It is fair to say that I have officially driven the so-called “ex-gay” industry to distraction. The proof is in the pudding.
The group Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) is now trying to discredit me by making false accusations about an alleged incident in Orlando. A couple of years ago, I organized a protest in this city against the “Ex-Gay Educators Caucus,” which hosted a booth inside a convention hall at the National Education Association’s annual meeting.
Following our protest, I wandered in to the hall and approached the “ex-gay” booth. I did not think twice about doing so, since I had been to dozens of ex-gay meetings, booths and conferences over the years without incident. I had even written an entire book and interviewed dozens of ex-gays – with no confrontations.
Once at the booth, I asked a single question: How many ex-gay educators were in the so-called “ex-gay caucus?” I asked, because all I saw were professional anti-gay activists posing as legitimate educators.
Before I got an answer, I was verbally and physically accosted by anti-gay activist Greg Quinlan (pictured). I told him in no uncertain terms to back off. I do not apologize for this – as it is my right to basic self-defense. I’d do it again without hesitation.
In a bizarre twist, after deliberately trying to provoke a confrontation, Mr. Quinlan called the “mall cops” to play victim – even though he was the aggressor. It was the most bizarre thing I had seen in my 20 years of activism. The incident was as pathetic, as it was perplexing.
Of course, the outcome of the non-incident was that I peacefully walked away with the mall cops and immediately went to a meeting with the GLBT educators caucus. I gave a short speech. There was no police report – not even questioning – of the alleged “incident.” No time in the cell block at the big house. Indeed, no one in the hall really noticed that anything had happened – because it really hadn’t.
Yet, PFOX is now sending out a surreal press release that exaggerates the truth and is pure fiction. Why? Because PFOX is on a pathological campaign to create fake “hate crimes” out of thin air that supposedly took place against ex-gays. The group’s goal is to get “ex-gays” included in the hate crime bill in Congress. Thus, if you approach a booth, they call the cops and make false charges and allegations.
Indeed, they did this last year at a state fair in Virginia. They blew an incident out of proportion and claimed to be victims. Interestingly, once again, there was no police report. The police did confirm that something happened – and that PFOX complained – but, again, there were no arrests and no charges filed. I wonder why?
A few weeks later at the Falls Church, Va. fair, Mr. Quinlan tried to create another fake hate crime. Unfortunately, he threatened to call the police on Nick Benton, publisher of the Falls Church News Press. Thus, Quinlan’s agenda was exposed in the media and his credibility shattered. (His credibility had already been damaged by claiming to have worked as a key volunteer at the Human Rights Campaign. While I worked at HRC, no one had ever heard of him.)
A disturbing pattern has emerged from PFOX.
1) They buy a booth at a local fair.
2) They provoke a confrontation
3) They call the cops, even as they have no evidence, thus there are no arrests, nor police reports.
4) They send out propaganda to the media blowing these non-events – that they provoked – out of proportion. Or they embellish or simply make things up.
In light of this creepy and alarming trend, I would strongly advise all GLBT people and their allies to stay away from PFOX booths. They are looking to create trouble because it is an organization that relies on fakery and trickery to disguise the emptiness of its mean-spirited agenda.
I’m not mad, really. At this point, I just feel sorry for these folks. They can’t accept their gayness and refuse to love their gay children. Instead, they have created a poisonous house of cards designed to vindictively harm their own families. PFOX is losing this battle and they have become more desperate and more outlandish by the day. I just hope those involved in this organization seek the help they need – before they further self-destruct in anger, confusion and bitterness.
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It’s hilarious how they say that they want to include “ex gays” in hate crime legislation. “Sexual orientation” will be the covered entity, NOT “gays” meaning that straight people will ALSO be covered under hate crime legislation, which would also mean any self-proclaimed “ex gays”.
Also, they’re taking it a step further and saying that anyone who interferes with “ex gays” is committing a “hate crime”. They have this all wrong. See, I happen to be a Criminal Justice student and I know that in order for it to be a “hate crime” it needs to be an ACTUAL crime (usually violent felony), and it MUST be MOTIVATED because of the victim’s race, religion, color, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation. It can’t be on the sole basis of the victim’s race, religion, color, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation. For example, if a straight person kills a gay person, but not because they’re gay, just for another reason, then it would NOT be a “hate crime” since it wasn’t MOTIVATED by the victim’s sexual orientation. That perp would just get charged for murder one.
Asking about the program is NOT a crime anyway, so that is in NO WAY a “hate crime” since it needs to be an ACTUAL crime to begin with. Second of all, the “crime” wasn’t BECAUSE these people are “ex gay” so there’s no way it COULD be a hate crime in the first place.
People stupidly think, “If gays are covered under hate crime legislation, then that means that if a gay person tries to rape me and I defend myself, then I’ll be charged for hate crime!” Well, that would be self-defense, and has nothing to do with the person’s sexual orientation.
