The recently disgraced Arthur Abba Goldberg will take his first stab at rehabilitating his image tonight after a South Florida Gay News and Truth Wins Out investigation revealed that he was a convicted Wall Street con artist. Upon leaving prison and completing parole, Abba Goldberg reinvented himself as an ex-gay activist – concealing his sordid past.
Goldberg and his apologists say that he should now be forgiven because his crimes and sins occurred two decades ago. But that ignores the central fact that his larger moral failing was that he concealed his past from colleagues and the media during his entire tenure with Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH). He never came clean about his sordid identity and would have continued lying and deceiving if not for the expose in February revealing that he is a fraud. As a result of his deception, he was forced exit his position as an officer with the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH)
Over the past couple of months, Goldberg has understandably kept a low profile. But, now he appears to be reemerging with a full-fledged public relations campaign. His efforts begin tonight with an “enlightening panel discussion” in Tallahassee allegedly sponsored by Pride and Seminole Christian Life. The event is presenting speakers both for and against the so-called “ex-gay” industry.
According to a Face Book page, the panelists will include:
- Frank Carrasco, Exodus
- Rev. Mark Byrd, Gentle Shepherd MCC
- Arthur Goldberg, JONAH
- Cantor Tanya Greenblatt, Temple Israel
- Christine Sneeringe, Exodus
The Face Book page also says:
Keep in mind, this is a panel, not a debate. We are looking to engage one another in a meaningful dialogue about the others opinions in a safe space. Both sides will be represented in order to present an unbiased view so that we all can reach our own conclusions about the topic in question.
Huh?
By definition the ex-gay industry is biased and pumps out unadulterated propaganda. It is has not one iota of science on its side. Its central thesis is a fraud: That LGBT people are the way they are as a result of poor parenting or sexual abuse. They say the “cure” is a combination of prayer and making straight friends that the gay person does not have sex with.
Not only is this bizarre reasoning false, but it is deliberate pseudo-scientific misinformation designed to undermine LGBT attempts to gain equality under the law. Indeed, the entire “ex-gay” “movement” isn’t even a real movement. It is political construction by religious fundamentalists intent on manipulating science to bolster a discriminatory worldview and justify anti-gay legislation. It allows the Religious Right to smile and pretend they love us, even as they persecute us.
It is disappointing that Pride is so gullible to promote this as a “safe space” when by definition “ex-gay” rhetoric demeans, diminishes and dehumanizes LGBT people. Does Pride believe that calling LGBT people sexually broken, demonic and perverse, as ex-gay activists routinely do is meaningful dialogue? Is having ex-gay activists whitewash their failure rate and lack of professional oversight, which can lead to abuse, sound like a “safe space”?
Furthermore, did they ever stop to question why the fundamentalists have recruited Goldberg, a convicted con artist, to represent their side? Maybe because their intention is to con students into believing they are just a good bunch of wholesome, loving people who only want to “help” those who want to change. Not the double talking, hate mongering, intellectually bankrupt, extremist ideologues they truly are.
By all means, have a panel discussion, I support such dialogue and free speech. But it is disappointing that Goldberg, a proven miscreant with no credibility, zero moral authority or genuine expertise on this subject is given a platform with the willing consent of an LGBT organization. That’s just plain stupid and allowing yourself to be punked.
As for the Christian organization I only have two questions: If your side is so moral, just and correct, why must you elevate a convicted felon who lied to his colleagues as recently as February to make your case – unless you have no case? Is this really, the best your side can do?
I hope the panelists and students who come to this event are well-informed, armed with the facts and ask tough questions. They should not shy away from combating such propaganda – even if it means making Goldberg and others uncomfortable. This con artist should not get a pass. I’d like to see a student ask this question:
Mr. Abba Goldberg. You bilked your clients – including poor communities – for millions of dollars. You emerged from prison and lied about your identity. What gives you the moral authority and integrity to talk about this issue, given your propensity for decades of deception? Why should we believe you now?
The Goldberg rehab train continues in New York City with a “special evening with JONAH”, Sunday, April 25, 2010 from 5:30 – 8:30 pm on West 70th St., NYC. According to the invitation:
This evening will be an opportunity to ask questions of our counselors and directors about JONAH’s new programs and plans for the future. We would also like your input and help in creating programs that will suit your needs.
