Exodus Should Immediately Shut Down Scandalized ‘Ex-Gay’ Group Desert Stream, Says TWO
Truth Wins Out today called on Exodus International to shut down Desert Stream Ministries (DSM) following new revelations of sexual abuse with at least one minor. The admissions were made last week on the blog of DSM’s leader, Andy Comiskey (pictured), who is also the creator of the ex-gay program Living Waters.
“Exodus should swiftly move to shutter Desert Stream Ministries to protect young people from the sordid and tawdry atmosphere revealed by Andy Comiskey,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “Exodus has a history of turning the other cheek when confronted with inappropriate behavior in its affiliates.”
On March 8, Comiskey wrote a blog post entitled “Falling Mercies” where he says DSM had been, “cast out of our home church”, Vineyard Anaheim, as a result of “a darker strain of sin in our own ranks.” He goes onto reveal that this sin was, “a longstanding staff person from Desert Stream had sexually abused at least one teenager who had sought help from us.”
Comiskey alleges that he was a victim of seven-figure blackmail from the relative of one of the abused boys. This led to, “a scourging of our entire ministry through police interrogations, the naked bulb of insurance agents and their lawyers, and Vineyard elders who for good reason wanted to know what was really going on in Desert Stream Ministries.”
As a result of the investigation, Comiskey says DSM was “torn in two” and that “we the righteous became the scum of the earth–not only the defender of victims, but the predators.”
In his post, Comiskey seemed to care little for those harmed by DSM and tried to come across as a victim saying, “News of our tragedy, now official on police and court records, attracted our accusers like vultures: ‘Do they change homosexuals or create them?’”
Comiskey claims that, “At the end of 3 years, the case was settled. Our insurance covered most of the costs.” He rightfully thanks the media for not covering the story and allowing his ministry to continue. “Not one story was printed about the tragedy,” writes Comiskey. “God spared us. His mercy leveled and sustained DSM.”
“Comiskey is mocking the mainstream media for not serving as the public’s trusted watchdog,” said Besen. “I hope news outlets understand that inaction has allowed this ministry to continue its operations. Given these revelations, it would be an optimum time for the media to investigate this story.”
For reasons possibly related to this scandal, Comiskey moved Desert Stream from Anaheim to Kansas City, Mo., several years ago, where it currently remains in operation.
This is not the first time Desert Stream has been in trouble. In 1998, The Los Angeles Times reported that one family sued Desert Stream alleging that a minister had sexually abused a teenager while the youth was undergoing therapy to turn him heterosexual. Besen’s book, “Anything But Straight”, discusses a newsletter that says:
“At the end of 2000, we faced an unusual number of Desert Stream-related leaders who fell into sexual sin, or who at least demonstrated a colossal lack of wisdom in their social choices…several were placed on different plans of discipline and restoration.”
In February 2008, Truth Wins Out produced a video featuring ‘ex-gay’ survivor Jaylen Braiden, who claims an Exodus team leader at Desert Stream took him advantage of him.
Comiskey is one of the most influential ex-gay activists and groups use his curriculum, “Living Waters”, across the globe. Comiskey is the author of “” and calls homosexuality “spiritual disfigurement.” His book also indulges in “spiritual warfare”, calling homosexuality satanic.
“Satan delights in homosexual perversion because it not only exists outside of marriage, but it also defiles God’s 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 the source is demonic.”
So far, Exodus has failed to comment on Desert Stream’s troubles, nor has it moved to either suspend or close down DSM. After stonewalling for more than six months, Exodus finally cut ties with Lansing-based Corduroy Stone last after charges of impropriety were made last year by Patrick McAlvey in a Truth Wins Out video.
“It sends the wrong message when Exodus remains silent on issues of such gravity,” said TWO’s Besen. “We urge Exodus to investigate and take proper action against one of its key ministries so more people are not harmed in the future. We also can’t fathom how Comiskey has kept his job in light of this scandal. It is truly mind boggling.”
