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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyMarch 27th, 2008
The rumors are true. I spoke with Josh Morgan, communications manager at Love In Action. He has confirmed that John Smid has resigned from the Memphis-based residential ex-gay program. A quiet announcement was made to staff and supporters, and an official announcement will be made in their April 1st newsletter to subscribers. Josh had no further details or statement about the announcement.
Love In Action gained worldwide attention in 2006 when a gay 16-year-old by the name of Zach posted on MySpace blog that he was about to be involuntarily committed to Love In Action’s youth live-in program “Refuge.” Thanks to Zach’s mySpace post, the world was able to learn about the complicated and bizarre rules that all house residents are expected to follow. When he was committed to a two-month stay in the residential program, his plight spawned international outrage along with unprecedented protests in Memphis. It also inspired filmmaker Morgan Fox to begin filming the documentary, “This Is What Love In Action Looks Like,” which is currently in post-production. Last July, it was announced that the controversial youth program was shut down.
More recently, we examined just a little bit about what goes on in Love In Action. I talked about my reaction to hearing him talk at last summer’s Exodus conference on the evils of masturbation. Particularly disturbing: Smid’s bragging to an audience of mostly celibate men that “my wife’s vagina is enough for me!” (You will hear him say that at about the two minute mark):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwsm9GMRyEkLast February, former Love In Action client Jacob Wilson bravely talked about his emotionally battering experiences at Love In Action. His frank talk is quite jarring:
I was standing near another former client of Love In Action as Jacob spoke. He described his experience at a different “friends and family weekend” which was very nearly identical to Jacob’s. I cannot imagine a more outrageous form of abuse short of physical abuse than to force anyone to speak like this in front of their parents.
I talked a bit more with Jacob the next day. He spoke about “drinking the kool-aid,” having convinced himself his same-sex attractions were lessening. He also speaks about how Love In Action made him feel like “part of myself was dying inside”:
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Narc
March 27th, 2008
What ever happened to Zach? I was following the story closely when it first broke, but it seemed to go dead. His MySpace blog was taken offline not long afterwards, but it wasn’t clear if that was his decision or his parents’.
AgentSoapBox
March 27th, 2008
John was a great guy. I was a client at LIA and I’m sad to see him go. He did so much for homosexuals. not everyone is happy in the lifestyle and some need a way out.
nikko
March 29th, 2008
Hey AgentSoapBox, that’s stupid. There are many people unhappy with their(hetero) life too, and you don’t see them trying to change their heterosexuality!!
Buffy
April 6th, 2008
AgentSoapBox,
1. It’s not a “lifestyle”, it is an orientation, and gay people lead lives.
2. If it requires virtual imprisonment in a facility with draconian rules, countless hours of expensive “therapy” that belittles the participants, and an overall philosophy that says “if you don’t change to fit our mold you’re sick/evil/perverted” then it’s not *help*.
Have you ever noticed there are no programs trying to “convert” heterosexuals? Have you ever asked yourself why? Maybe you should ask the bigots.
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