An exciting lineup of workshops is planned for the 2009 Anti-Heterosexism Conference which will meet November 20-22 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Before the conference, Beyond Ex-Gay will be hosting a pre-conference institute for ex-gay survivors as well as allies interested in combating the heterosexism that permeates and drives the ex-gay movement.
Conference keynote addresses and concurrent workshops include:
Straight Rackets: Why the Religious Right Needs Reparative Therapy Sylvia Rhue, Ph.D.
Microaggressions and the LGBT Community: Advocating for Social Justice on Individual, Institutional, and Societal Levels Kevin Nadal, Ph.D.; David Rivera, M.S.; Melissa Corpus, M.A.; Lauren Fisher, M.A.
Pray Away the Gay? Wayne Besen
Genocidal Intentions: Public Policy and the Ex-Gay Movement Christine Robinson, Ph.D.
“It Just Ain’t So”: Debunking the Myth of Gender Polarity Rev. Deborah L. Johnson
Heterosexism and Transgender Oppression Virginia Stephenson & Jordan Johnson
The Effects of Homophobic Stress in Childhood and Adolescence on Later Adult Psychological Functioning in Gay Men:A Model for Treatment
Dominic Carbone, Ph.D.
Getting It Straight: Ex-Gay Survivors and Their Therapeutic Needs Christine Bakke and Jallen Rix, Ed.D.
Media 101: How to Build and Deliver an Effective Message Brian Winfield
Body & Soul: Integrating Sexuality & Spirituality Timothy Palmer, M. Div.
Heterosexual Interrupted: What the Ex-Gay Movement Really Means By “Change” Jim Burroway
Media Access: Getting Through the Noise Gabriel Arana
Spiritual Self-Defense for LGBT Christians Rev. Candace Chellew
Queering Youth/Young Adult Activism Andi Gentile and Asher Kolieboi
Lessons Learned This Weekend: A Conversation About Implementing Effective Strategies In Our Communities
Marsha McDonough, Ph.D.; Paul W. Dodd, D.Min., L.P.C.
Straight Jackets: A Psychiatrist Deconstructs Sexual Conversion Therapies Jack Drescher, M.D.
To register for the conference, purchase an exhibit table, or become an individual or corporate sponsor, please click here. Early registration continues through October 5, 2009.
New Landmark Publication By Truth Wins Out and Lambda Legal Offers Legal Options To Those Hurt By Ex-Gay Programs
If You Have Been Harmed By ‘Ex-Gay’ Programs, ‘Ex-Gay & The Law’ Is For You
CHARLOTTE – Truth Wins Out and Lambda Legal released a landmark publication today, “Ex-Gay & The Law“, that aims to educate victims of “ex-gay” programs of their legal options. This work was inspired by the many people who have had their lives damaged by programs that seek to “pray away the gay” or use questionable counseling techniques.
“Ex-Gay & the Law helps survivors of ex-gay programs explore their legal rights if they believe they have been harmed,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “This groundbreaking publication offers practical legal advice so important questions can be answered.”
“We are pleased to help support this publication and to be a part of this effort,” said Hayley Gorenberg, Deputy Legal Director of Lambda Legal. “Groups that proclaim to ‘cure’ gay people of their sexual orientation lack any legitimate medical backing, cause harm, and sometimes operate unlawfully and unethically. If you have experienced any of the scenarios outlined in the last pages of ‘Ex-Gay & the Law‘, we welcome you to contact or Legal Help Desk.”
Each year, thousands of men and women enter “ex-gay” programs. Adolescents are even forced into these boot camps by their parents. While their stories differ, nearly all of these individuals have one thing in common: They are harmed by the traumatizing experience.
The American Psychiatric Association says, “The potential risks of ‘reparative therapy’ are great, including depression, anxiety and self destructive behavior.”
Ex-Gay & The Law was released at a press conference in Charlotte to counter Focus on the Family’s ex-gay Love Won Out conference. The Charlotte Rainbow Action Network for Equality (CRANE) hosted the event.
CRANE is a grassroots coalition of activists and community members working toward civil and social equality for Charlotte’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) community.
