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The ex-gay or exodus movement claims that homosexuals can become heterosexual or otherwise "leave homosexuality behind" through counselling, prayer, and other therapies if they choose to do so. The movement is primarily based in the United States (though it exists in other countries such as the United Kingdom), and is largely led by Christian fundamentalists (see also Christian views of homosexuality). The movement's claims are highly controversial.

Ex-gay Groups

Love In Action

Love in Action, or LIA, was founded in 1973 by John Evans, who claimed to be a former homosexual, and Rev. Kent Philpott, a heterosexual. It was the first group to publicize cases of homosexuals who had allegedly been converted or learned to abstain from homosexuality or homosexual feelings, which were perceived as sinful and in violation of biblical moral code. After Evans' friend Jack McIntyre committed suicide out of despair concerning his inability to change, Evans left the project and denounced it as dangerous. He was quoted by the Wall Street Journal (April 21, 1993) as saying: "They're destroying people's lives. If you don't do their thing, you're not of God, you'll go to hell. They're living in a fantasy world." Shortly after founding the group, when his patients numbered six, Philpott wrote a book about his ministry called "The Third Sex?," which claimed that his patients had successfully changed their sexual orientation through prayer. His patients, who had not changed their orientation, confronted him, but he said it was "God's will" that the book be written. None of the men ever successfully changed their sexual orientation, and four of them, including Evans, filed suit against Philpott for misrepresenting them in the book. Rather than face the suit, Philpott had the book pulled off the market.

Exodus International

Exodus International is probably the largest ex-gay group. Founded in 1976, it is an interdenominational organization which, according to its own description, "has grown to include over 100 local ministries in the USA and Canada" and is "linked with other Exodus world regions outside of North America, totaling over 135 ministries in 17 countries." Exodus promotes a "system of support" comprising a church, a therapist and a support group.

Exodus International had its biggest scandal in 1979 when Michael Bussee (one of the co-founding members who had helped organize the 1976 conference that led to Exodus' inception) left the group to be with Gary Cooper, also a co-organizer of that conference and a staff member at the local Exodus ministry where they both worked. Later they held a life commitment ceremony. Their story is one of the focuses of the documentary One Nation Under God (1993), directed by Teodoro Maniaci and Francine Rzeznik.

Like Love In Action, Exodus recovered from the scandal. Their website and literature today contain testimonials such as this one by Bob Davies:

God continued to work in my own life. Much to my surprise, I discovered that homosexuality was not my "real" problem. The illicit same-sex desires were only an outward symptom of deeper emotional wounds that needed healing. Through LIA's support group, I was able to openly confess such struggles as insecurity, fear and envy of other men.

Because I had never "acted out" my homosexual feelings with other men, there were some struggles to resist the allure of the unknown. I heard many stories of other people's involvement in sin. Quite frankly, some of their illicit adventures sounded like fun. I had to resist thoughts like, "You got tired of so much impersonal sex? I wish I could say the same thing. Then I'd be ready to give it up!"

God also opened my eyes to see the tremendous devastation that sin had brought into these men's lives. Unknown to all of us, some of them were already infected with the HIV virus (Exodus International online).

Davies says he has found comfort in warm hugs from heterosexual men -- this kind of male hugging has been perceived by some as a substitute for homosexual activity among self-described ex-gays (see below). Finally, Davies describes how he met and married a female member of his church. While he fears that "many more battles" are ahead, he believes that he can overcome these battles with the help of God. This story is typical for many ex-gays.

Homosexuals Anonymous, Quest Learning Center

Seventh Day Adventist Colin Cook (who had been dismissed as a minister in 1974 for having sex with another man) founded the groups Quest Learning Center and Homosexuals Anonymous in 1979 and 1980 respectively; both are ex-gay organizations. In 1985, he wrote two books, Homosexuality, and Homosexuality: An Open Door. In 1986, he was discovered to be engaging in sexual acts with his Quest patients. He claimed that the nude massages of other men should desensitize them against homosexual desires.

In 1987, he was ousted from Homosexuals Anonymous for sexual activity, and in 1995 a similar scandal happened with his newly founded group FaithQuest Colorado (according to the Denver Post, Cook had engaged in phone sex, practiced long and grinding hugs, and asked patients to bring homosexual pornography to sessions so that he could help "desensitize" them against it). The Seventh Day Adventist church finally severed all ties with Cook. Homosexuals Anonymous survived without Cook.