Truth Wins Out is a non-profit organization that defends the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community against anti-gay misinformation campaigns, counters the so-called “ex-gay” industry and educates about the lives of LGBT people. Our goal is to help individuals be true to themselves and lead genuine lives of honesty and integrity.
Capetown Archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu is an amazing person who stands for what is good in the world. Here is an excerpt from an op-ed he penned in today’s Washington Post:
Hate has no place in the house of God. No one should be excluded from our love, our compassion or our concern because of race or gender, faith or ethnicity — or because of their sexual orientation….It is time to stand up against another wrong. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people are part of so many families. They are part of the human family. They are part of God’s family….Uganda’s parliament is debating legislation that would make homosexuality punishable by life imprisonment, and more discriminatory legislation has been debated in Rwanda and Burundi.
These are terrible backward steps for human rights in Africa.
It is wonderful to hear these words. They are a great contrast to bloodthirsty hate preachers like Uganda’s Martin Ssempa, who is using Christianity as a cover to commit potential mass murder. We could use more inclusive, inspiring voices like Tutu’s in Africa and throughout the world.
Your task, if you choose to accept it (and you will if you know what’s good for you *hrmph*):
I wrote (and everybody else wrote too) about the school board in Itawamba County, Mississippi, which chose to punish an entire school by canceling the prom, rather than treating everyone equally and letting a lesbian student bring a girl as her date. Everyone should be able to attend the prom with the person they want to go with, and if you happen to be in a high school romance, you definitely want to go with your significant other. We all remember those times.
So here’s what you need to do:
1. If you haven’t joined the Facebook group, do so. That’s the easy part.
2. Write a nice, heartfelt, firm e-mail (or make a phone call) to the members of that school board. There’s no need to yell at them. This is a time for them to hear our voices clearly, with a tough sort of love. We’re defending this kid here. Let’s act like it. (Righteous indignation is FINE.)
All right, you have your assignments. Get to it, my babies!
UPDATE:
Two things. First, here’s a petition you can sign asking the school board to reverse their decision. Second, I’ve decided to post the letter I sent here as well. If you’re having trouble knowing where to start, feel free to use it as a guide:
Dear Sirs and Madams:
You’ve all received hundreds of e-mails at this point about your decision to cancel the Itawamba Agricultural High School prom. I’m glad. Those e-mails have been from straight, gay and lesbian people from all over the country (and possibly the world). I’m also a writer and spokesperson for a national gay rights organization called Truth Wins Out, and we see firsthand the trauma that gay and lesbian kids deal with just trying to fit in in a world that often sees them as different. Look, we all have our beliefs. I respect that, and this is the United States, where we are given the freedom of those beliefs. But we are not given the freedom to impose our personal beliefs on others. I’d like you to consider something for me: Of all the “moral issues” facing this country, why does this one divide so many? And why is it that those most likely to be supportive are those who actually know gay people the best? There is a reason the younger generations are, in large majorities, supportive of LGBT people. They’ve grown up with gay and lesbian aunts, uncles, moms, dads, teachers, coaches, neighbors, friends, classmates, etc., and they know something many in the older generations do not. They know that we are no different, qualitatively, than they are. In fact, they know that we’re part of the exact same fabric they are. Because of their firsthand experience, they also know that much of what they may have been taught about who gay people are, what gay people are like, etc., simply isn’t true. All over the country, and yes, even in the South, gay kids are striving and thriving just like their straight peers. Just down the road from you in Memphis, gay kids have been taking their same gender dates to proms (in the suburbs!) for years now. And you know what? It’s turned out okay. Give your kids a chance to have the same opportunities to experience their prom in a way they’ll remember fondly.
