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1. Your article states:

   “The event is timed not to help Carolina ex-gays or their families, but instead to coincide with the Human Rights Campaign’ Carolinas Gala and a conference of the gay-affirming Metropolitan Community Church and Unity Fellowship.”

   Incorrect! I’m affiliated with the ministry of Dr. Michael Brown, a speaker at the event, and this is what we published on February 2nd concerning the two events occurring on the same date:

   “In addition, the Human Rights Campaign will be holding their annual Carolinas Gala, featuring North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan as their keynote speaker, on the same day as the Love Won Out Conference (though it should be noted that the conference was not scheduled in response to the Carolinas Gala, in fact, neither Dr. Brown nor the other leaders from Love Won Out were even aware of the fact that the two events were scheduled for the same day until a few months ago, well after it was scheduled).”

   Please correct this in your article.

   Marcus French
   Editor: Voice of Revolution

   Comment by Marcus French — February 17, 2009 @ 2:50 pm

2. So noted — however, LWO organizers’ ignorance regarding the timing is not especially credible, nor is it excusable.

   Comment by Michael Airhart — February 17, 2009 @ 4:26 pm

3. Furthermore, your reference to “Dr.” Michael Brown is intentionally misleading.

   According to the LWO speakers page, Brown “is the director of the Coalition of Conscience and president of the FIRE School of Ministry in Concord, North Carolina. He holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from New York University and is the author of 20 books.”

   Brown has no apparent medical training and no apparent professional experience in counseling or sexuality.

   In short, Brown has no proper authority to speak at a conference that blames parents and relatives for family members’ sexual orientation and that offers counterproductive and clinically discredited advice to persons who have a same-sex sexual orientation.

   Comment by Michael Airhart — February 17, 2009 @ 4:29 pm

4. Michael,

   You said:
   “LWO organizers’ ignorance regarding the timing is not especially credible, nor is it excusable.”

   Not excusable? Must LWO clear their schedule with LGBT activists before coming to a city?

   Also:
   “Furthermore, your reference to “Dr.” Michael Brown is intentionally misleading.”

   “Dr. Brown” is what he goes by, his website is even “AskDrBrown.org”. No intention to mislead here.

   Finally:
   “Brown has no proper authority to speak at a conference that blames parents and relatives for family members’ sexual orientation and that offers counterproductive and clinically discredited advice to persons who have a same-sex sexual orientation.”

   At the LWO events, he speaks on the subjects “Our Religious Freedoms Under Fire” and “Mobilizing Your Community for Action”, his areas of expertise. Nowhere does he claim to be a medical doctor, and he does not speak as a medical or psychological authority.

   I’m afraid that you’re making declarations and judgments regarding things you do not understand, please take the time to research your facts before making such declarations in the future.

   Comment by Marcus French — February 17, 2009 @ 5:43 pm

5. Focus on the Family frequently schedules LWO events to coincide either with gay events or with campaigns for state anti-marriage amendments that also happen to be sponsored and marketed by Focus on the Family.

   What exactly does LWO’s claimed purpose — “love” and the desire to help people with “unwanted” sexual orientation — have to do with Mr. Brown’s campaign to deny freedom of religion to gay and gay-tolerant Americans and to deny science-based education to communities?

   Marcus, are you admitting that the purpose of LWO is political, not therapeutic?

   Comment by Michael Airhart — February 17, 2009 @ 6:15 pm

6. Michael,

   You said:
   “Focus on the Family frequently schedules LWO events to coincide either with gay events or with campaigns for state anti-marriage amendments that also happen to be sponsored and marketed by Focus on the Family.”

   Can you give evidence of LWO or FOF intentionally scheduling events to coincide with gay events?

   “What exactly does LWO’ claimed purpose ‚Äî “love” and the desire to help people with “unwanted” sexual orientation ‚Äî have to do with Mr. Brown’ campaign to deny freedom of religion to gay and gay-tolerant Americans and to deny science-based education to communities?”