Courage Trust (United Kingdom), now defunct

Courage Trust was formed in 1990 to "heal" homosexuals. It collapsed in 2001 when the group's founder, Jeremy Marks, wrote in the journal "Lesbian and Gay Christians", "I have come to the conclusion that we have been quite wrong to dismiss all same sex love (other than platonic) as sinful." At that time the group was holding weekly meetings in London for about 150 men.

True Freedom Trust (United Kingdom and Irish Republic)

On the collapse of Courage Trust in 2001, True Freedom Trust became the sole remaining ex-gay group operating within the Church of England. This Liverpool-based group was formed in 1977 by Canon L. Roy Barker and Martin Hallett, a Church of England cleric and a layman who renounced homosexual sex on scriptural grounds. The body claims to have 1200 supporters and 13 support groups for gay men and lesbians and their families in Britain and Ireland, in Belfast, Birmingham, Chelmsford, Dublin (Irish Republic), Eastbourne, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London Central, London South East, Lancaster, Sheffield and South Wales.

True Freedom Trust is a founder member of Exodus International Europe.

1998 campaign

The largest ex-gay campaign to date happened in 1998 in the USA, when several ministries funded commercials and advertisements to inform people that they could "walk away from homosexuality". Prominent ex-gays, such as John Paulk, were featured in the 1998 advertisements and on the cover of Newsweek with his "ex-lesbian" wife Anne. Michael Johnston, another ex-gay, who is HIV positive, engaged in unprotected homosexual acts without disclosing his disease.

In September 2000, John Paulk was working in Washington D.C., and late at night he stopped into Mr. P's, a well known local gay bar. While there, he struck up a conversation with another man named Daryl Herrschaft who, unbeknownst to Paulk, was a member of the Human Rights Campaign, and recognized him immediately. Herrschaft called a Human Rights Campaign colleague, Wayne Besen, and told him that Paulk was there. While waiting for Besen to arrive, Herrschaft began talking with Paulk to keep him from leaving. Asked if he was gay, Paulk replied yes, but gave the pseodunym John Clint rather than his real name. Paulk bought Herrschaft a drink and proceded to flirt with him, which kept him inside for the better part of an hour.

Finally, Wayne Besen arrived with his camera. He confronted Paulk, who immediately ran for cover, concealing his face to prevent a photograph from being taken. The other customers in the bar, not realizing who Paulk was, blocked Besen's view. Paulk was almost able to steal Besen's camera, but Besen managed to keep it out of his reach. The bouncer then kicked Besen out the main exit. Paulk asked if there were another exit he could take to avoid Besen, but there was not: he had to leave through the main exit. When he did, Besen seized the opportunity and snapped a photo. Paulk was skillful enough to conceal his face and turn his body before the flash went off, so that the photo only showed him from behind. This was an initial problem for Besen, since a photograph from behind could not be positively identified as Paulk. To confirm that it was him, Besen called up the Colorado Springs office of Focus on the Family, Paulk's employer, and received confirmation that Paulk was in Washington that night. He left a message for Paulk himself, who called him back, admitting to having been in the bar. Thus the photo was validated.

Paulk claimed that he had only gone inside to use the bathroom, and that because there was both men and women present, he did not know it was a gay bar. This excuse doesn't hold water, since witnesses place him there for nearly an hour, flirting with the other patrons, he never used the bathroom, and more importantly, there were no women there. The people he claimed were women were actually men dressed in drag, which he should have easily recognized, as he once worked as a drag queen.

Once hearing of the incident, Focus on the Family went into damage control mode. The gay press had picked up on the story and published it widely. Good Morning America wanted to run the story as well, but couldn't get Paulk for an interview, because Focus on the Family had sent him on vacation. Paulk now claimed that he was only stressed and overworked, and decided to visit the establishment for a drink, and despite recognizing it soon after as a gay bar, decided to stay out of sheer curiosity. This public statement, meant to prevent the public from drawing the most logical conclusion, stood as even more admission that Paulk was in fact in a gay bar.

Focus on the Family obviously knew that his bathroom story lacked credibility as well. James Dobson removed him from the Board Chair position of Exodus International. He remained on the board under probationary status only, and was not allowed to attend meetings or vote. An Exodus press release soon after was openly critical of him:

"John's actions represent a serious lapse in sound judgment. His decision to enter a gay establishment for any reason opens him up to all kinds of speculation by both other Exodus leaders and also the gay community. Initial public statements released by Exodus and repeated by director Bob Davies to the media were based on John's false claim that he had unknowingly entered Mr. P's. "That statement was widely doubted by both other Exodus leaders and by the gay comunity," Davies said. "John's unwillingness to tell the truth from the beginning was most unfortunate, as it has further undermined his public credibility...We believe that John's actions--to spend time socializing in a gay bar, and then to mislead both the public and Exodus leaders--merit some form of disciplinary action."