Frankly, I expected better from the adults in the situation. Children rely on us to set a good example, and the example you’ve set says that it’s okay to punish a whole group for the (perceived) sins of one, and you’ve also shown them how to scapegoat an innocent person for the crimes of others. And let me let you in on a little secret, folks: Constance isn’t the only LGBT person at that school. You may not realize it, and the students may not realize it, but numbers don’t lie. There are gay boys and lesbian girls in that class, but they’re scared to come out. You’ve shown them this week that they have a reason to fear. You’ve shown them that the adults in their lives don’t have their backs, and for some, you’ve confirmed their fears that they’re alone in this world. You’ve now actively encouraged a climate of cruelty, of fear, of bullying, and of violence with your ill-conceived decision.
As I said before, we hear the stories on the other side. Some of them have happy endings. Others do not.
It’s in your hands. Be the adults.
Evan Hurst
Truth Wins Out
http://www.truthwinsout.org
One of the most prominent figures in the “ex-gay” community has left the movement, and apologized to anyone he’s hurt. For more than two decades, John Smid ran “Love in Action,” Exodus International’s flagship ministry based in Memphis, Tennessee. Last week, he explained the realization that led him to LEAVE “Love in Action” – and why he won’t be practicing conversion therapy anymore.
Smid: “I think it’s a very personal issue. I think it has to be between us and God in terms of how we live our lives. And ultimately, if someone knows that Jesus loves them, he’s going to work it out, and I can’t be the judge and jury on that.”
Smid says he is himself “ex-gay”. He says his new ministry, Grace Rivers, will HELP people who are, in his words, “impacted by homosexuality” – but he says he won’t try to change them.
Smid: “The threshhold of change, and I looked back all through the years, realizing everyone who had dramatic change was because they touched the heart of Jesus, me included. And so that’s the point. I’m not trying to contrive change anymore.”
Smid says while he no longer believes in conversion therapy – he still considers gay sex and homosexuality to be a sin. And this is where activists like Wayne Besen of Ex-gay watchdog “Truth Wins Out” say Smid comes up short.
Besen: “The core of his message still remains in tact, and that’s that homosexuality is wrong, and that gay couples are committing sin. And really that part of the message is what’s so damaging – and until he disavows that part of his message, his apology remains incomplete.”
Besen says the apology was a step in the right direction for Smid – and is an indicator that the Ex-Gay movement is on the decline. He says leaders in the Ex-Gay movement have not yet responded to Smid’s statement, and that they are probably “not in any rush” to do so.
Gov. Charlie Christ Should Stop The Madness And Oppose This Jobs-Killing Bil
Truth Wins Out condemned a shortsighted and terribly misguided Florida bill that aims to reward movie studios with tax breaks that promote “family values’ and punish those that do not fit the narrow definition of “traditional families”. The bill’s sponsor, Representative Stephen L. Precourt (R-Orlando), told The Palm Beach Post that he wanted to encourage filmmaking akin to “The Andy Griffith Show”.
Truth Wins Out’s Wins Out’s Executive Director, Wayne Besen, released the following statement in response to the proposed legislation:
As a Florida native, this ill-conceived bill appalls me. We basically have a bunch of holy-rolling prudes and scolds trying to harm the Florida economy and undermine the state’s movie industry by pushing their backward version of morality down the throats of all Floridians. Instead of focusing on job creation, these blue nosed values vultures are opportunistically hijacking the jobs bill to push their religious agenda.
The 1950’s are over and these fundamentalists are stuck in the past. Attempting to remake Florida’s movie industry in the mold of a bygone era is shortsighted and terribly misguided. It will place the state’s entire movie industry in harm’s way and send a terrible signal to the moguls in Hollywood. If Florida Republicans insist on thumping the Bible and thumbing their noses at the movie industry, the studios will find new beaches on which to film – at the expense of jobs for Floridians. I seriously doubt that the churches behind this fiasco will pick up the slack and employ all the unemployed actors once the state’s movie industry is crippled.
But, I guess that is what happens when the public elects political fundamentalists whose selfish, Dark Age agenda trumps real issues. As long as Florida voters send such cavemen to Tallahassee, they should know exactly what to expect.
We urge Florida Gov. Charlie Christ to swiftly reject this absurd bill and speak out against such extremism.