   Rather than “denying freedom of religion and science-based education”, Dr. Brown exposes bigotry and intolerance among gay activists who want to take away the freedoms of others.

   “Marcus, are you admitting that the purpose of LWO is political, not therapeutic?”

   The primary purpose of LWO is to help people with unwanted same-sex attractions, in a spiritually-centered way. Because of the rise of gay activism in our society, a small portion of the day is devoted to social issues. None of the talks are in any way political, from beginning to end, and anyone attending can purchase the entire conference on CD and listen for themselves.

   FYI: I sent you a private email via the email account from your mikeology.net contact page. I hope the address is still valid.

   Comment by Marcus French — February 17, 2009 @ 9:59 pm

7. “Because of the rise of gay activism in our society, a small portion of the day is devoted to social issues.”

   First of all, the entire premise and existence of LWO was created in 1998 when gay activism was very much already risen. In fact the ‘98 “summer of hate” – which featured John Paulk’s testimony and LWO’s extensive ex-gay PR campaign – was launched as a reaction to it.

   I don’t get it. Why would there need to be any time devoted to “social issues” (nice euphemism for “gay agenda” there) if the goal of LWO is simply to “help” those gays who seek it? LWO claims to take a passive role but instead ends up negatively acting upon the lives of gays who otherwise wouldn’t bother with such a pointless road show.

   Comment by Emily K — February 18, 2009 @ 4:26 am

8. Marcus, you COULD force yourself to have sex with a man. Particularly if you were threatened (as in, prison). Or if you were offered a million dollars (you highly religious types are all the same).

   QED: You too could ‘change’.

   But what sort ‘change’ is that? None.

   Alas, it’s also exactly the sort of ‘change’ that you and the cheezy ‘Dr’ Brown advocate — gripped by fear, someone forces themself to have sex in a way they would not freely choose.

   A bribe and/or a threat — that is what your version of Christianity has been reduced to for gay men and women?

   Jesus weeps.

   Comment by grantdale — February 18, 2009 @ 7:48 am

9. “Can you give evidence of LWO or FOF intentionally scheduling events to coincide with gay events?” writes Mr. French.

   I suppose there is no “smoking gun” memo that has been uncovered. But, it can be considered quite a coincidence that Love Won Out also appeared last year the same day as “Gay Day at Disney.”

   And, in 2006, LWO just happened to coincide with President Bush introducing the Federal Marriage Amendment, where Exodus’ Alan Chambers and Randy Thomas were feted at the White House.

   I suppose this might be serendipity. But, it sure seems like spin to me.

   Mr. French says, “Must LWO clear their schedule with LGBT activists before coming to a city?”

   No, but we assume they have access to calendars and the Internet. And, given Dr. Brown’s peculiar fascination with homosexuality and the fact that he lives in the Charlotte area – one might expect him to know the date of the HRC dinner. To say otherwise suggests incompetence on the part of Dr. Brown. Given that he has penned 20 books, I doubt that is the case.

   So, it does seem that this event was intentionally scheduled – and we don’t need the secret memo to make such speculation.

   I tell you what Mr. French. When you prove that LWO’s schedule was a product of chance, we will then prove that it was intentional. The burden of proof lies on you, considering the evidence suggests this is more than good timing.

   Comment by Wayne Besen — February 18, 2009 @ 9:16 am

10. Hey Wayne, Michael Brown here. I was hoping to interact with you when you were in Charlotte but it looks like your schedule was too busy. Perhaps in another city sometime in the future? For the moment, let me extend an open invitation to you to join me on my daily radio show (3-5 PM, EST, Mon-Fri) if you’d ever like to take issue with my positions. I can assure that I will give you a fair hearing, just as the hosts on Queer Channel Radio in San Francisco did back in December of 2007 when I was their guest. As I’ve read some of your posts over the years (and your first book as well), it seems that you really do care about GLBT people and that you are convinced that those who claim to be ex-gays are lying to themselves. Despite our differences, I appreciate your passionate concern for your community and I would therefore welcome open communication and dialogue.

