‘Ex-Gay’ Conference To Be Debunked in Atlanta on Feb. 16

Wayne Besen February 02, 2012

Please join Truth Wins Out (TWO) founder and executive director, Wayne Besen along with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and a local panel of LGBT clergy, a licensed therapist, ex-gay survivors, and families who’ve struggled with acceptance for a community discussion about the dangerous practice of conversion therapy.

Our Local Panel consists of :

Rev T.J. McGiffert; Chaplain at Dekalb Medical and SoulForce Member
Rev Paul Turner; Pastor of Gentle Spirit Church
Dr. Gwen Davies; Licensed Psychologist – Clinical Director at Positive Impact
Mrs. Patti Ellis; Activist Mother of Gay Son – Runs Website FamilyAcceptance.com
Allen Peebles; Ex-Gay Survivor
Rev Tony Jones; Pastor of Unity Fellowship Church

Joining the Local Panel will be Chaim Levin; Ex-Gay Survivor as a guest of Truth Wins Out.

When: Thursday, February 16 at 7:30pm at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Atlanta
731 Peachtree St. NE

TWO monitors anti-LGBT organizations, documents their lies and exposes their leaders as charlatans. TWO specializes in turning information into action by organizing, advocating and fighting for LGBT equality. TWO’s goal is to create a world where LGBT individuals can live openly, honestly and true to themselves.

The Southern Poverty Law Center is committed to exposing the dangerous practice of conversion therapy, a so-called treatment program based on the premise that people can change their sexual orientation from gay to straight. People who have undergone conversion therapy report suffering from increased anxiety, depression, and in some cases, suicidal ideation. The devastating consequences of this program are why we are working with others to end this practice and defend the rights of individuals harmed by it.

This Panel discussion is being sponsored in response to the Exodus International’s Love Won Out Conference in Atlanta on Saturday, Feb 18th. Local Activists from the Queer Justice League, GetEQUAL GA, PFLAG Atlanta, PFLAG Macon, Act Out Savannah, South GA Pride, and others will be holding a Protest Action on the Day of the Love Won Out Conference – For more information about this action and how to participate please visit our Facebook event page:

For More Information about Truth Wins Out and the Southern Poverty Law Center:

Truth Wins Out
http://www.truthwinsout.org/

Southern Poverty Law Center
http://www.splcenter.org/

About the Author

Wayne Besen is the Founding Executive Director of Truth Wins Out and author of “Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth” (Haworth, 2003). In 2010, Besen was awarded the “Visionary Award” at the Out Music Awards for organizing the American Prayer Hour, an event which shined a spotlight on the role American evangelicals played in the introduction of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

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24 Comments

StraightGrandmother February 2, 2012 at 2:25 pm -

Have you considered inviting John Smid? He has been apologizing like crazy on his website.
http://www.gracerivers.com/acknowledge-part-one/

Just a thought Wayne…
Tolerant February 3, 2012 at 5:01 am -

I hope the protest is not another censorship scheme.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH……..
and let the prevailing reasoning stand.

When any group attempts to curtail the free flow of speech of those they disagree with, it just comes off as anti-democratic.
Gene February 3, 2012 at 9:06 am -

It is not censorship when those protesting are stoping the speading of lies that hurt people.
“Drink the arsonic, its good for you!”
“Fire!” in a crowded theatre or mall
“You are disordered and loving someone of the same gender is evil, will damn you to hell, so feel like s**t about yourself, and waste years of your life on ‘therapy’ that major medical associations long disowned”

Same thing.
Gene February 3, 2012 at 9:06 am -

It is not censorship when those protesting are stoping the speading of lies that hurt people.
“Drink the arsenic, its good for you!”
“Fire!” in a crowded theatre or mall
“You are disordered and loving someone of the same gender is evil, will damn you to hell, so feel like s**t about yourself, and waste years of your life on ‘therapy’ that major medical associations long disowned”

Same thing.
Gene February 3, 2012 at 9:07 am -

(oops, hit the button twice)
Aulton February 3, 2012 at 9:43 am -

They’re free to hold their hate rally. We’re free to protest it. That’s the beauty of freedom of speech!
Gene February 3, 2012 at 10:45 am -

Hopefully soon Aulton, we can legally prevent them from having them. Fraud and medical malpractice are NOT freedom of speech.

