UPDATE: Evan here, with a quick update. If you want to see what it looks like when an actual, trained journalist who takes his job seriously investigates Journey Into Manhood, click here to read Ted Cox’s report.
I was incredibly disappointed with ABC Nightline’s segment that aired last night about the bizarre group People Can Change, which hosts Journey into Manhood (JIM) weekends. JIM takes closeted men with religious hang-ups into the woods, where they hug each other to allegedly become more masculine. The goal of this male bonding is to remake these repressed homosexuals into heterosexuals.
The problem is, it does not work, the techniques are based on junk science and the attendees, which pay $650 to be manipulated, can be psychologically harmed. JIM is a strange brew of New Age psychobabble mixed with fundamentalism, weaved into a scam that can accurately be described as consumer fraud, in my view.
JIM does not work for the vast majority of people who go through it. Yet, ABC made the critical mistake of focusing on the hand-picked alleged success stories, while largely ignoring the vast majority of attendees — which were victims who were ripped off by this scheme.
Why would a network elect to create what essentially was an infomercial for JIM, while skimming over the harm perpetrated on the majority? Shouldn’t this story be told in the form of an expose from the perspective of the victims?
Sadly, Nightline’s producers elected to trade accuracy for access. They bragged that they were the first network that got to take cameras into JIM. Well, not exactly. ABC was denied access to the actual JIM weekends — which are furtive, painful and bizarre — and instead allowed the network to film a JIM Reunion featuring canned spokespeople touting the Party Line. In essence, the PR people at JIM slyly created a Potemkin Village and ABC was suckered into videotaping the propaganda.
This really pisses me off. I spoke to the producer, Melia Patria, and explicitly warned her that in order to do this segment correctly, Nightline had to go undercover, like 60 Minutes used to. This would be the only way to get an accurate account of the silliness and seduction that truly represents JIM.
I suppose good old fashioned journalism is a quaint and anachronistic notion. These days, the networks often take the easy way out, even at the expense of an accurate portrayal of their subject matter.
The ABC piece was also biased, in that it gave an enormous amount of time to the JIM propagandists, while giving mere soundbites to victims Chaim Levin and Ben Unger, who were featured in a Truth Wins Out video. These men bared their souls and took big risks coming forward, and all they got was short shrift and shafted. Ben and Chaim did a marvelous job (as did star psychiatrist Jack Drescher), but their valid criticism of JIM was a mere afterthought.
Nevertheless, propaganda can only go so far. ABC does get credit for asking the right questions in terms of whether the so-called “ex-gays” are still attracted to the same sex. After hesitating, JIM’s spokesmodel, “Preston”, admits that he still thinks guys are hot. And, in a startling admission, his wife admits that they cruise men together. I’m sure church might even be fun with that couple! (Speaking of wives, why didn’t ABC interview anyone from survivor groups like the Straight Spouse Network, to show how these “ex-gay” marriages usually lead to divorce in the long run?)
Is it not astounding that the handpicked poster boy of JIM’s propaganda campaign looks at dudes with his wife? The moral of the story, thus, is the best this organization can offer is repression of sexual desires, rather than a genuine change in sexual orientation. Do people really need to spend $650 to suppress their desires?
Today, I am going to challenge ABC to do another segment — and do it correctly. The network has a moral obligation to tell the real story and do so from the victim’s perspective — not the victimizers. There are good people at Nightline who can get this right, and as top tier journalists with network budgets, they have the ability to do so. It is imperative for the sake of journalistic integrity that they take this story further and objectively search for truth. When they do so, I can guarantee the final product will be quite repellent to mainstream America and look much different than the slick PR dish served up last night.
Watch full segment (second one beginning at 6:30)
More coverage at Ex-Gay Watch.
Here is the story that should have been told on ABC and wasn’t.
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As I said yesterday, it was about 50/50 as to whether ABC would commit an act of journalism here. Obviously they did not.
i 100% agree, it was very disappointing that they spent the majority of the time covering Preston’s story and not the victims. Especially since he could be a 1 in a million story of “success” for all we know, AND that as u said, it wasn’t undercover which discredits all of JIM’s credibility.
I personally thought that Chaim and Benjamin’s segment was the essential part of the whole picture, and they made it like it was just another side of the coin.
I do was disappointed that ABC failed to include more ex-ex-gay voices, many of whom emerged from reparative therapy traumatized. I was also disappointed that ABC made no mention of the ties that most ex-gay programs have to conservative faith groups. How can you talk about the ex-gay movement without mentioning the Religious Right that spearheaded it!?
