In Biblical times — and in some traditional cultures today — lipstick and knee-length skirts were unseemly indications that a woman was seeking to please men in certain ways at the expense of her own dignity and health.

Women have progressed somewhat since then: Modern women define femininity in ways that value strength of character, not superficiality, dependency, or subservience.

Unfortunately, top ex-gay activists at Exodus and Focus on the Family seem to show little respect for strong and independent women. They either ignore the needs of women in their “ministry” scams, or they use pseudo-scientific quackery and harsh rules to make women conform to the sort of dignity-defying and unhealthful role-playing that was once condemned.

The ex-gay movement battles femininity — not only among same-sex-attracted women, but also among men (both straight and gay) who do not fit right-wing stereotypes of masculinity.

On Aug. 7, two female former ex-gays — Darlene Bogle and Christine Bakke (pictured) — will share their experiences as lesbians in the ex-gay movement: (Read More)

Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Robert L. Jamieson Jr. visited Exodus speaker Ken Hutcherson at his Seattle-area megachurch recently and today offered observations about Hutcherson’s betrayal of his own victory over discrimination — and Hutcherson’s exploitation of “ex-gays”. (Read More)

Ken Hutcherson, a popular speaker on the Exodus conference circuit, gave a sermon on recent Sunday. Columnist Anthony B. Robinson writes:

[Seattle psychologist Valerie] Tarico, a former staffer at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, was raised in a fundamentalist church. In recent months, she has made it her business to attend services at many of the large, conservative churches in the Seattle area, including Hutcherson’s, to see what’s going on.

On a Sunday when Tarico was present, Hutcherson was preaching on gender roles. During his sermon, Hutcherson stated, “God hates soft men” and “God hates effeminate men.” Hutcherson went on to say, “If I was in a drugstore and some guy opened the door for me, I’d rip his arm off and beat him with the wet end.”

“That was a joke,” Hutcherson said Friday, when I asked him about the comment. But it’s not really funny, is it?

Truth Wins Out has warned of Hutcherson’s recent ties to antigay violence in California and Europe. Yet, despite Hutcherson’s latest affirmation of violence against “effeminate” men, Exodus International stands by its man. There has been no official repudiation of Hutcherson nor of his statements and hate-group affiliations.

As one critic observed, Exodus’ admittedly effeminate executive vice president, Randy Thomas, should reconsider holding the door for Hutcherson at future Exodus speeches.

With Exodus promoting pro-violence activists such as “Hutch,” is it really surprising that Exodus leaders also campaign to exclude sexual orientation from existing state and federal hate-crime laws — and associate punishment of antigay violence with “thought crime“?

Hat tip: Box Turtle Bulletin