Contact: Wayne Besen
Phone: 917-691-5118
E-Mail: wbesen@TruthWinsOut.org
Demonstration Against ‘Ex-Gay’ Group Takes On New Urgency Following LGBT Teen Suicide Crisis
PHILADELPHIA – Truth Wins Out launched the website, Lift My Luggage.org, today and announced a Saturday, Nov.6 protest 
against the “ex-gay” organization, The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), at their annual convention in Philadelphia.
The notorious “ex-gay” group is hoping that Americans have amnesia and won’t remember that its most “prominent” board member, George Rekers, was forced to resign in May. Rekers stepped down from NARTH after he was caught vacationing with a male escort he met on Rent Boy.com. When asked why he had hired the young man, Rekers said it was to, “lift his luggage.”
“As the infamous quacks at NARTH gather for their annual convention, let’s remind America that NARTH is a pseudo-scientific organization that is more about luring Rent Boys than conducting legitimate research,” said Truth Wins Out’s founder Wayne Besen. “In light of recent gay teen suicides, we must stand up and show how NARTH’s lies harm LGBT youth and create an intolerant climate where persecution, bullying, and violence occur.”
The Lift My Luggage demonstration is co-sponsored by the Equality Forum, The William Way LGBT Community Center, MCC Philadelphia, Pam Spaulding (Pam’s House Blend), Joe Jervis (Joe.My.God) and Jeremy Hooper (Good As You), Zack Ford (Zack Ford Blog). If your organization would like to consider co-sponsoring this event, please contact Wayne Besen, wbesen@truthwinsout.org.
Protest Information:
What: Protest of NARTH’s annual convention. We are asking that you bring your own luggage to the demonstration (pink luggage would be ideal).
Please consider attaching signs to the luggage such as:
NARTH = Junk Science
“Ex-Gay? No Way”
“Rent Boy Rekers”
Where: Renaissance Philadelphia Airport Hotel
500 Stevens Drive
Philadelphia, Pa.
When: Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010
Noon-1:30 PM
data=”http://www.youtube.com/v/sAiIXb9Aql0?fs=1″>You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video
Thought you might like this:http://www.flickr.com/photos/joethemoproductions/4634636244/
That was funny. ;)
Philly’s my home town. It’s where I’m sitting right now, in my apartment. I’ll BE there. It’d be nice to finally meet Wayne who got me into this whole anti-exgay thing to begin with.
No surprise to find Narth supporting ‘intelligent design’ creationist junk science, pretending that we did not evolve, on its website: http://www.narth.com/docs/reflection.html
Reparative therapy, like ID, is a movement entirely funded by the religious right, dedicated to denying reality. And totally debunked by people who know what they are talking about. Good luck with the protest…
Funny, sad, pathetic…Golly how the truth will out! It’s just inexplicable how some still try to FIGHT the truth…
Excellent campaign and action Wayne and all at TWO! Wish I could make it will def post and repost the link.
IF I can got off from work (I work Saturdays), I would like to attend this also. Emily K. I come to Philly regularly-the Parc French Bistro on Rittenhouse Square has the best omelets in the universe.
I thought of really good signs to put in the luggage:
“THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO A JOHN????????????”
“120,000 REASONS NOT TO BUY INTO THESE LIES”
We so rarely get really good demonstrations here in Philly, since the idiots tend to not gather too much in public (witnessing the paltry turnout for the anti-gays at this year’s OutFest this past Sunday). I’m looking forward to it–my search for an appropriately pink piece of luggage is underway!
I’ll make every effort to be there!
I’ll try to be there.
For a sign, how about . . .
NARTH:
National Association for Retarded Thinking on Homosexuality.
“Retarded” might not fly too well, because it’s kind of ableist. Maybe “retrograde” or “repugnant” or “ratbrained”?
Makyiu — Also, “revolting”, “rancid”, or “repressed”.
I thought some people might flag the use of “retarded.” That’s why I posted it. It’s unfortunate that a perfectly legitimate word became a pejorative in common usage. Oh well, language is fluid.