We look forward to seeing you. We have lots of good information to share.
*Kosher Dietary Laws Observed
Well, at least its good to know there are still some laws observed by Goldberg. I may just have to attend this meeting. I can think of a few important questions to ask.
I’m also curious about the make-up of the panel. Two Exodus associates and Goldberg vs. one MCC minister? (I’m not sure where Cantor Greenblatt and Temple Israel fall in the debate.) That looks like a stacked deck to me.
Cantor Greenblatt is generally supportive to gay people, and is balancing Goldberg on the Jewish axis of the panel. The remainder are on the Christian axis. This is a terribly unbalanced panel, with three well trained and skilled ex-gay proponents against two local clergy supportive to gays.
The thing is – you really can’t balance an imprisoned con artist who lied up until he got caught in February. It is demeaning to even have this dishonest reprobate on the panel. Has he ever spoken one word of truth in his life?
Why not just pull some criminals out of Florida’s Raiford Prison and put them on the panel? They have about as much credibility as Goldberg.
It is clear that those who put on this panel either did not do their homework or they have no standards. Either way, its a black eye for the academic integrity of Florida State University.
What next, OJ Simpson on a panel to talk about the ills of domestic violence?
[...] evening, I attended a panel discussion titled: All God’s Children: LGBTQ Members of Faith & the Ex-Gay Movement. It was jointly [...]
Well, I suppose if you really wanted an answer you could have contacted the cosponsoring group through the facebook page, but I’ll answer the question posed anyway. I’m the event organizer on the Christian group’s side. When Pride came to us saying they wanted to go forward with this event (we had tossed it around before), they asked me to find a Christian and a Jewish ex-gay speaker (and an Islamic, but that’s rather difficult). The only Jewish ex-gay group they knew of, or that I know of, is JONAH, so they recommended them.
If there’s one common tenet all Christians believe in, it is forgiveness. I knew about Goldberg’s issue before I invited him. It is incredibly hypocritical to ask someone to voluntarily go around telling people they were punished for a crime 20 years ago. Do you really expect people to volunteer that info? Really? We’ve all made mistakes in the past, and done willfully wrong things, but we don’t go around saying “Hi. I’m Galen. I once did this illegal thing.” He was punished, let him move on. It simply has nothing to do with his current work, except that you want to be able to call him a liar and not credible. It’s not like he’s putting out new research. Your attempts to link the two are simply desperate, and make it seem like you aren’t confident in the facts you believe (I suspect you are, but if so you should defend them, not attack a man’s character because he did something wrong 20 years ago.) I say it’s hypocritical bc you would never hold someone you respect to the same standard of “They did something wrong 20 years ago, so I’m not going to ever listen to them.”
What we had last night was a lot of respect shown by both sides, an example you might want to consider following.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t expect people to be morally perfect for their entire life before I’ll show them respect. Thankfully, considering we’ve all done wrong, neither does God. Forgive and forget is the principle – if the guy tries sell you stock in a company, maybe you think twice. But trying to link a financial fraud (interesting the Gay Post article cited the attorney general several times, but not the actual charge convicted of – fraud without harm to individuals, speaking of full disclosure) with current work on ex-gay as both fraudulent simply because you disagree with the whole ex-gay movement? That’s just low, and makes people lose respect for you. It might be different if he was making radical new claims, but he’s not. Your disagreement is with the ex-gay movement and the research they believe, not with Mr. Goldberg, so please abandon the character assassination.
To put it in your words, “If your side is so moral, just and correct, why must resort to character assassination and ad hominem attacks to make your case — unless you have no case? Is this really, the best your side can do?”
Galen,
Goldberg has substituted one fraud (massive financial fraud) with the ex-gay fraud. There is no evidence that anyone can change their sexual orientation. He knows this (just as everyone else that makes a living off the ex-gay industry). He is still a con artist.
And that, Galen, is why it’s relevant.