If the bill passes, good luck with the Andy Griffith movies, Florida. I’m sure they’ll be splendid, compete with contemporary movies and win numerous Academy Awards. And, I hope the Florida legislature takes the next logical step and bans color from the movies! If we are going to live in the past, why not do it right?
According to The New York Times, the new bill would increase all the incentives, creating a minimum tax credit of 20 percent for eligible productions with a budget of $625,000 or more. The family friendly bonus would go up to 5 percent, but the program would still be optional. Right now the bonus can go only to movies suitable for a 5-year-old, with “cross-generational appeal” and “a responsible resolution of issues.”
Truth Wins Out is a non-profit organization that defends the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community against anti-gay misinformation campaigns, counters the so-called “ex-gay” industry and educates about the lives of LGBT people. Our goal is to help individuals be true to themselves and lead genuine lives of honesty and integrity.
TWO’s Executive Director, Wayne Besen, was in San Diego last week to join nationally recognized gay and lesbian advocates to oppose Exodus International’s “ex-gay” road show, Love Won Out, which took place in La Mesa’s Skyline Church on Saturday.
On the same day as the Exodus event, a counter-conference was held, Just Love, which exposed the ex-gay industry and educated people about the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Just Love took place at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral.
“We thank Rev. Canon Albert Ogle (pictured) and Mike Tidmus for their outstanding leadership in organizing a terrific forum,” said TWO’s Besen. “As a result of their hard work, we were able to educate and inform people about our lives as LGBT Americans.”
The San Diego Union Tribune covered the dueling events. (Although they misquoted me saying the word “lifestyle”, which I would never say.)
Truth Wins Out also held its first San Diego fundraiser on Friday at the lovely home of Bryan H. Wildenthal and Ashish Agrawal. Best selling author of The Front Runner, Patricia Nell Warren, (Pictured Left) was joined by TWO Founder Wayne Besen at the event, which raised more than $1,600.
“We thank Bryan and Ashish for a wonderful event and a memorable evening,” said TWO’s Besen. “Their generosity and commitment to our work allowed TWO to speak out against the ex-gay myth in San Diego and help educate people about these dangerous programs.”
If you are interested in hosting a fundraising event for Truth Wins Out, please contact the organization at wbesen@truthwinsout.org.
That describes the voting record of California state Sen. Roy Ashburn, who came out Monday in an interview with a radio talk show.
“I am gay … those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long,” Ashburn, a Republican, told KERN radio in Bakersfield, California.
The revelation from the 55-year-old father of four came after he was arrested last week, accused of driving a state-owned vehicle under the influence of alcohol. He had left a gay bar in Sacramento.
“I’ve always believed that I could keep my personal life personal and my public life public, but through my own actions, I have made my personal life public, and I owe an explanation to my own constituents,” he said.
Ashburn has largely opposed gay rights legislation, according to votesmart.org., a nonpartisan, nonprofit political research library.
Last year, he voted against a bill to recognize out-of-state, same-sex marriages and against a bill proclaiming May 22 as “Harvey Milk Day,” named after the first openly gay man elected to public office in California.
Equality California, a group that works for gay rights, said on its Web site that Ashburn “has consistently received a zero percent” on its legislative scorecards since 2004, with the exception of 2007, when he scored 10 percent.
But Ashburn’s votes did not surprise Wayne Besen, founder of truthwinsout.org, which he described as a nonprofit organization that defends the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community against anti-gay misinformation, counters the “ex-gay” industry and educates America about the lives of LGBT people.
“It’s a perfect mask for someone who’s trying to stay in the closet,” said Besen in a telephone interview. “They hope that people will think that they’re heterosexual. It’s quite common; we’ve seen it over and over again. … They’re already living a lie and this takes it to a new level.”
He added, “They’re willing to harm themselves to protect an image of who they’re not. It shows how extreme and harmful that homophobia is. The closet will force people to make decisions that will harm their own lives.”