Oh please. ABC did a fine job. 9 out of 10 jim goers are satisfied customers, and that’s what they showed. And PCC doesn’t tell anyone they have to change or attack those who wanna be gay. They’re just there to support those guys who wanna screw chicks. Is that so terrible? And this is coming from a gay (not ex-gay) JiM alumnus who nevertheless appreciates the experience and values the friendships I made that weekend. Even though i kept my sexuality the weekend wasn’t “damaging” or “a failure” because I learned about myself and made connections and am a better stronger person. So what if it doesn’t make people straight. It still has value.
TeddyD Are you messed up in the head as well? “So what if it doesn’t make gay people straight?” The very idea they promote is that there are no gay people–just people who CHOOSE consciously or not to be gay, or people who were damaged into becoming gay. They exist so that fundamentalists can claim that people can change–indeed that was the name. They exist to say that something is wrong or broken about gays, to give cause to the Religious Right who demands that we conform. Sure, it may have some other (unhealthy, self-loathing) bonding value, and I support anyone who wants to try to change so that they won’t be hated, cheated, or judged–it’s his life. But the point of this article is that it usu creates more victims–and ABC failed to report the real story. Weren’t you paying attention?
[...] Besen, founder of the anti-ex-gay organization Truth Wins Out, in, “Nightline: Journey into Manhood Poster Boy Cruises Men With Wife; Analysis of Puff Segment,” had this to say [...]
I think the segment was fine. They definitely didn’t shine a fantastic light on JIM. ABC even called out the founder directly stating that he wasn’t a real counselor or psychologist. I believe that the story was fine. They did show both sides of the success stories and the non successes. To call these people victims is inaccurate. These men, or at least the ones in the segment, voluntarily paid to go to this weekend. They are seeking help for something they personally believe is an issue they face. Maybe they really aren’t gay, but something in their past really made them have questionable attractions. Maybe they’re closeted self-hating homosexuals. Maybe they want a good weekend of plutonic man on man hugging. Whatever the case, it is not our place to judge. I believe ABC did a fine job of showing a ‘success’ in Preston as well as the individuals who came out of JIM scared and even more confused. Just because ABC didn’t go in and demonize this organization doesn’t mean they did a poor job in their journalistic efforts, it means you wanted them to be biased for you. PS – I’m totally gay and watched this last night as it aired.
John, not every issue has two sides.
This is part of the problem with what our lazy assed corporate media has shat all over our national discourse, led by Fox — this idea that we all should just Be Nice and Civil and let Both Sides Talk. b******t. If ABC was interested in committing an act of journalism, they could have done their research like Grown-Ups, and perhaps contacted Ted Cox, since he already f*****g did their job for them.
TeddyD seems more screwed up by his experience at JIM than he leads us to believe.
But the very nature of his post is a reflection of the damage done to his psyche.
I was also very disappointed with the way ABC treated JIM with kid gloves. Didn’t challenge them. Wonder if they would treat other crazy theories the same way. Would like to see how they handle the people who insist the world is flat :-)
Yes, we neeed an expose of things like “Journey into Manhood”. We need to get the victim’s stories out there so people know what a fraud this is.
I’ve hugged a lotta women in my day…still lesbian…what tosh!
I’m not surprised. ABC tends to have a Neanderthal perspective on subjects like this. John Stossel did a lot of damage while he was there. Last time I checked, he’d found a happy home on Fox.
John Boerger I agree with nearly everything you said but this: expecting ABC to tell the WHOLE truth is not bias. If, like during the tobacco hearings, someone were to argue for some benefit that cigarettes bring without mentioning the terrible risks and hazards, they would be guilty of arguing in bad faith and of being biased. ABC was biased against us.
I suspect that the “successful” participants were, in fact, bisexual.
Watching the ABC piece left me wondering a couple things about the queer affirmative culture and the mainstream media. How could LGBTQ affirmative organizations collaborate with ABC so ABC could air a piece on healthy alternatives for lesbian, bi and gay people suffering from spiritual abuse in their religious communities? How could ABC produce a piece that warns about the dangers of so-called reparative therapy? And, instead, show healthy alternative for LGBT?