Wow. “No evidence that anyone can change their sexual orientation.” That is a remarkably arrogant, and ignorant, claim. There is evidence, you just disagree with it as valid. It’s just inaccurate to say there isn’t evidence, and laughable, and it makes you look really dumb. Believing different evidence doesn’t make those who believe it liars and con artists. I am shocked that you just called everyone in the ex-gay movement con artists by claiming they all “know” there is no evidence. No matter how pro-gay you are, you should be able to disagree with a little more respect than that. Even the most vehemently pro-gay faculty I know at our school wouldn’t claim there is “no evidence”. It just makes one look ridiculous. If you disagree with the evidence and think it’s invalid, just say so and prove why. But putting your hand over your eyes and saying “there is no evidence, there is no evidence, there is no evidence” isn’t going to help anybody.
“Wow. “No evidence that anyone can change their sexual orientation.” That is a remarkably arrogant, and ignorant, claim. There is evidence, you just disagree with it as valid.”
No, Galen, it’s factual. You can’t argue with science, and Goldberg and JONAH and NARTH don’t have real science on their side, they have hack science, no better than the b******t “science” that “links” autism to whatever Jenny McCarthy says.
You’re a concern troll. We’ll keep doing what we’ve been doing for years, rather than taking your suggestions to suddenly try to find false equivalencies and “agree to disagree respectfully.” Not all viewpoints deserve respect, and that is simply a fact.
Mr. Galen,
Where is your evidence?
You produce the multiple, peer reviewed, reproducible studies with pre- and post- ex-gay intervention/therapy/prayer that show clear, measurable changes in sexual orientation from gay to straight. Until you can do that, your post (#9) is the one that looks ridiculous.
On this board, we aren’t naive to the whole ex-gay schtick. We understand the language, we have seen the lies, the scandals, the admissions from present and former leaders that they are as gay now as they were in the past. We know that there is no real science behind it. It is all a sham.
Your over the top response isn’t going to convince anyone here that there is any efficacy to ex-gay claims that they can change someone’s sexual orientation. Call me dumb, call me ridiculous, claim to be shocked, I don’t really care.
You are the one claiming that ex-gay interventions change sexual orientation. So the burden is on you to provide the evidence. Go ahead, we’re waiting.
Galen, at the very least you are sadly misguided.
One thing that many gay people have been doing for eons is pretending to be straight or deluding themselves into believing they were straight. And they did it alone because it was too frightening to talk to anyone about their attractions. Today, the only difference is that they are able to do it with hand-holding via ex-gay “ministries.” Ironically, the existence of these ex-gay outfits are an indication of our far we have come from the days when homosexuality was virtually unspeakable.
I’m old enough to have seen the pattern often repeated. I can’t begin to count the number of men I know who married women and then years later walked away. Some claimed to be bisexual, but it’s funny how they are only interested in men now. Some of them have not walked away from their marriages but regularly cheat on their wives, but again, only with men. While I won’t deny the existence of bisexuals, I believe there are far fewer of them than claimed.
While it is sad that these men spent so many years living in a manner contrary to their natures, the saddest part may be the women who were deceived into marriages by men who were pretending or deluding themselves. I do not blame the men. I blame society. If you support the notion of gays becoming ex-gay, then your are also supporting the continuation of these practices, and you are immoral. The moral thing to do for the betterment of society is to encourage gay people to be gay.
It’s fascinating how often I see secular people having much higher moral standards than the highly religious.
Galen said “No matter how pro-gay you are, you should be able to disagree with a little more respect than that.”
You come from a position that says innocent gays deserve eternal torture. You do everything you can to deny gays the rights you have. Your position is profoundly disrespectful and yet somehow you think pro-gay people should respect you – that’s just crazy.
Its time you acknowledged the harm you’re doing to innocent people and changed your ways. No one who does what you do deserves any respect whatsoever. You deserve nothing but contempt.
Even if Mr. Goldberg has disclosed his background to the organizations he has helped lead, all of them should be audited. Someone who has engaged in a great fraud, as he did twenty years ago, might still be tempted, albeit for smaller stakes, decades later.
Galen, I met you during the meeting. You came across to me as a homophobic closeted gay man, who desperately is trying to convince himself that he is not gay. I am sorry, but some day, your God will ask you why you had to defy Him in trying to be heterosexual.
Anyway, if you have the proof that the Gay can be preyed prayed away, let us know, because contrary to the hollow claims by your buddies, the proof always evaporates as soon as it surfaces and sees the light. Oh, that is true, the same light that will ask you why you defied Him.