Another Exodus Conference Is Upon Us. Let's Review.
For Our Opponents: Talking to Your Kids About Same-Sex Marriage
The Daily Agenda for Tuesday, June 18
The Daily Agenda for Monday, June 17
The Daily Agenda for Sunday, June 16
The Daily Agenda for Saturday, June 15
The Daily Agenda for Friday, June 14
South Africa Teen’s Death Shows It’s Time to Ban Ex-gay Therapy Everywhere
Featured Reports
What Are Little Boys Made Of?
In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.
Slouching Towards Kampala: Uganda’s Deadly Embrace of Hate
When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.
David Benkof: Behind the Mask
At first glance, David Benkof appears to be a young gay man who believes that same-sex marriage will damage the institution of marriage, that there are better options for gay couples than marriage, that the community should join him in prioritizing other more pressing issues, and that the marriage discussion is harming the efforts of gay couples in red states to get recognition for their unions. He also claims that he’s a gay columnist, that he speaks for an influential collection of gay thinkers, and that he is part of the gay and lesbian community and that he shares our goals and dreams. But none of that is true.
“Repeat After Me”: The Reparative Therapy Echo Chamber
The April 2008 edition of the pay-to-publish vanity journal Psychological Reports featured a new report from NARTH. Written by NARTH president A. Dean Byrd, past president Joseph Nicolosi, and Richard W. Potts, the report carries the unwieldy but self-descriptive title, “Clients perceptions of how reorientation therapy and self-help can promote changes in sexual orientation.” While the title describes what the authors meant to show — how clients describe the benefits of reparative therapy — the report itself actually illustrates something very different: the ex-gay movement’s remarkable ability to instill an almost robot-like parroting of ex-gay rhetoric among their clients.
Testing the Premise: Is MRSA The New Gay Plague?
The Toronto Star said that a new study “discover[ed] a new strain” of a super-bug “hitting gay men.” Headlines in Britain screamed, “Flesh-eating bug strikes San Francisco’s gay community,” and anti-gay extremists across America spread the alarm that gays were introducing another plague into “the general population.” But there was a small problem with all of this: None of it is true!
Paul Cameron’s World
In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.
From the Inside: Focus on the Family’s “Love Won Out”
On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.
Prologue: Why I Went To “Love Won Out”
Part 1: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With “No Exceptions”
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"
The Heterosexual Agenda: Exposing The Myths
At last, the truth can now be told.
Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!
And don't miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.
Testing The Premise: Are Gays A Threat To Our Children?
Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.
Straight From The Source: What the “Dutch Study” Really Says About Gay Couples
Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.
The FRC’s Briefs Are Showing
Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.
Review: The Gay Report
When Karla Jay and Allan Young published The Gay Report in 1979, it quickly a favorite source of statistics for many anti-gay extremists. But before you accepts these statistic at face value, you should examine the inner workings of this survey very carefully. What you learn might surprise you.
Daniel Fetty Doesn’t Count
The FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.
News, analysis and fact-checking of anti-gay rhetoric
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Daniel Karslake observed that much of the debate over homosexuality and Scripture was conducted by shouting at each other. He set out to create a documentary that would argue his position without vilifying those who disagree with him.
Christopher™
March 15th, 2008 | LINK
Rev. Dr. Laurence Keene is one of the theologians interviewed in the film, and was quoted in the trailer as saying, “There’s nothing wrong with a fifth-grade understanding of God… as long as you’re in the fifth grade.” (My favorite quote from the entire documentary.)
When my church, Christ Chapel of the Valley, screened the film over two nights this past January, Dr. Keene was present in person to discuss the film afterwards and host a Q&A session.
One of the things he pointed out about the film was that the original intent was to present representatives of both sides of the issue. Dr. James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and others were invited to participate, and tentatively agreed to do so… until they learned of the participation of other, more progressive, theologians like Rev. Jimmy Creech, Harvard professor Peter Gomes and Dr. Keene. According to Dr. Keene, within a week, all the conservative voices dropped out of the film, and when asked why, none would respond directly. Finally, a Dobson spokesperson wrote an email that stated the reason they chose not to participate was because “the issue of homosexuality is already settled.” So, the filmmakers were forced to pull clips of sermons and writings to present the conservative side of the argument.
The reason I point this out is because some of the criticism I’ve read about the film has said that it is one-sided. Clearly, the film has a point of view, but the lack of onscreen participation by theological conservatives (with the notable exception of Richard Mouw from Fuller Theological Seminary) is not the fault of the filmmakers. It is because Dobson et al refused to participate.
RebLaw
March 16th, 2008 | LINK
I watched the movie at a local church. I’m from Minnesota so the Reitans were able to be present for a Q and A after the screening.
I loved the fifth grade quote as well. The movie is fairly one-sided, the families have learned to accept their children for the most part by the end. But I think overall it was very good.
Ephilei
March 16th, 2008 | LINK
Wow, I feel like I should have heard of this before now.
I highly recommend “God Only Knows: Same Sex Marriage,” a Canadian flim which brings a gay pastor and Right Wing talk show host to become friends and enter into real dialogue together. I applaude if for being something I feel I could show my anti-gay family and friends and not feel I was manipulating them but honestly opening conversation.
I saw “Abomination” and was not at all impressed because of it’s slant; preaching to the choir and all that. But decent if you don’t mind that.
Zeke
March 18th, 2008 | LINK
I really HATE it when journalist write misleading and journalistically flawed statements like, “…which helps youth wanting to overcome homosexuality” rather than the more accurate and journalistically proper “…which [they claim] helps youth wanting to overcome homosexuality.”
Or “…which helps clients change their sexual orientation.” rather than “…which [they claim] helps clients change their sexual orientation.”
The “therapy” is not supported by any medical, psychiatric or medical association and has no support from peer reviewed studies. It’s completely inappropriate for the journalist to emphatically state that these organizations accomplish these rather than stating that they claim to accomplish these things.
Just from the little bit of the article reprinted here it’s clear that the article was written by someone with a lot of ignorance when it comes to gay people, homosexuality and the anti-gay industry.
It may not have been intentional but the article came off very biased, at least as it related to the ex-gay quotes.
I took about 50 people from my predominantly straight United Church of Christ to see it at the film festival in Tampa. They were blown away by it. We are going to play it again at our church on Pride/Open and Affirming Sunday in June.
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