Truth Wins Out is a non-profit organization that defends gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from anti-gay lies. TWO also counters the “ex-gay” myth and educates America about gay life.
Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full regonition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.
Are you a gay man or lesbian who wants to be straight? Do your friends or family disagree with your gay lifestyle and wish you were straight? If you ever wish you could erase your same-sex attractions and not be gay?”
The failure of the show to invite survivors of ex-gay programs is a bit disappointing: It’s a sign not only of sloppy talk-show producers, but also of the failure of ex-gay activists (thus far) to share the public spotlight with the individuals and families who have been harmed by their quack cures.
Former ex-gays need not settle for exclusion: They can use the Tyra Bank Show’s contact form to sign up to appear on-air with the ex-gays.
How about it, survivors? If you’re feeling grounded, self-confident, articulate, and willing to face some media, consider making a difference: Share your experiences, and help protect others from prejudice, family turmoil, and years of ineffective and expensive “therapy.”
Andrew is a 16 year old boy who came out to his mother in Colorado. She was an avid reader of Focus on the Family’s books and used them to try to get Andrew to change his sexual orientation. Focus on the Family sent books, videos and other ex-gay propaganda that told Andrew that there was something wrong with him. It convinced his mother that he could change from gay to straight. When he could not change, things got so tense in the house that he moved out to live with his father in Arizona.
Andrew is a real life example how Focus on the Family and James Dobson divide families. On this video, he urges the Radio Hall of Fame not to honor a man who has caused so much pain for his family.
Wayne Besen discuses his latest work with Truth Wins Out in protesting “Ex-Gay” therapy including a recent trip to Alaska and protesting James Dobson’s induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago. “Ex-Gay” therapy survivor, Brian Nesbitt discusses what lead him into “Ex-Gay” therapy, what was involved with the therapy, the failure of the therapy and his life since stopping therapy, becoming a proud out gay man and protesting the work of Exodous, NARTH and other “Ex-Gay” organizations.
With righteous sass, former ex-gay Daniel Gonzales challenges GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin for claiming, rather absurdly, that being same-sex-attracted is a choice.
When contemporary Christian music singer Ray Boltz recently acknowledged the truth that he has always been same-sex-attracted, and that years of poor ex-gay advice failed him, ex-gay activist Greg Quinlan and Exodus national speaker Bob Stith responded with falsehoods and ostracism.
Former ex-gays are familiar with that sort of response: For decades, ex-gay organizations have cast out members who acknowledged the truth that ex-gay “therapies” almost never succeed and often harm counselees.
The Our Family Matters conference Oct. 22-25 in Nashville will bring together former ex-gays, gay people of faith, their families, and supportive clergy. Tennessee’s Out and About newspaper says:
Launched as a live version of Kim Clark’s acclaimed documentary, God and Gays: Bridging the Gap, the conference will address questions related to the relationship between God and the GLBT community. The event will include a film festival, live concerts, national keynote speakers Jack Rogers and Rev. Deborah Johnson, and three days of workshops.
Presenters will include Boltz, Exodus Love In Action survivor Peterson Toscano, Colorado ex-gay survivor Christine Bakke, Mary Lou Wallner (a mother whose ex-gay attitudes contributed to her daughter’s suicide), and former Exodus leader Darlene Bogle.
A agree with Mike Airhart that The Advocatepiece was a nightmare that glosses over the issues. I also think they mischaracterized the state of the “ex-gay” movement and were factually wrong on many fronts. Not to mention the reporter needs to get a hold of his emotions and not suck up to ex-gays who think he is “perverse” and “sexually broken.” The failure of this article was a shame because the Advocate magazine has traditionally done a terrific job covering this issue. I have confidence they will get it right in the future. Here is a summary of my beefs:
The article: “Exodus encompasses more than 120 ministries in the United States and Canada.”
The Facts: Exodus claims a 59 percent increase in its member agencies, growing from 117 in 2003 to more than 200 in 2008. (although Exodus is prone to exaggeration)
The article: “A growing chorus of such stories, it’s shaken up the usual talk-show paradigm.”