    With regard to the Love Won Out scheduling, as one of the speakers, I can tell you the process of selecting cities. First, we’re all given potential dates to mark on our calendars with the hope that we’re free at this time. Second, several different locations are considered, based on interest expressed by different churches along with their ability to host an event (in terms of space requirements, etc.). Then, little by little, we’re told what dates we’ll be in which cities. It’ as simple as that, and the fact that we’ve been in certain cities the same time as a major gay event is nothing more than coincidence (or, some would argue, providence!). The folks who coordinate the events have so many things to juggle that I can tell you quite candidly that the presence or absence of a gay event in a given city is the last thing on their minds.

    When it comes to the event in Charlotte, you’re probably aware that for the last two years (2007-2008), I held a five-night lecture series at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center to coincide with the HRC Carolina’ Dinner. This was quite intentional, and it actually resulted in my public dialogue with Harry Knox from the HRC last year. So, I have no problem whatsoever stating that a particular Christian event was held to coincide with a local gay event. That was simply not the case with Love Won Out, and when I put February 21 on my calendar for the event many months ago, my only question was, “Am I already booked to speak that weekend?” The HRC Dinner was not on my mind at that time, sorry to say. Late last year, when I was considering doing another lecture series before the 2009 HRC event, I got online to check their schedule, discovering only then that both LWO and the HRC dinner were taking place on the same day, informing my friends at Focus on the Family of this by email — to everyone’ extreme surprise.

    Why do I take the time to spell this out in such detail here? If LWO intentionally planned to be in Charlotte the same time as HRC, that would have been great with me, but that’ not what happened. But since there is already a high level of mistrust on your part towards people like me and groups like LWO, I thought it worthwhile to communicate truthfully with you here. (I was just informed of the MCC gathering here last week, just FYI.) Given the name of your website, I hope that we both agree on the importance of communicating the truth! So, while we continue to hold to our deep differences, we can at least get past false rumors and needless suspicions, and if we differ with one another — which we plainly do — we can do so civilly. Is that reasonable?

    Two last points. First, while you claim that I’m obsessed with homosexuality, you might want to check out my website (askdrbrown.org) and look at the varied things our ministry is involved with, ranging from Jewish outreach to a ministry school to spiritual growth and development of Christians. Out of the twenty books that you mention that I’ve written, only one focuses on gay issues (it is soon to be published). Out of the scores of preached messages on the website, only a handful deal with homosexual issues. That is hardly being “obsessed.” The simple fact is that gay activist issues came knocking at our door here in Charlotte, and I responded accordingly. Second, having spent many hours behind the scenes with the speakers and workers of LWO, I can attest firsthand that, to a person, they are motivated by one thing: helping men and women deal with unwanted same-sex attractions, and they care deeply about gays and lesbians, speaking with great kindness and compassion even behind the scenes.

    Are you deeply sincere? Then you should have no problem believing that they are too.

    Comment by Dr Michael L Brown — February 18, 2009 @ 9:15 pm

11. Emily,

    Good questions! Thanks for asking them.

    I wasn’t involved with Love Won Out back in 1998, but as I understand things, the event has responded to the needs of the people, and in recent years, more and more families have been affected by gay activism in the schools and churches and media and communities and courts, hence the need to address these issues in the conferences. But that remains the secondary purpose of the event, and virtually all the plenary sessions during the day with issues of same-sex attraction and/or the impact on families and individuals. The activist issues are primarily (or exclusively) dealt with in smaller, breakout sessions in keeping with the larger purpose of the event.

    I do understand that from your viewpoint, such sessions are devoted to a restriction of gay rights. From my viewpoint, gay activism threatens the religious freedoms and even freedom of conscience of many Christians (and other people of faith), as evidenced by many recent court cases and even by overt statements by GLBT leaders about the potential impact of, e.g., same-sex marriage legislation. (I’m happy to document this for you in necessary.) So, it appears that both sides feel that their freedoms are being threatened, and both sides are doing their best to alert their constituencies accordingly.