The Rev. McGiffert is very nice. He has been a great source of comfort to me the hubby during his stay at Dekalb medical. I should mention that in my entire time there, everyone, from staff to family of other patients, have been amazingly respectful of our relationship and have given it the respect and standing it deserves.

The idiots may hold their hatefest here in Atlanta, but even in the deep south, they have lost the war, and they know it.
Tolerant February 3, 2012 at 2:20 pm -

When free speech is no longer free speech it is totalitarianism pure and simple.

Nobody is shouting fire in a crowded room.

In a healthy society diverse perspectives are encouraged not censored!
Gene February 3, 2012 at 2:51 pm -

There is no need for these lies that damage innocent people to be allowed to be heard.
Call it what you will, does not matter. They need to be silenced, we need to be heard.
Tolerant February 3, 2012 at 4:10 pm -

Gene,

You hopefully understand that what you wrote

“They need to be silenced, we need to be heard”

Is the epitome of intolerance, is it not?
Aulton February 3, 2012 at 7:29 pm -

Tolerant, you do understand that what they are doing is damaging and endangering many people’s lives, do you not? People have come out of such madness with serious mental issues, even committing suicide. The ex-gay operation harms innocent people to turn a profit.
Emma February 3, 2012 at 8:18 pm -

Tolerant, the KKK get to have protests but they also get to be counter-protested and banned from privately owned areas. These hateful bigots are absolutely this generation’s KKK.
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Tolerant February 4, 2012 at 11:56 am -

Aulton,

Baseless accusations doesn’t move things toward a healthy society.
People commit suicide over a variety of reasons, rational or otherwise.

Ex-gay movement is not forced upon anyone.
If someone seeks help dealing with unwanted same sex attraction, etc. that is one avenue for them to check out.
Just as someone wanting help with other personal issues in their life would do.
Tolerant February 4, 2012 at 12:00 pm -

Emma,

The ex-gay seminar,meeting is not a protest.
Please state when they have burned property or lynched anyone.
Your KKK comparison is in itself hate speech.

Don’t be a hater.
Aulton February 4, 2012 at 1:17 pm -

Implausible denial is such a weak tactic, Tolerant. “Ex-gay” therapy is in fact detrimental to those who participate. There are actual cases in which it has mentally damaged people to the point where they do commit suicide. Kirk Murphy comes to mind. Their methods, as well as their goal, are unethical. Even if they aren’t broken by the treatment, even one of its former spokespeople have stated it has a 0.1% success rate. Why risk such harm to your psyche for that? Why would they want help in the first place? It is due to nothing more than an unfounded stigma that having same sex attraction is wrong. Coercion in the form of being unjustly shunned, also abused, is fueled by this stigma. This is why they feel they need help for something that is not a problem in the first place.

Furthermore, I would say Emma’s comparison is apt. This seminar is a part of the campaign that fuels hatred toward people who are different, just like the KKK did (and still do, although obviously without as much influence) decades ago. Rabble rousing is still hate. It leads to such acts as beating people to near-death then leaving them on fence posts, or burning them alive, among other things. Your willingness to defend ones who advocate such hate speaks volumes of your character.
Gene February 4, 2012 at 1:30 pm -

Tolerant (sic), why should I tolerate lies, ignorance that hurts prople, and bad medicine/psychology that serves no purpose and should be illegal?

No. There is no need for tolerance for ex gay therapies, they are the equal of selling poisoned food, or other speech that Hate Crime Laws need to once and for all make illegal.