Like I always say, “Someone is uneducated on something, the more they act like they do, the more credibility they lose.”
Sorry that happened to you Wayne. Here in New Jersey hate crime legislation already covers sexual orientation, and nothing that the anti-gays say will happen has actually happened.
Comment by James — April 21, 2009 @ 6:50 pm
you poor fools . you will never be accepted by everyone, the majority of people think you are sick in the head. a genetic defect or somthing. you think cause Obamas president, that you have the right to get bolder, well go ahead! because it will only make it worse for you all. a cival war is coming, and there is going to be no place for you in the new america that will follow. you remind me of dogs that hump each other franticly. your animals, you spread diseases, your pollute the minds of children, and all of you should be exterminated. Try to walk in my church dressed like a trans, and see what happens. you will never go to heaven, you are abominations to God.
Comment by john — April 21, 2009 @ 8:37 pm
Hey John – the number of states that now have same-sex marriage is 4. It doubled this month. There is no civil war and your warped way of thinking is becoming more fringe by the day.
You lost your culture war on the gay issue. So, go home and find another minority group to dump on – which is what pathetic losers like you have the need to do.
But as far as the gay thing – time to move on – you are spitting in the wind.
Comment by Wayne Besen — April 21, 2009 @ 8:56 pm
Response to “john”.
“you poor fools . you will never be accepted by everyone, the majority of people think you are sick in the head.”
He says as he goes on to say psychotic things……
“you think cause Obamas president, that you have the right to get bolder,”
Yes it’s about time a President saw us as equal, don’t you think???
“cival war is coming, and there is going to be no place for you in the new america that will follow.”
The “new” America?? Explain how the “old” one is different…..
“you remind me of dogs that hump each other franticly”
So you watch dogs hump each other frantically?? Only way you’d know…….
“your animals, you spread diseases”
You know, you don’t have to be so offensive. Offensive is an ADJ and it means, “causing resentful displeasure”. I’m giving the definition because you’re too naive to know what it means, and I presume you don’t know how to use a dictionary since you didn’t spell “You’re” correctly. You said “your” but it’s actually “you’re” as in “you are”. Proper English, learn it if you want to live in the “new” America.
“your pollute the minds of children”
Really??? And reading your child fictional bible storied of the Red Sea parting and all humans coming from just one coupld is not polluting a child’s mind?
“and all of you should be exterminated”
Exterminated??? There’s a problem with that. You won’t have a punching bag anymore and you’ll get bored faster than Lady Hamilton’s virtue…..
“Try to walk in my church dressed like a trans, and see what happens”
Well I don’t exactly know where your church is. So that can’t happen, sorry.
“you will never go to heaven, you are abominations to God.”
Thank you for telling me what’s on God’s mind, but I think that if God wanted to tell me something that sincere, the bushes in my backyard will BURN before he’d send YOU tell me!!!
Have a nice day!
:-)
Comment by James — April 21, 2009 @ 9:01 pm
you butt fuckin bastard!!! I hope you rot in hell with AIDS and your dick falls off inside of one of your porkers!
Comment by Karen Phillips — April 21, 2009 @ 11:29 pm
Why do queers want acceptance so bad? you aren’t normal and no amount of yelling will get people to think youre normal. god does love you though, and you can be forgiven. we don’t want you equating your so-called marriages to ours and we don’t want you adopting and brainwashing children. we want you to shut up. keep your activities to yourselves. noone really messes with you and you know it. you just don’t get any love from your daddies and you want us to say daddy’s wrong. well he’s not.
Comment by Mike — April 21, 2009 @ 11:32 pm
Wow, the ignorant, uneducated religious trolls are out in force! They are resorting to the usual name-calling that children resort to when they lose a game. Whine whine whine, snivel snivel snivel…
Comment by DaveTheWave — April 22, 2009 @ 2:29 pm
So, judging from the comments I see here, it’s gay men that these people have a problem with and not lesbians like me.
(So long as they can watch me get freaky with another girl, right?)
Or am I just a “confused young woman” who “hasn’t found the right man” yet?
Comment by Emily K — April 22, 2009 @ 3:47 pm
“you remind me of dogs that hump each other franticly. your animals, you spread diseases, your pollute the minds of children, and all of you should be exterminated.”
If the thought of humans reminds you of humping dogs, it sounds like you got a few of your own sexual wires crossed. Maybe YOU should be the one who’s exterminated.
Comment by Scott — April 25, 2009 @ 11:07 pm
[...] A known extremist, Quinlan even referred to the innocuous PFLAG as a “hate group.” The activist then went on to mention a failed American Family Association boycott against the company. He forgot to discuss Michael Johnston, the AFA’s “ex-gay” poster boy, who is now living in a sex addiction facility in Kentucky. The Bible literalist also skipped over his recent divorce – which is reportedly frowned upon in the Bible. Quinlan is noted for instigating confrontations with gay activists, then calling the police to falsely claim he was the victim. [...]
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