Deciding that firing him completely was going too far, as it would only further undermine their credibility, Dobson decided to continue allowing Paulk to represent them, spinning the story publicly by claiming to have been stressed out and depressed from work, which left him vulnerable for what he calls "Satan's trap": the door to Mr. P's, a gay bar, the very place that made him so depressed during his drag queen days, which he went into now to re-experience the "easy camaraderie."

John's wife Anne continues to be involved in the movement, though her claim to being an "ex-lesbian" is undermined by the fact that no evidence exists, other than her own testimony, that she was ever a lesbian in the first place. In the book she wrote with John, Love Won out, she admitted that she had a very sexual relationship with a man during her college years. No evidence could ever be found that she ever had a lesbian relationship with another woman. Her testimony of what it takes to change sexual orientation is also largely inconsistent with that of her husband. She claims that Jesus made her heterosexual within six months of coming out as a lesbian, while John claims that overcoming homosexuality takes years.

Dissenting views

Most gay rights groups and most scientists sharply dispute the movement's claims, and see sexual orientation as immutable and sexual attitudes as being largely formed before adulthood. Many medical groups have stated that there are no scientifically rigorous studies to evaluate whether ex-gay treatments are beneficial and that no studies substantiate their claims of sexual orientation change. Some of these groups have also stated that attempts to change one's sexuality are potentially harmful.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) states that human beings cannot choose to be either gay or straight, and that sexual orientation is not a conscious choice that can be voluntarily changed. In fact, the Association goes even further, stating that

"Even though most homosexuals live successful, happy lives, some homosexual or bisexual people may seek to change their sexual orientation through therapy, sometimes pressured by the influence of family members or religious groups to try and do so. The reality is that homosexuality is not an illness. It does not require treatment and is not changeable." 1

The APA has also stated that

"Clinical experience suggests that any person who seeks conversion therapy may be doing so because of social bias that has resulted in internalized homophobia, and that gay men and lesbians who have accepted their sexual orientation positively are better adjusted than those who have not done so."

Some critics of the movement believe that sexuality is changeable in later life, but that homosexuality is not sinful (see homosexuality and morality) and condemn the ex-gay movement on the grounds that it is unnecessary and promotes hatred of homosexuals and internalized homophobia, or both.

Because of several well-publicized failures, the ex-gay movement has been extensively ridiculed by gay rights activists, who charge that the suppression of homosexuality only leads to inappropriate outbursts thereof and contributes to fear and suffering. Author and former Human Rights Campaign spokesperson Wayne R. Besen has extensively covered the ex-gay movement and describes it in his book Anything But Straight: Unmasking The Scandals and Lies Behind the 'Ex-Gay' Myth, which also deals with so-called reparative therapy of homosexuality. It was Besen who photographed John Paulk in a gay bar and who investigated witnesses in the case of Michael Johnston (see below).

References

1. "Answers to Your Questions About Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality" in American Psychiatric Association. Retrieved February 9, 2004 from http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/answers.html

External links

Ex-Gay Websites

• Exodus International
• True Freedom Trust (UK)
• Homosexuals Anonymous
• Bridges Across the Divide links to and quotations from advocates and opponents of the ex-gay movement
• I Do Exist: Is a Changed Life Possible?, a video produced by Warren Throckmorton interviewing several individuals who are now ex-gay
• Research Shows Change Is Real, an article that discusses 48 studies of homosexuality with the question in mind, "Is change possible?" Many of the tables are referenced from Stanton L. Jones and Mark A. Yarhouse's Homosexuality: The Use of Scientific Research in the Church's Moral Debate
• Scattered Words, blog from a 22 year old moving through the ex-gay movement

http://www.metanoiaonline.org/ Metanoia Ministries Online also espouses an exodus from homosexuality.

Sites Critical of Ex-Gays

• Ex-Gay Watch, weblog critical of the ex-gay movement
• Anything but Straight, book homepage by Wayne Besen (contains summaries)
• One Nation Under God, IMDB entry

• LGBT
• U.S. history of LGBT rights