Period.
Richard Rush February 4, 2012 at 1:53 pm -

Like Tolerant, bigoted bullies and their apologists always seem to cry, “that not fair!,” “you’re hateful!” or “you’re not tolerant!” whenever their targets have the audacity to defend themselves.
Aulton February 4, 2012 at 1:59 pm -

That’s exactly it, Richard. They only enjoy picking on the weak. When their victims start fighting back, they try to pass themselves off as victims. Only we’re not buying it anymore.
Ozymandias71 February 4, 2012 at 2:21 pm -

Posters like ‘Tolerant’ do two things:

1) Whine like the dickens when their own intolerance is confronted (which we’ve already seen)

2) They also absolutely REFUSE to acknowledge any evidence that contradict their ideology. This entire website is devoted to debunking the ‘ex-gay’ practice, with hundreds (if not THOUSANDS) of articles pointing out that so-called ‘reparative therapy’ is wrong, it is junk science, it is built on lies and deception, it depends on a climate of fear and intolerance to push Gays and Lesbians into its’ twisted influence, on and on and on… yet even when confronted with CONCRETE evidence of its’ harm, they say ‘Nope, I don’t believe it.’ Even when they are confronted with testimonies from former LEADERS within the practice now denouncing the practice and now apologizing, or from thousands of testimonies from former ‘ex-gays’ that can be found by a simple Google search, they say ‘Nope, you’re wrong. I don’t care what you say, my opinion is more valid than your experience.’

But we all knew that already, didn’t we?
tolerant February 5, 2012 at 12:55 am -

Anyone hear of Michael Glatze?

Of course, I can already hear the responses.

Have at it.
Wayne Besen February 5, 2012 at 9:51 am -

Mr. Glatze seems off his rocker. If that is your sole example I just pity you. What do you make of he fact that even Exodus President Alan Chambers claims that 99.9% of his clients did not Pray Away the Gay?

Obviously, this nonsense does not work.
Aulton February 5, 2012 at 10:13 am -

Michael Glatze? You mean, the guy who’s either incredibly mentally unstable or desperate for attention? So much so that he’s attempted to appeal not only to the heteronormative crusaders but also the racists of the cesspit known as WorldNetDaily? Oh, but don’t take my word for the last part. Let him tell you from his own blog:

“Have I mentioned lately how utterly *disgusting* Obama is? And, yes, it’s because he’s black. God, help us all.”

“It’s a shame Obama is black. He could end up setting back race relations decades.”

“If Obama had a baby with Down’s Syndrome, he’d probably be frustrated that the child’s intelligence would never be enough to discern that his father is the Messiah. Knowing this, Obama would probably have his Down’s Syndrome baby killed, before it was ever born.”
—————————-

That person needs real help, not some mind shattering quackery.
Reynolds February 6, 2012 at 10:09 am -

@Tolerant

I have high blood pressure. 10 years ago, many decades prior to the age that most men have to worry about such things, I had a “neurological incident” – I spent nearly a week in the hospital. My high bp triggered the incident. They controlled my bp and my family doctor then prescribed maintenance doses of Toprel and Lotrel. Considering that I am not overweight, do exercise (though not strenuously) and am a fairly calm person to start with – but have a family history of bp and of people dying of stroke from it — that’s what they could do.

If tomorrow my doctor decided that he was going to stop giving me medicine and try leeching, and presuming that I was pliant enough to accept that treatment, because after all – he’s a doctor – I would, in fairly short order probably have a stroke and either die or end up paralyzed.

That would be gross malpractice and my doctor would even, possibly, be accused of a crime beyond malpractice, like homicide. The idea of free speech would not protect him, nor should it. The idea that leeching was at one time thought to be a treatment for things like bp would not be a defense. In short he would not have a defense – and certainly not one based in his free speech rights.

At once time science thought that homosexuality was an illness and treatable. Science through study and research proved that not to be true. Treatments that were used (and failed) before science advanced being used today with what we know are just as much malpractice as leeching me would be. They should not be protected by free speech rights from professionals who should know better.

For a religious leader to say whatever they believe in defiance of the science, that’s free speech. For a person professionally charged with some form of medical care to say what they believe in defiance of the science, that’s malpractice.

There is a difference.

Regards,

Reyn