But Ashburn said he had no plans to change his votes on such matters. “My votes reflect the wishes of the people in my district, and I have always felt that my faith and allegiance was to the people there in the district, my constituents,” he reasoned.
Besen was unimpressed by Ashburn’s argument.
“We live in a republic, and we elect people to vote based on their conscience and what they know to be true. We could just simply have a machine do the voting instead if we relied on what the constituents wanted.
“He shouldn’t be representing constituencies that are at odds with his life. He should be convincing them and arguing about what’s wrong with their life.”**
Ashburn has announced he is not running for any public office when his term ends at the end of the year.
But one of his colleagues expressed hope that Ashburn’s candor would lead him to a different view on any gay rights legislation that may yet arise.
“It’s an opportunity for him to lead his caucus, to bring a new perspective to his caucus, to help them open their eyes a little bit,” openly gay state Sen. Mark Leno, a Democrat, told CNN affiliate KCRA-TV.
** This was meant to be anti-gay views, not “life”.
Confusing verbal taunts and insults with Orwellian “truth,” Exodus International is preparing to re-launch, in April, a Christian Rightist effort to disrupt efforts by K-12 and college students and faculty to stop antigay bullying. And gay news media such as The Advocate are beginning to take notice.
Bullies have long been explicitly coached in intolerant behavior by antigay churches, Christian Right political networks such as Exodus International, and SPLC-certified hate groups such as the Traditional Values Coalition and Peter LaBarbera’s former employer, the Illinois Family Institute.
Since antigay violence and prejudice have long enjoyed calculated support from elements of local communities, it only seemed fair that someone should help communities form antiviolence efforts to counteract the hatred and violence.
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s annual Day of Silence was one such effort. Launched in 1996, it employs silent vigils at schools to commemorate the youths who have been physically assaulted, killed, or driven to suicide by relentless harassment, humiliation, and ostracism.
GLSEN’s vigils — now in 8,000 schools — have, along with research into the chronic epidemic of antigay violence — inspired the formation of antiharassment programs and Gay-Straight Alliances against violence in thousands of schools nationwide.
The Christian Right, unfortunately, has evolved since the early 1980s to view ignorance, violence and intimidation as integral and indispensable core values of its less-than-Christlike “religion.” And so, in retaliation, the Alliance Defense Fund — a Christian Right legal-attack organization which sues schools and employers that oppose antigay violence and discrimination — formed the Day of Truth in 2004 with the purpose of empowering antigay students to disrupt the silent vigils.
Marketed with pious godtalk and liberal-sounding words such as “conversation” and “dialogue,” the ADF’s Day of “Truth” rallied antigay youths and parents — ranging from skinheads to fundamentalists — to disrupt vigils with vocal proclamations damning LGBT students, their parents, teachers, and friends to hell. The event urged the passage of school rules to silence any talk of tolerance and to mandate the promotion of fundamentalist ex-gay brainwashing in public schools. In recent years, Exodus conference speaker and antigay preacher Ken Hutcherson joined the ADF’s right-wing parade by organizing loud and disruptive protests and boycotts at Seattle-area schools in order to shut down classes rather than permit students to conduct their solemn vigils in memory of bullied and murdered peers.
In 2009, Exodus assumed control of the Day of [Orwellian] ”Truth.” Its marketing objective remains the same: Damn students to hell with a smile, engage tolerant students in one-way conversation, insult LGBT sexuality with unchallenged falsehoods derived from antigay propaganda, and flatly exclude LGBT students from protection under any antiharassment programs.
Exodus tellingly offers no restraints on what antigay students may say or do, provided that the bullies don’t subjectively feel that their misconduct constitutes name-calling or bullying.
Nor does Exodus offer any help to antigay students who discover that their own enthusiasm has motivated peers to resort to verbal, physical, and spiritual abuse; as it has always done, Exodus absolves itself of responsibility for the violence that it inspires.
Exodus’s FAQ reassures the public:
Exodus and Day of Truth strongly opposes bullying, name-calling and acts of aggression against any individual or group of individuals for any reason.