    Comment by Dr Michael L Brown — February 18, 2009 @ 9:21 pm

12. Dr. Brown:

    While I do not have time to answer every point, I will say that – yes, I would be on your show. And, your religious freedom is not in danger. Unless, gay activists are forcing you to engage in a same-sex marriage, which I seriously doubt.

    There is no gay serious activist in the nation that wants to make churches marry gay people. Although, gay Chritians have every right to try to create change from within denominations -as does anyone else. In states and nations that have gay rights, Christians are still free to worship.

    What I see is that Chistians beleive that discrimination is the equivalent of free worship – but this is not true. As long as you can pray, do it in any church you please and live you life according to those beliefs, you have your freedom.

    I find your rhetoric to be alarmist, overblown and without merit.

    Comment by Wayne Besen — February 18, 2009 @ 11:41 pm

13. Dr. Brown:

    I will take back the remark that you are obsessed with homosexuality. That did seem a bit unfair in retrospect.

    Comment by Wayne Besen — February 18, 2009 @ 11:51 pm

14. Wayne,

    Thanks for your willingness to retract your comment as a bit unfair. I appreciate the gesture.

    I am truly interested in knowing why you find what you call my “rhetoric” to be “alarmist, overblown and without merit,” especially in light of statements in gay publications (like the Washington Blade) that the legalization of same-sex marriage could, in fact, impinge on religious freedoms, or the statement of the lesbian law professor Chai Feldblum that as far as she can tell, when the courts have to decide between gay rights and religious rights, religious rights will lose.

    I’m quite pressed for time as well, but your willingness to appear on my radio show says a lot, and that would certainly be a great place for us to respectfully air our differences (rather than on this blog).

    Please let me know when you’ll have the time to do a show (you could be my guest for an entire hour if you like — your call), and we’ll make it happen. (You can contact my assistant Eric McCoy at ministry@icnministries.org whenever you like.)

    Again, thanks for the interaction thus far.

    Comment by Dr Michael L Brown — February 19, 2009 @ 1:07 am

15. Given the denials, I’m flummoxed as to why my ever reliable source (a pdf of Focus’ very own Citizen magazine, Jan 2009) has an interview containing this direct quote from Michael Brown:

    “We’ve even said if there’ a major gay pride event about to take place, you schedule us. We’ll come in, do a lecture series.”

    Gun. Smoke.

    Comment by grantdale — February 19, 2009 @ 10:23 pm

16. Same edition, and FOF’s Tom Minnery affecting to really know why Wayne et al will be challenging the poisonous LWO message:

    “The Love Won Out leaders on our Focus staff can attest to that [deep, deep, deep hurt]. They see pain in the eyes of protesters every time they conduct one of our church-based conferences on homosexuality. Men and women who struggle with unwanted attraction to the same sex don’t receive much encouragement from the media or the psychiatric or psychological communities, and often end up in picket lines outside of our conference sites. If only they’d step into the church and hear our message, and not what the advocates assume, they might find the hope and healing that so many have found when they venture inside.”

    So, nope; got nothing to do with the outdated and/or incorrect etiology they promote. Got nothing to do with the deliberate alignment of the ‘homosexuals can change’ message with a political campaign that claims ‘therefore they don’t get what they ask for’. Got nothing to do with the futility and pain experienced by so many who have been falsely sold the idea that they can change, if only they try hard enough and have true faith. Got nothing to do with the tearing apart of families. Got nothing to do with gay men and women being presented as damaged goods. Got nothing to do with feeding every negative stereotype about ourselves.

    Y’all have just sufferred a ‘deep, deep, deep hurt’ and need to lash out at someone. So there.

    Comment by grantdale — February 19, 2009 @ 10:56 pm

17. Grantdale,

    Two quick points:

    1) Yes, I’m happy to do lectures and raise issues at the same time a gay pride event is taking place in a city. I’ve been totally forthright about that for years. And I can also assure you as a speaker at Love Won Out that they do NOT operate on that principle. You are free to believe what you want, but truth is preferable to fantasy. Your smoking gun is a figment of your own imagination.

