime supporting this fraud — yet I still can’t escape his ubiquitous grasp. Shouldn’t it be enough for Graham and others of his ilk to dictate the rules of their own followers without controlling those who reject their worldview?
I guess not.
It is time for the American majority to rebel. It is time that we stop humoring these totalitarian preachers and pretending we respect them. It is time we tell them that we are not under their control or purview.
I’m not sure who Billy Graham thinks he is. But it seems like he believes he is superior and his followers have a mandate to hijack civil law and decide for the rest of us how we live.
Apparently, America is now Graham’s church and we are all card-carrying members — whether we signed up or not
Truth Wins Out is a nonprofit organization that fights anti-LGBT extremism. TWO specializes in turning information into action by organizing, advocating and fighting for LGBT equality.
As John Becker wrote earlier today, onetime anti-Semite Billy Graham has come out in support of Amendment 1, the constitutional marriage discrimination amendment being put before North Carolina voters next Tuesday. In 14 North Carolina newspapers this weekend, Graham will talk to North Carolina voters in this ad:
I’m a little confused here, because I thought we lived in America. Yet, Graham is now trying to jam his own church’s rules and doctrine down my throat. The last time I checked, I never signed up for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. (BGEA). I don’t even like his church, yet he thinks I should be forced against my will to live by its rules.
Do we now make our civil laws based upon Christian Sharia? Do we all have to follow his version of the Bible or be punished by government? And if this is the case, are we really a free country? Are we really much different than Iran, or is it only by a matter of degrees or a matter of time until these so-called “Christian Supremacists” get their paws on all of our laws?
“The Bible is clear,” Graham says in his ad? Just like it was, I suppose, when he spouted Anti-Semitic trash to Richard Nixon at the expense of America?
Aside from Graham being dead wrong about the Bible being clear, who gives a shit if it is?
If I wanted to join his church, I’d have a membership card. I never signed up, never walked in the doors, never sat in a pew, never prayed at one of his revivals, never wasted a dime supporting this fraud — yet I still can’t escape his ubiquitous grasp. Shouldn’t it be enough for Graham and others of his ilk to dictate the rules of their own followers without controlling those who reject their worldview?
I guess not.
It is time for the American majority to rebel. It is time that we stop humoring these totalitarian preachers and pretending we respect them. It is time we tell them that we are not under their control or purview.
This spirit of rebellion should begin with mainstream Christians who should be absolutely livid and incensed. The fundies don’t consider you Christians at all. They laugh in your faces and pass unconstitutional laws in the name of your religion that essentially outlaws your own religious faith and freedom. I applaud those of you who have stood up — but you are too few in number. It is time to expand your ranks.
I’m not sure who Billy Graham thinks he is. But it seems like he believes he is superior and his followers have a mandate to hijack civil law and decide for the rest of us how we live.
Apparently, America is now Graham’s church and we are all card-carrying members — whether we signed up or not.
Encourages Others to Share Stories of Harm Caused by Conversion Therapy
Various forms of conversion therapy are practiced around the country and LGBT people continue to face significant societal disapproval of their sexual orientation and gender expression as a result. Central to conversion therapy is the belief that being gay is a mental disorder – a position rejected by the American Psychiatric Association decades ago.