In other words, how could ABC be helped to produce a piece about how there are supportive alternatives for people such as Preston and his wife? How could ABC contact with http://soulforce.org and the American Psychological Association’s Division of LGBT Concerns http://apa.org and the LGBT Specialization program in LGBT Affirmative Psychology at Antioch University of LA? Would ABC film a MCC weekend retreat and broadcast it? Or interview therapists such as James Guay and Rik Isensee about their annual gay men’s retreat at Esalen?
Maybe if we heard from the media contact people for those organizations and events we would hear that ABC ignores their attempts to contact them for exposure.
Hopefully ABC is doing more research to portray more about affirmative alternatives for men who attend a JIM event or others like them. Who helps broker such research about LGBTQ affirmative events and organizations?
The piece was very biased. I think one of the most telling quotes from “Preston” was this, talking about having same-sex attraction from an early age: “…it wasn’t a problem until I heard from others and was shamed that it was a problem…”
And the religious wingnuts still deny their attitudes play a role in the self-hatred these men feel?
[...] Besen of Truth Wins Out called the piece “an infomercial for JIM” and said “Nightline’s producers [...]
The key aspect that exposes this farce if that every time the guy in the Nightline piece sees a loving male/male couple out having fun with their kids, it totally crushes his soul.
[...] goal of making them more masculine. The group recently gained notoriety after ABC Nightline filmed a puff piece highlighting the group’s work. (A more accurate description of the group might be Journey [...]
[...] segment left activist Wayne Besen wanting more: “JIM does not work for the vast majority of people who go through it. Yet, ABC made the [...]
You do realize that JONAH and JIM are completely different organizations meaning the testimony of one isn’t a reasonable argument to undo the effectiveness of the other?
Instead of passing judgment and making assumptions, maybe there are two things to be considered.
Firstly, these men choose to come, but the JIM segment wouldn’t be able to show many of the alumni or the weekend because those men go there in safety. Unlike, Rich Wyler few of them are public. Which is reasonable considering most people in our society pretend they know what they are going through only to convince them that they really are gay? That isn’t an outsiders decision, but the a personal one.
And Secondly, seriously people, if you are going to state your mind on this matter at least read the info about these groups. JIM is neither Christian (not associated with any specific religion at all, actually) nor claims scientific processes. There are other notable things in this world beside science… i.e. love, faith, compassion, will-power.
That’s your problem right there Kat. You assume faith – belief with out evidence, is more important than science and the truth. That’s just self deception, thinking because you want something to be a certain way that it is the way you want it to be.
These men don’t “choose” to come of their own free will, they come because they’ve had it drilled into them from young that there is something wrong with them when there isn’t. They come because they want to seek to avoid oppression and shame they don’t deserve from bigoted people like you. They don’t come for any reason solely to do with themselves.
We’ve certainly had a huge raft of trolls (assuming they’re not all the same person) land on this site since the Bachmann expose.
It probably means Wayne, Evan, John and everyone are doing a good job. Congratulations.
Kat:
Obviously you have no idea what you are talking about. JONAH is a feeder group for JIM. They share the same quack counselors.
You are banned for the rest of the month for not doing your homework or deliberately lying.
I would have to say that 90% of the posts here are done by those with some sort of trauma. Many sound confused, hurt and disappointed in an entity that does not even exsist. Sounds like you are pouring out your hate from some source on to this broadcast. I do not hate gays/ex-gays/closeted gays or whatever you wish to call them. Each person has their limits in life and should know themselves. If they want to try something and it does not work, that is really their business. I did not hear about guns forcing them to go to this camp the way the white man forced Native Americans into compliance with American standards. I did not see anyone being escorted to the camp by Marines the way the whites where as they were integrated into Black schools. If someone wants to pay the fees to be with a hooker and be beaten by her, they do. If a gay wants to pay money and have some sort of phycological experience, they do. GOD BLESS AMERICA and the freedoms we have to live and believe the way we want to.
Good luck to you all. I hope you can recover soon!
@Tetsuo
So…Live and let live! Eh Tetsuo? If you go to the doctor, the doctor is a qwack. Well, that’s just your fault? No recourse or responsibility of the provider?
I always find that the ones that like to take the observer position on things that don’t affect them personally, scream the loudest when they become affected. Easy way out Tetsuo? Really? What a troll.
Tetsuo said:
“I did not see anyone being escorted to the camp by Marines the way the whites where as they were integrated into Black schools.”
Could somebody translate this for me? Or did I miss out on some news in the last 100 years?