Exodus Board Member Participates In Uganda Conference Calling For Forcing Gays Into Conversion Therapy

Jim Burroway

March 6th, 2009

Nazi Revisionist Scott Lively has talked Ugandan anti-gay activist Stephen Langa and a Ugandan parliamentarian into proposing a law forcing people convicted of homosexuality into ex-gay therapy:

The Minister of Ethics and Integrity, Dr. James Nsaba Buturo has today told a conference organized to discuss the ways to fight Homosexuality that he will soon submit a bill on pornography and homosexuality for discussion in Parliament. …

Buturo says the government will not only end at making laws against homosexuality but will also engage in sensitizing schools and churches in the fight against this vice.

The President of Defend the Family International, Scott Lively says it is good for the government of Uganda to criminalize homosexuality but the government should subject the criminals of homosexuality to a therapy rather than imprisoning them.

Lively says this is aimed at the criminals recovering from homosexuality which is the main objective of those fighting homosexuality and not to punish homosexuals through imprisonment. He says even schools should borrow this idea of therapy in dealing with gay students.

Exodus Board member Don Schmierer

Exodus Board member Don Schmierer

Exodus International boasts that it is “the largest Christian referral and information network dealing with homosexual issues in the world.” As Exodus Internationals board member, Don Scmhmierer, who is speaking at that conference, carries the most credibility — such as it is — of the three to speak out on ex-gay issues. He is certainly the only one who can credibly speak to ex-gay policy, and specifically the policy of Exodus International. He spoke yesterday at the conference, but so far reports show him as silent on this proposal.

Exodus International now has the moral imperative to to state unequivocally its position on both the criminalization of homosexuality, as well as its position on bills which would force unproven, unsanctioned, and unregulated ex-gay “conversion” therapies on gays and lesbians.

And Exodus International also has the moral imperative to publicly face its own responsibilities in participating in a conference with those who excuse violence against gay people, and who actively promote a style of “therapy” which Exodus at one time had publicly condemned. It was just one year ago in which Exodus appeared to signal an intention to move to a more responsible position in its policies. Exodus’ official policy is to denounce the “extremes” of those “who respond to homosexuals with ignorance and fear.”

If there is any meaning whatsoever behind Exodus’s words, then Exodus International’s leadership and board have no choice but to clarify its positions on the legal aspects of homosexuality and forced conversions, especially now that a recognized Exodus board member is actively participating in a conference which has publicly advocated such draconian measures. Exodus must now, both here and in Uganda, forcefully, loudly, unequivocally and unambiguously condemn this proposal.

It is time for Exodus President Alan Chambers and board chairman Bob Ragan exercise leadership by acting boldly and swiftly. Anything less will be seen as silent assent, carrying the board’s stamp of approval.

Update: Warren Throckmorton calls on Alan Chambers and Richard Cohen to have their representatives make public statements distancing themselves from this latest proposal. “And they should come early,” he warns. David Roberts at Ex-Gay Watch warns that Exodus has a “very short window in which to soundly renounce the entire conference, the idea of forced therapy and, as we suggested earlier, call for the decriminalization of homosexuality in Uganda and the rest of the world.”

Click here to see BTB’s complete coverage of recent anti-gay developments in Uganda.

Yuki Choe

March 6th, 2009

“this vice”? Human sexuality a VICE? It is our hope that Exodus International will progress to a neutral stand. But by standing on this shakeable ground they have regressed to the level of mentality that now demonizes LGBTs.

By agreeing to force change, and by use of an already discredited way of therapy, they have set a dangerous precedence that goes against the very fabric of human rights. This is an expose to their hypocricy and in all agreement to Jim, Exodus International must now state real their stance. They now exist as an international politicizing entity for all to see that interferes with people’s lives. And one that seeks to eradicte our existance. What are their real intentions?

----

March 6th, 2009

The only people who should be forced into conversions are the religious nuts who run Uganda and Exodus International, into a more rational religion.

What does the UN have to say about all this?

Timothy Kincaid

March 6th, 2009

To Alan Chambers:

You are aware of this conference and of the goals of its participants. You know that the political actions of your Board Members reflect on Exodus International as a whole.

Exodus has now been directly linked to Lively and the Uganda conference. You have been invited to denounce this conference, its participants, and its message.

Should you ignore the situation, I will be forced to assume that you personally and Exodus International as an organization are in favor of conferences such as that in Uganda and implicitly endorse their political agenda as well as the goals and methods of their participants.

And should you say dismissive words about the conference while doing nothing to address the fact that a Board Member of your organization was there speaking, I will be forced to assume that you do not consider such an action to be of a serious nature.