This is a shameless lie, unfortunately: Exodus expressly opposes — in press releases, blog posts and advertising — the explicit protection of LGBT students from violence and verbal abuse. Exodus also opposes newly expanded federal law which explicitly protects Americans from felony violence committed on the basis of sexual orientation.
The Exodus FAQ for the event also tells antigay bullies to contact the ADF for legal assistance if school officials seek to curtail their efforts to disrupt classes and taunt classmates.
Exodus’ dependence upon violence and harassment, as tools of coercion, seems to be its primary reason for re-launching the Day of [Orwellian] “Truth.”
In the past decade, the ex-gay movement has utterly failed in its one-time objective of sexual recruitment through voluntary persuasion: Despite television, newspaper, and billboard ad campaigns, Exodus’ referral network of local amateur counseling groups has shriveled. Exodus’ bold move into the politicization of churches since 2002 has occurred precisely because Exodus has discovered — through the failure of its voluntary ministries — that people will seek out ex-gay organizations and their discredited amateur counselors only if they are pressured to do so through overt government-, school-, church-, and business-based discrimination, intimidation and ostracism.
Cases in point: Lance Carroll, Zach Stark, and Bryce Thompson. These three young men are just a few of the hundreds of teen-agers and young adults who have been forced involuntarily into ex-gay detention facilities such as Love In Action in Tennessee and a variety of secretive Exodus facilities in the Deep South.
Exodus’ secondary purpose for the D.O.T. is to assert that conservative Christians are the intended sole benefactors of the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom.
When Exodus states that the D.O.T. seeks an “honest conversation about relationships, sexuality, and faith,” it may be helpful to remember that Exodus believes the Christian Right is the sole arbiter of what constitutes true faith and politically correct sexuality. Expression of any other faith perspective and any other view of sexuality is presumed by Exodus and its antigay church network to be demonic, immoral and exempt from any Constitutional protection.
Exodus has made its redefinition of “conversation” apparent in countless locations here and abroad:
in Ohio, where veteran board member Phil Burress has raged against the presence of LGBT people in workplaces and against LGBT groups’ and individuals’ access to public facilities and the media;
in Tennessee, where Exodus refused to cooperate with the state regarding suspicions of sexual abuse and intimidation at its flagship Love In Action residential program, and instead relabeled the detention facility as a religious “retreat” that is now exempt from public scrutiny;
in Florida, where for years Alan Chambers vocally opposed antidiscrimination and pro-adoption legislation, as a means of silencing “conversation” by making people homeless, jobless — and parent-less;
in Barbados, where Exodus Global Alliance published ads defending vigilantism and criminalization of homosexuality as a means of coercion into fraudulent ex-gay therapy;
in Uganda, where Exodus board member Don Schmierer — with encouragement from president Alan Chambers — has spent seven years working with Scott Lively, Martin Ssempa, Rick Warren, David Bahati, Stephen Langa and others to foster the belief that homosexuals pose a dire threat which must be silenced and eradicated through abusive parenting, strict imprisonment, and involuntary ex-gay “treatment.”
Day of Silence supporters have coped with melees at Day of Truth events in previous years, but GLSEN puts a brave and diplomatic face on the situation this year. According to The Advocate:
GLSEN representatives see the competing event differently. “We find it unfortunate that the ADF and now Exodus International tries to spin a message counter to ours, that anti-LGBT bullying is wrong,” GLSEN spokesman Daryl Presgraves said. “Students today feel more welcome and accepted, and have a sense of belonging that didn’t exist 20 years ago. Part of the Day of Truth is to take away from that, to spread the mistruths about ‘conversion therapy.’”
Presgraves added that “it doesn’t look like [Exodus] is saying that bullying is OK. However, the fact that they have this counterevent a day before the Day of Silence on April 16 is telling.”
Truth Wins Out held its first New York City benefit last Friday and raised more than $10,000 to fight religious extremism and the ex-gay myth. Philanthropist Henry van Ameringen, who pledged $25,000 this year, hosted the event. The elegant party drew more than 50 people who braved a messy snowstorm that turned the city’s streets into frozen slush.
