For whatever reason, northern Ireland is being targeted by the “ex-gay” industry.

I guess it was not enough that they had created havoc and potential bloodshed in Uganda. Exodus International continues to obliviously globe-trot, leaving a trail of ruined lives and destruction in its wake.

Ex-gay activist Rev. Mario Bergner takes his phony road show to Belfast, Feb. 19-21. While there, Bergner, the author of “Setting Love in Order: Hope and Healing for the Homosexual,” will have a seminar named after the book. He is quite the salesman, hawking even more ex-gay gear than International Healing Foundation quack Richard Cohen. According to Exodus’ website:

Rev. Mario Bergner will visit Northern Ireland to participate in the Setting Love in Order Conference hosted by Core-issues, a ministry based in Northern Ireland seeking to empower local church congregations in their task of supporting men and women with unwanted same sex attraction. The conference is being widely promoted as part of the organization’s efforts to provide practical training for church leaders in the area of unwanted same sex attraction.

Want to bet Bergner doesn’t discuss the episode where I photographed Exodus’ former poster boy John Paulk in a gay bar? Or that two of the key founders of this fraudulent group left their wives to marry each other?

If Bergner’s propaganda does not get through, residents of Belfast will have a second chance to get the malignant message. Exodus President Alan Chambers will be in town, April 22-23, to host the “Leaving Homosexuality Celebration.” Interestingly, Chambers goes on TV in America and says Exodus does not “change” people. Yet, across the pond, he is holding a big party to celebrate his magical “pray away the gay” cure. According to the website:

Core is a ministry supporting local churches in their efforts to provide appropriate pastoral support for those with unwanted same sex attraction. The service recognizes God’s grace for many individuals making the journey out of homosexuality.

Maybe I’m just a “reality-based” kind of guy, but it sure seems, based on the promotional language, that Exodus is selling the concept of “change”.

Unfortunately, LGBT people in Ireland will find Chambers’ dishonest presentation neither lucky, nor charming. One can only imagine the mischief Exodus will cook up in Ireland, given its abysmal and violent track record overseas. Chambers and Bergner should do the world a favor and stay home before they have even more blood on their hands.

If you live in Ireland and are interested in Truth Wins Out coming over to counter Chambers’ lies with a multi-media presentation, please contact us.

Exodus Dithered While Scandal Raged, Placing Youth at Risk, Says Truth Wins Out

Truth Wins Out (TWO) revealed today that the nation’s largest “ex-gay” organization, Exodus International, officially cut ties with its Lansing affiliate Corduroy Stone after charges were made by an ex-gay survivor that the sessions included harmful and bizarre therapy. In August, Patrick McAlvey made the charges against Corduroy Stone’s Mike Jones in a Truth Wins Out video, yet it took Exodus until December to take action. Exodus’ dithering in the face of scandal cost precious time and may have placed additional youth in harm’s way, according to Truth Wins Out.

“For decades Exodus International has lent this predator some level of credibility,” ex-gay survivor Patrick McAlvey told Truth Wins Out. “Now they have finally realized how dangerous he is, but how many vulnerable folks have already been victimized because of Exodus’ support of this man?”

“Shame on Exodus International for dragging its feet when our children were at risk,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “Exodus was more interested in covering up the scandal than fixing it. This case shows that ex-gay programs lack standards and place vulnerable people in harms way.”

At the age of nineteen, McAlvey, who came from a religious background, was terrified that he might be gay. Feeling vulnerable and desperate to “change”, he placed his trust in Mike Jones and Corduroy Stone.

“He asked how large my penis was,” McAlvey explained of Jones’ therapy. “He asked if I shave my pubic hair. He asked what type of underwear that I wore. He wanted me to describe my sexual fantasies to him and the type of men I’m attracted to. On one occasion, he asked me to take my shirt off and show him how many push-ups I could do, which I did not do.”

“Mike Jones used to be able to say he was an Exodus International affiliate governed by a Board of Directors,” said McAlvey to Truth Wins Out. “Exodus has removed their affiliation and the Board of Directors has dissolved.  Now he’s just some guy.  He’s not a mental health professional.  He’s not a pastor.  He’s just some guy with made-up theories and outlandish techniques claiming he can help people change their sexual orientation.  He is dangerous and I hope people steer clear of this predator.”

Truth Wins Out called Mike Jones today, but he declined to comment. Exodus’ headquarters in Orlando has not addressed the situation since August. Repeated attempts to reach Alan Chambers, Exodus’ President, have gone unanswered.

Facing a $6 million budget shortfall, Focus on the Family is shifting control of its Love Won Out conference to an outside organization.

Exodus International, a group that claims people can overcome unwanted same-sex attractions with the help of its ministry, announced Tuesday it will take control of the program starting in November.

“Exodus is the ideal organization to transition Love Won Out to,” said Melissa Fryrear, director of Love Won Out. She noted that Focus on the Family and Exodus have been closely aligned for years.

That move comes at this time in part, Fryrear said, because Focus on the Family’s income is down $6 million from what was expected for this year.
The shortfall was recently cited in an e-mail appeal to donors.

Alan Chambers, director of Exodus, said his group is financially equipped to take over Love Won Out, but the move was in the making for years. Focus on the Family planned to provide financial support by providing speakers and marketing assistance.

Wayne Besen, a gay activist whose organization, Truth Wins Out, decries so-called “ex-gay” therapy, said he was not surprised at the development. He noted that Exodus “has acted as an unofficial subsidiary of Focus on the Family” for years.

“Focus on the Family claims that they are facing a $6 million shortfall,” he said. “If they can eliminate a few positions due to this change, it will benefit their bottom line. This is especially true, because we suspect that Love Won Out is slowly losing support as gay people gain more acceptance each year.
The crowds appear smaller and the road show has received less media coverage than it has in the past.

“If they are downsizing, it is because the market for such misinformation has continued to shrink.”

But Chambers said Love Won Out was coming to Exodus in part so it could be operated by a more narrowly focused organization.

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While ex-gay activist Mike Ensley insults gay Christian singer Ray Boltz, former ex-gay Peterson Toscano points to a much more graceful and life-affirming attitude by Boltz’s ex-wife, Carol Boltz.

Carol struggled as many spouses do when their loved one realizes the necessity of sexual honesty and integrity. Their private struggle was made tougher by the need for Ray to eventually go public and be honest with his Christian fans.

Toscano says:

Recently Carol launched her own blog, My Heart Goes Out. Please take a moment to visit the blog and share with Carol a word of support, a word of encouragement, a word of affirmation. She is a courageous and beautiful woman.

Well said.

This morning, our website received an uplifting letter from a person who shed the bondage of the so-called “ex-gay” trap:

“I personally was a virgin at 36yo waiting for God to heal me of my homo “iniquity”. I listened to Baptist rhetoric that I was evil and never was with a man (or woman). I ended up in the Florida Everglades with a shotgun in my mouth before I realized that the churches don’t get it. God didn’t want me to blow my head off. Now in a 13 year gay relationship — SO HAPPY! So good! Don’t listen to them.”

It is always beautiful to see people leave the wreckage of th ex-gay nigmare behind and go on to find the very success and happiness that group’s like Exodus say is impossible. In the end, the truth does win out