Alan, this is in your hands.

grantdale

March 6th, 2009

Jim, Alan Chambers cannot act against the Board. He is employed by them.

The time for action has long past. Too much of what you’re asking assumes that Exodus actually cares about being involved in such things in the first place, rather than being involved and subsequently having bad publicity and then reacting to that bad PR.

If it be us… Don Schmierer removed, today. He should not be permitted to resign, he needs to be fired.

The entire rest of the Board should follow suit and resign, with an interval for replacement. This is an utter disgrace.

If those both fail to occur, the only honourable option for Alan Chambers is for himself to resign. No decent person could possibly continue to work for an organisation like that.

We don’t think any of the above will occur. Instead we’ll get a “sorry if we hurt anyone’s feelings; we should have explained things better” press release.

They have all known all along what they were doing and Exodus never admits to being a failure.

John

March 6th, 2009

At risk of inflaming an already hot topic, I have to wonder how Alan Chambers would respond to calls for forced conversions (despite any evidence that anyone can or has changed their sexual orientation) in a particular area of the United States, Canada, Austrailia, or other 1st world predominantly white country.

The violence and brutality being advocated in Uganda by local Ugandan hate mongers and a few white outsiders linked to Exodus is primarily directed at black Africans living in Uganda. Are the lives of these black Africans in Uganda too difficult to relate to for Alan Chambers and Randy Thomas than the white gay people living in Florida where Exodus is located? Does the skin color of these victims of brutality linked to Exodus have anything to do with Alan and Randy’s deafening silence on the subject?

Laurel

March 6th, 2009

Gee, and I wonder who would win the lucrative franchise on the forced ex-gay brainwashing? An organization Mr. Lively is involved with, perhaps? The finders fees alone must be making him drool.

Mike Airhart

March 6th, 2009

Timothy is correct:

The time for Exodus to act passed some time ago. If the board actually opposed actions by Don Schmierer and Phil Burress — and by its flagship Love In Action program — to criminalize homosexuality and to force people into ex-gay brainwashing, then the time to act against renegade board members and programs was BEFORE, not after, these pre-planned renegade activities occurred.

Exodus International CHOSE to renew its membership in the Exodus Global Alliance, knowing that the EGA was acting to condemn gay people in Jamaica, Barbados, Uganda and elsewhere to imprisonment, torture, vigilante violence, and brainwashing.

Given Exodus’ deliberate choices to affirm its leaders’ extremist activities, no after-the-fact cosmetic statement from Exodus (to the effect that its board members and flagship program act autonomously) is acceptable.

Exodus is now, by definition, a hate group. It should be treated as such.

SharonB

March 6th, 2009

The blood of Ugandan martyrs is now on the hands of Exodus, Cohen, and their sponsors. If they don’t condemn, they condone. It’s just that simple.

Trevor

March 6th, 2009

Its outrageous to be sure. But to be honest I’m not really surprised. Exodus and other groups like them exist for the sole purpose of quietly exterminating gays and enforcing far right religious ideology. Realizing that most westerners are sensible enough to realize homosexuality is not a choice they have started to prey on weak-minded poverty stricken people in Africa, Asia, and other crappy parts of the planet looking for a scapegoat for their problems. I’m not sure what their ultimate objective might be other than to put “world” pressure on Europe and the United States to likewise criminalize/punish homosexuality.

gordo

March 6th, 2009

“Alan Chambers cannot act against the Board. He is employed by them.”

According to Exodus’ website, Alan is on the board of directors. While he cannot act alone, he has standing on the board as a voting member. As President, his number 1 job is to organize and motivate the board to support Exodus’ programs.

If Exodus does nothing to distance themselves from this horror show, the responsbility will fall directly on Alan Chambers.

Lynn David

March 6th, 2009

So if another anti-gay pogrom is initiated in Uganda as a result of this conference would, Lively & the Defend the Family, Brundidge & the International Healing Federation, and Schmierer & Exodus, be open to prosecution for crimes against humanity in the World Court?

Stefano A

March 6th, 2009

That would be doubtful, Lynn David, particularly as the United States has never joined the International Criminal Court (ICC), the court that prosecutes individuals for crimes against humanity and similar crimes. I also would find it doubtful that the US would also be willing to investigate or prosecute.

Stefano A

March 6th, 2009

It should be noted with regard to the above, that there has been a deafening silence from the US Dept of State (or any other governmental national or world body, e.g. the UN, condeming this “seminar” in Uganda or the mass demonstrations in Burundi calling for the criminalization of homosexuality outside of NGOs such as Human Rights Watch or the ILGHRC for instance. Although it is worth noting that UNAIDS and the UNAIDS Uganda NGOs have spoken up and did speak up after the fact regarding Burundi for not passing the law (that the mass demonstrations are now trying to get them to pass since the bill now returns to the lower Senate.)

