Exodus

Day of Truth Now Under New Ownership

Submitted by Kyle on January 22, 2009 - 1:01pm

We've written about the Day of Truth, an annual event dreamed-up by the Alliance Defense Fund in order to counter GLSEN's annual “Day of Silence," a number of times before. ADF has always claimed that the "Day of Silence" was “part of [an] overall strategy to change how our society perceives homosexual behavior" and thus a "Day of Truth" was needed in order to give anti-gay students an opportunity to “stand up for their First Amendment right to hear and speak the Truth about human sexuality in order to protect that freedom for future generations.”

As such, the event was initially conceived as a way to protect the free speech rights and religious freedoms of anti-gay students, but not necessarily as a day to try and convert gay students. But now, via the Box Turtle Bulletin, it looks like that is about to change, because ADF has handed over control of the nationwide event over to the "ex-gay" organization Exodus International, whose mission is to offer "freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ."

As the ADF explained in a press release:

As the movement has grown, the focus has continued to broaden…providing students not only with legal assistance when their free speech rights are challenged, but also providing them with information on how to minister and witness to individuals struggling with homosexual behavior.

It's because of growth in this latter area that this transition is occurring. For more than thirty years, Exodus International has provided thoughtful care to individuals wishing to leave homosexuality and offered support for related families, friends and churches. With 230 member organizations, the Exodus network is mobilizing the body of Christ to minister grace and truth to a world impacted by homosexuality…perfectly positioning them to lead the Day of Truth into the future.

ADF will continue to serve as the legal support arm for this project and represent any student who is silenced or punished for speaking the Truth.

So, what began as an effort designed merely to protect the free speech rights of anti-gay students has officially become a full-blown effort to convert gay students in schools throughout the nation.

You can consider us less than shocked by this entirely predictable development.

Kyle's blog

PFAW

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Family Impact Summit: Homosexuality and Youth

Submitted by Peter on September 24, 2007 - 11:44am

A final dispatch from the Family Impact Summit:

The session on Homosexuality and Youth was dominated by the youth division of Exodus, an organization that believes gays can and should be “healed” and that LGBT people should not be protected against legal discrimination. Exodus opposes legal recognition of same-sex couples, same-sex parenting and adoption, and hate crimes laws.

The session drew attention to efforts by Exodus and others to put a friendly face on its anti-gay message. In response to pro-tolerance and anti-harassment campaigns by pro-equality students, like the Day of Silence, Exodus is promoting a product called “Truth and Tolerance,” (truthandtolerance.net) designed to put anti-gay students on record against bullying (alliestoo.org), and calling for tolerance of students who want to make the case that gay youth need to be straightened out by God.

The session was moderated by Scott Davis from Exodus’ youth division. Davis, a former campus minister, blamed homosexuality on the sexual revolution and broken families, and said that young people are searching for intimacy. He said young people need to be taught a “biblical view of gender” and called on participants to help rescue teens by teaching and modeling “correct” genders, mentoring, and giving them a reason to be pure – a deep intimacy with God. (Some “reparative” therapies work on turning gays straight by making the women wear makeup and use purses, while men play football and learn to fix cars as the first step to becoming “real men.”)

Mike Ensley, also affiliated with the Exodus youth section, called himself a “former homosexual” who “never wanted to be gay.” Ensley said relational ministry has helped him correct his “misperceptions” of gender and that Exodus “rescued” him, though he said change is not a 180 degree turnaround but an “ongoing process.” Ensley, like many other conference speakers, also argued that hate crimes laws are being used to “silence” Christians.

Christine, a young woman who leads Worthy Creations, a “recovery” ministry affiliated with Exodus, said she was homosexual at age 15. She criticized church leaders who don’t want to talk about homosexuality, saying pro-gay “propaganda” is everywhere. Like other conference speakers, Christine said there are new reasons for teens to be involved in homosexuality.

In contrast to “classic lesbianism,” to use Ensley's terminology, where women who experienced abuse or were taught that men aren’t safe, girls are now becoming lesbians because of a “try it out and see if you like it” mentality. Christine’s message to young women who try it and like it is that their conclusion shouldn’t be that they are gay, but that “everything works” physically: “Even very unhealthy relationships can feel good,” she said, drawing a parallel to some abused children she said experience pleasure from sexual abuse.

Christine argued that there are four types of homosexuals that need to be dealt with:

1. Militant - Christians need to defend against activists without attacking gays.
2. Moderate - gays who are not ‘out and proud;’ Christians should reach out to them as ambassadors for Christ.
3. Repentant - people who are struggling with being gay or “coming out of homosexuality” and attracted to groups like Exodus. Kristine says she is appalled that some Christians don’t offer them more support.
4. Gay and Christian - sincere but part of “the deception” because they are believing a lie.

Regina Griggs heads PFOX, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays, though her own son came out nine years ago and apparently shows no interest in becoming “ex-gay.” She blames school counselors and Gay-Straight Alliance clubs for giving young people information that leads to affirmation of a gay identity. The biggest problem, she said, is that parents aren’t standing up to schools and need to be more involved.

Our thanks to YP4 Fellows Mychel Estevez and Zachary Dryden for their coverage of this event.

PFAW

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Family Impact Summit: 'Jaunty Musclemen,' 'Gay Aliens,' and the 'Homosexual Agenda' in PowerPoint

Submitted by Ezra on September 21, 2007 - 2:15pm

One of our correspondents sent this report from the first day of the Family Impact Summit in Florida:

The first panel's topic was "The Homosexual Agenda," and Peter Sprigg, vice president for public policy at the Family Research Council, gave his talk with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation purporting to outline the "Elements of the Agenda." Sprigg lectured the crowd about how “militant gay rights activists” were going about crossing off agenda points, and spoke at length about the gay rights activists' movement to "indoctrinate every student from kindergarten to 12th grade."

While Sprigg gave the usual compassionate-sounding phrases of the anti-gay movement—with statements like, "We desire the best for homosexuals, and desiring the best for someone and acting to bring that about is the essence of love…"— he "affirmed" the state of Florida for having the strongest prohibition against adoption by gay couples. He made the claim that "most children raised by homosexuals are the result of previous heterosexual relationships," and proceeded to pontificate about how this "undermines the notion that homosexuality is something fixed from birth and cannot change—there are very few homosexuals who have never had a heterosexual relationship."