“We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of Henry van Ameringen and we thank him for hosting a delightful evening that introduced Truth Wins Out to new supporters,” said TWO Executive Director Wayne Besen.
A highlight of the event was a $5,000 contribution from Tom Viola, Executive Director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. This organization mobilizes the unique abilities within the entertainment industry to mitigate the suffering of individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. It also facilitates the fundraising capabilities of the theatre community for other charitable organizations.
“It was quite an honor to receive this unexpected gift from Tom Viola and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS,” said TWO’s Besen. “They do such amazing work and we are proud to be a recipient of their legendary benevolence.”
Truth Wins Out also expressed its gratitude today for those who served on the host committee and ensured a successful evening despite the inclement weather. The host committee includes: Ted Snowdon, John Berendt, Sean Strub, Anabel Evora, Mike Wilke, David Mixner, William Kapfer, Ph.D, Gene Stone, Glen Shadix and Lisa Darden.
One special guest was Moses, a gay Ugandan who spoke out at the National Press Club in February against his country’s Anti-Homosexuality bill. He was joined by Patrick McAlvey, who appeared in a Truth Wins Out video discussing his unpleasant experience in an Exodus ex-gay ministry.
If you were not at the benefit but would like to make a tax-deductible donation to Truth Wins Out, please send a check to:
TWO Executive Director Wayne Besen to Appear at Just Love Counter-Conference on Saturday, March 6
Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director, Wayne Besen, will join nationally recognized gay and lesbian advocates to oppose Exodus International’s “ex-gay” road show, Love Won Out, which travels to La Mesa’s Skyline Church on Saturday. On the same day as the Exodus event, a counter-conference will be held, Just Love, which will expose the ex-gay industry and educate people about the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
“Sexual orientation is not a choice, but thanks to conferences like Love Won Out, some people do choose to embrace prejudice and discrimination,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out and author of Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth. “You cannot pray away the gay and the sooner people learn to accept themselves, the better off they are.”
On September 19, 2000, Besen photographed the ex-gay founder of Love Won Out, John Paulk, in a gay bar in Washington, DC. He also has shadowed Love Won Out, organizing or participating in protests or counter-conferences wherever Love Won Out’s road show appears. The last one was in Birmingham, Alabama in November 2009.
Just Love will take-place at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral (2728 6th Ave)from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Sessions will be conducted by experts including the former co-founder of Exodus International, Michael Bussee, who is now an outspoken critic of the group he helped start. Other notable speakers include, ex-gay survivor Daniel Gonzales, Jim Burroway, Editor of Box Turtle Bulletin and Amity Buxton, founder of the Straight Spouse Network (SSN), which supports straight spouses whose partners came out as gay. There will also be a session for leaders of the faith community led by Louise Brooks of California Faith for Equality and the Human Rights Campaign.
“We refuse to be defined by misinformation, junk science and religious bigotry,” said TWO’s Besen. “Just Love will set the record straight on the ex-gay industry and provide factual information on our lives. We will dispel stereotypes, shine a bright light on the lies and send the message that gay people are fine just the way they are.”
As a result of the investigation, Comiskey says DSM was “torn in two” and that “we the righteous became the scum of the earth–not only the defender of victims, but the predators.”
For reasons possibly related to this scandal, Comiskey moved Desert Stream from Anaheim to Kansas City, Mo., several years ago, where it currently remains in operation.
Capetown Archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu is an amazing person who stands for what is good in the world. Here is an excerpt from an op-ed he penned in 
TWO’s Executive Director, Wayne Besen, was in San Diego last week to join nationally recognized gay and lesbian advocates to oppose Exodus International’s “ex-gay” road show, Love Won Out, which took place in La Mesa’s Skyline Church on Saturday.
TWO Executive Director Wayne Besen to Appear at Just Love Counter-Conference on Saturday, March 6 