Scott

March 6th, 2009

Timothy Kincaid,

No disrespect, but stop feigning shock.

Everyone SHOULD KNOW that Exodus International has been linking to Scott Lively’s book for the longest time:

http://exodus.to/content/view/173/56/

I know I’ve personally posted the link several times these past few months, at many of the well-known GLBT blogs, and have raised enough hell to draw attention to the link at Exodus.

And I see the GLBT community at large STILL has never called Exodus out.

All I can say is gay activists have their heads up their asses, and deserve anything violent coming their way. So much for that Gandhi shit.

Scott

March 6th, 2009

I’m sorry, I should have addressed the author – Jim Burroway (re: my above post).

But to be fair, the comment goes for ALL leading GLBT blogs and bloggers, and not just one person in particular. I’ve posted that Exodus link at Pam’s, Joe’s, G-A-Y, TWO, and other GLBT blogs many times since 2008.

For something THIS outrageous, shame on all the leading GLBT bloggers for not checking the link out and making a fuss LONG AGO.

Jim Burroway

March 7th, 2009

Scott,

To be clear, you posted that link in COMMENTS, not on the blogs themselves. I read content from literally hundreds of blogs, news commentary portals and other web sites, both pro-gay and anti-gay, every day via RSS. I do not have time to read comments. That would take 32 hrs in a day to do that. I can barely keep up with BTB comments as it is.

So first, climb down from your high horse, and per our comments policy, specifically with respect to civility, profanity, and calls for violence. In any other circumstance, your first comment would have been removed immediately for violating that policy.

And second, thank you for bringing this to my attention for the first time here. Believe me, we will make note of this.

Scott

March 7th, 2009

I’m not on any high horse.

I’m disappointed in our so-called “gay leadership”. Actually, PISSED is the appropriate word.

Scott

March 7th, 2009

And by the way, all of you should know better than to address Alan Chambers.

He’s going to dance around, as always, and tell you one bold-faced lie after another. Why not go over to YouTube and watch him contradict himself over and over again on the Montel Show; what he explains Exodus is all about onstage compared to what the WEBSITE says.

Jeffrey Dahmer was more honest in his confession than Alan Chambers has ever been honest in his career as an “ex-gay”. Don’t even TRY to get an honest reply from that psycho.

John

March 7th, 2009

Scott,

I can assure you that you are not the first person to note that Alan Chambers is truth challenged. Every time he opens his mouth, he seems to directly contradict something he said in the past. He has called himself a pathological liar (though he was trying to refer to his pre-ex-gay life, it would appear to still be applicable).

Then there is the whole matter of his being ex-gay to begin with…

I will say this for him: As he seems to be lowering his profile, the sheer volume of falsehoods has significantly decreased. But this is purely a function of opening his mouth less. The percentage of statements that he makes that are false doesn’t appear to be significantly affected. (And no, I am not keep baseball type stats on Alan. I do have a life!)

Scott

March 7th, 2009

John,

I don’t keep constant tabs on Alan Chambers, either – but I know enough about him to know for a fact he’s deceptive, a pathological liar, and a passive-aggressive pusher of anti-gay violence.

For the record, this whole bitching session isn’t about ME. I’ve went around from blog to blog, making a damned hysterical fool of myself TRYING to get people to spread the word about Exodus linking to the Pink Swastika book.

Does a person have to literally set themself on fire to get gay activists to pay attention and get their heads out of their asses?

If losing Prop 8 is any indication of our “gay leadership” (and big-name bloggers count, because of their huge readership), we’re all as good as dead. Just dick off and dick off and dick off, and once the anti-gay Uganda genocide begins, WE’RE next.

Not me, not Jim Burroway, not Pam Spaulding, not Joe Jervis, not Melissa Etheridge, not Larry Kramer, not Harvey Fierstein. ALL of us. We’re ALL as good as dead if people don’t get a little more hysterical, a little more assertive, and the free passes to Alan Chambers and the other “ex-gays” has to stop.

Just [expletive removed] nevermind. It’s over.

Jim Burroway

March 7th, 2009

Scott,

As far as I am able to determine, this is the first you brought this to my attention. An Email might have been helpful. Calm the [expletive avoided] down.

Once again, review our comments policy. And this time, conform to it. Meanwhile, you are on moderation.

Nigel Massey

January 27th, 2011

RIP David Kato. May he rest in peace, and may those who aided and abetted the climate of hate in Uganda find peace with themselves also.

ewe

January 28th, 2011

Exodus is DISGRACEFUL.

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