The Facts: Could anything be further from the truth? Telling the story of survivors is not a new phenomenon. Anyone who thinks it is, simply has not been out of the closet very long, spinning the issue or is ill informed.
In the 1990s, there was a key ex-gay survivor group that I worked with in Washington, Dos Equis, that provided me survivors. These courageous individuals were telling their stories in national media while some of today’s leading survivors were sill in ex-gay groups, essentially paying the salaries of Exodus’ leaders. Before this, the documentary “One Nation Under God” told the story of survivors, including John Evans and Mike Bussee. And, Sylvia Pennington articulated their struggles in the book, “Ex-Gays? There Are None?”
While at the Human Rights Campaign, I held several press conferences, beginning in 1998, with ex-gay survivors. These included high profile events at Washington’s famed National Press Club. During this time period, I booked survivors on major talk shows and had their stories told in national media. In 2000, under my direction, HRC produced a groundbreaking publication, “Finally Free” that introduced America to 14 ex-gay survivors.
While I appreciate and greatly admire the current work of our newer survivors, to take sole credit for a survivors movement is unfounded and historical revisionism. Indeed, today, TWO (and BoxTurtleBulletin) are also leaders in this arena – and this is reflected by the cutting-edge videos that fill our website.
The article: The article referred to me as an ex-ex-gay.
The facts: I was never an ex-gay and I appreciate the Advocate correcting this error. (Read More)
(Cry Baby: Throckmorton, Whines To Right Wing Rags)
Still fuming from the American Psychiatric Association’s cancellation of the “Quack Panel” he was scheduled to appear on this week, notorious “ex-gay” therapist Warren Throckmorton continued on his vindictive warpath. All week, he has done the rounds, whining and playing victim, with fawning right wing rags – apparently the only media that will listen to his bizarre ideas.
Throckmorton’s latest stop on his “Sour Grapes Media Tour” is an interview with World Net Daily – a publication best known for publishing a kooky article that claims that eating soy products might turn children gay.
“‘Weird Nut Daily’ and Warren Throckmorton are two peas in a pod, so it was entirely expected that they would join hands to do a hatchet job on TruthWinsOut.org,” said Besen. “It is time for Throckmorton to preserve his remaining dignity by ending his ‘Sour Grapes Tour’ and moving on. The Quack panel did not happen because the more people learned about Throckmorton, the more uneasy they became with giving him a platform that might appear to legitimize his outlandish and archaic views on sexuality” (Read More)
After admitting earlier today that he had an extramarital affair and fathered a child out of wedlock, Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.), who was nailed for drunk driving last week, was spotted today huddling with the House chaplain in the back of the chamber during floor debate.
Fossella, who is married and has three children with his wife, could be seen standing on the back rail of the chamber, on the Republican side near the center aisle, in deep conversation with Rev. Daniel Coughlin, the House chaplain.
In a statement today, Fossella went so far as to name the woman with whom he has had an affair for several years. Her name is Laura Fay, a retired Air Force Lt. Col. who, as Fossella now admits, is the mother of their 3-year-old daughter.
Fossella’s “love child” was exposed in his drunken-driving charge because Fay is the person who fetched Fossella from an Alexandria, Va., police station after he was charged with driving while intoxicated in the wee hours of the morning last Thursday.
I just checked the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional scorecard. This human Sin-Bag had three straight ZERO ratings. So, he can oppose loving GLBT families while he wrecks his own home?
According to the Empire State Pride Agenda, the Staten Island Representative had voted not once or twice–but three times to, as many of his colleagues argued, “preserve the sanctity of marriage.”
This is so typical of our right wing opponents. Any time a conservative starts boasting about his or her morals and values and sanctimoniously preens about the “sanctity of marriage” – look out! They not only are likely to have skeletons in their closet – but a graveyard of lies, hypocrisy and deceit. It has almost become a cliché that the more one preaches against something, the more likely he or she is to be engaged in that forbidden arena.
Straight Rackets: Why the Religious Right Needs Reparative Therapy
Former ex-gays are familiar with that sort of response: For decades, ex-gay organizations have cast out members who acknowledged the truth that ex-gay “therapies” almost never succeed and often harm counselees.