    2) Once again, you’ve got the whole thing upside down. People who have been deeply hurt and then healed — like my ex-gay friends at LWO — are moved by compassion to bring healing to others. And the other ex-gays I know (most of whom are not in ministry and have no desire to broadcast their past) are eternally grateful that people took the time to reach out to them in love. I do understand that you see things very differently from your perspective, but that perspective also appears to be clouding your ability to understand the motivations of others.

    Is there any possibility in your mind that your perspective might be clouded? I mean no offense in asking this question, and it is one that I feel all of us need to ask ourselves frequently.

    Comment by Dr Michael L Brown — February 20, 2009 @ 7:33 am

18. No Michael, there is not. I dare say we know more ‘exgays’ than you do. Your perceptions of us are based on a rank assumption.

    (You may also stop with that classic but creepy pentacostal technique. You do it a lot, you know.)

    Having now followed your actions for several years, I don’t need to ask you the same question. Your perspective is plainly clouded by wishful thinking, an inadequate grasp of the subject and an unconcealed willingness to use social prejudice against people to further your own self-centred and greedy religious faith.

    (quid pro quo: is there any possibility in your mind that your current perspective might be clouded by your history of ’shooting heroin or using hallucenogenics like LSD and mescaline’ while your brain was developing? I too mean no offense in asking this question, but it is one that I frequently feel a need to ask of those who experience an adolescent religious ‘conviction’ while involved in heavy drug use and particularly when they used LSD.)

    We also do not hold any desires to discriminate. You do. Even if we did we’d be too ashamed to mention those desires in public. You plainly are not. So, yes, as regards acceptable civic behaviour our perceptions and yours appear to be very different.

    Perhaps if you could understand, and did not rationalise, the deep hurt and real harm your actions (and those of Focus/LWO) cause millions more people than your claimed shoe-box of anonymous ex-gays… your pleading may attract more sympathy.

    But not much more. The disgraceful way you (and Focus/LWO) talk about people like us prevents us going further. And, I admit, it’s going to take a lot to overcome that queasy feeling we get anytime we think of anyone connected to the words ‘Brownsville Revival’: it’s not as if our observations about you will be anything new.

    You’re hopefully not irredeemable, of course, but in preparing the prior post I again reviewed our collection from your several years of close work with Flip Benhem and OSA. The vile, deceitful campaigns that you two cooked up in Charlotte will always make you an untrustworthy and unsympathetic character in our eyes; failing a complete turnabout and public apology.

    Given your recent efforts via LWO I can see you’ll be the type to make us wait a little longer than we would have hoped.

    I think we’ve made ourselves perfectly clear: we do not trust you. I hope you’re fine with that.

    ps: the smoking gun, by-the-way, WAS about you. I am glad to see that on this occasion you are not going to engage in your typical hair-splitting; you admit to doing what you complain ‘gay activists’ do. Projection?

    Comment by grantdale — February 20, 2009 @ 10:01 am

19. Grantdale,

    This much you have made clear: There will be little or no constructive interaction between us, but that is up to you, not me. Your post makes that clear.

    At such time that you’re willing to interact with me without the vitriol and baseless accusations (and I have no idea what you mean by the “creepy pentecostal” stuff), let me know, and I’m always willing to interact candidly and honestly.

    As for your final smoking gun comments, please review the initial comments from Marcus French, which led to a correction in the first post, and then note my comments to Wayne. The one and only subject was Love Won Out.

    I would only encourage you — if, indeed, you seek the truth — to note how many statements you make against me in one short post that are based entirely on your personal judgments rather than facts and evidence. It might give you a much needed window into your own soul(s). There’s no offense on my end, since I didn’t expect a love fest towards me when I posted here. But I do encourage you to step back and look within.

    Comment by Dr Michael Brown — February 20, 2009 @ 2:53 pm

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