Anti-Gay/Ex-Gay Activist George Rekers Vacations With “Rentboy”

Jim Burroway

May 4th, 2010

The Miami New Times has an explosive exposé revealing that anti-gay activist George Rekers has taken several vacations with a “rentboy” whom the paper names as “Lucien.”  According to the paper, Rekers was photographed on April 13, 2010 at Miami International Airport returning from an extended overseas trip with the twenty-year-old.

George Rekers has a very long history in anti-gay politics. He has worked closely with Paul Cameron and was the brainchild behind Cameron’s moribund online “Journal.” He spoke as a so-called “expert witness” in support of Florida’s adoption ban, in which he also said that he would consider banning Native Americans from adopting because research shows that they are also at much higher risk of mental illness and substance abuse. He is an officer at the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), where he also serves on their Scientific Advisory Committee and as an associate editor of NARTH’s  Journal of Human Sexuality. (NARTH, you may recall, has had quite a number of controversial figures connected with that organization. More recently, another member of their Scientific Advisory Committee, Arthur Goldberg, was found to have been a convicted Wall Street swindler. Goldberg has since resigned from NARTH.)

Rekers and Goldberg are also members of the “Pediatric Psychosocial Development Committee” of the fake pediatrics group, American College of Pediatricians (not to be confused the American Academy of Pediatrics, which boasts 60,000 pediatricians as members). Rekers has worked closely with Pat Robertson’s Regent University, and is a cofounder wtih James Dobson of the Family Research Council.

And he likes his rentboys young and willing to travel:

Reached by New Times before a trip to Bermuda, Rekers said he learned Lucien was a prostitute only midway through their vacation. “I had surgery,” Rekers said, “and I can’t lift luggage. That’s why I hired him.” (Though medical problems didn’t stop him from pushing the tottering baggage cart through MIA.)

Uh huh. Given the thousands of dollars per day plus expenses that is typically charged by rentboys when they travel with their clients, that’s one very expensive porter.

Yet Rekers wouldn’t deny he met his slender, blond escort at Rentboy.com — which features homepage images of men in bondage and grainy videos of crotch-rubbing twinks — and Lucien confirmed it.

…In his interview with New Times, Lucien didn’t want to impugn his client, but he made it clear they met through Rentboy.com, which is the only website on which he advertises his services. Neither Google nor any other search engine picks up individual Rentboy.com profiles, any more than they pick up individual profiles on eHarmony or Match.com. You cannot just happen upon one.

“Lucien” was very protective of Rekers — as every good male escort would be — but he did say that Rekers “likes younger guys to hang out with.” New Times reports that Rekers “frequently takes in foster children and that four years ago he adopted a 16-year-old boy.” The son declined to be interviewed.

Johnson

May 4th, 2010

Poor old desperate liar–“I had surgery and can’t lift luggage” Uh-huh, riiiight!

Jason D

May 4th, 2010

it’s somewhat saddening that so many of the opponents of our civil rights are secretly one of us.

It would be like sneaking into a taliban meeting to find they’re all actually a bunch of suburban white people who’ve been brainwashed.

I wonder, if it were possible to magically uncloset all our closeted opponents — would there be any anti-gay activists left? Are there any truly straight opponents to our equality, or are we just fighting with ourselves?

I think it’s Ben who says that the real enemy is the closet. And when stories like this break, it makes me consider the fact that he’s more right than any of us know.

Johnson

May 4th, 2010

Jason–I’ve long been convinced that our ONLY opponents are closeted gay men. All Truly Heterosexual Men, secure in their own sexuality, just aren’t threatened by us.

Grant

May 4th, 2010

I’m leaning toward agreement with these sentiments. I do believe there are straight men and women out there who have been socialized to fear and hate gays and lesbians, often via religion; but at the heart or root of all that, I think you’d more often than not find a self-hating homosexual beating the loudest drum.

These closeted gays so hate themsevles, and so want to be accepted as straight, that they gladly sell their souls to do so.

John in the Bay Area

May 4th, 2010

The really suspicious ones truely dedicate themselves to the anti-gay cause. While many right wingers are anti-gay, anti-welfare, anti-tax, pro-military budgets, and take strong positions on any number of issues, those who just seem fixated on their anti-gay cause stand out for the bizarre nature of their obsession. I just assume that all of them are gay, otherwise they would have lost interest long ago in the whole thing.

John in the Bay Area

May 4th, 2010

By the way, I really feel for the guy who was adopted at 16. He is in a very difficult position in this whole mess. It seems like he doesn’t want to become part of this story. As long as he continues to feel that way, I do hope that his privacy is respected.

tavdy79

May 4th, 2010

Off-topic, but…

Could he look any more like Ned Flanders?

Burr

May 4th, 2010

So.. why in the world is he allowed to adopt? :P

Phil

May 4th, 2010

In all seriousness, although it’s fun to gloat when something like this happens, I think that “hypocrisy” is overhyped by our community.

Reker’s anti-gay actions were, and always have been, evil. His behaviors would be just as evil coming from a straight man as coming from a closeted gay man.

It’s not wrong to have sex with men. It’s not wrong to travel with men, even younger men. I don’t even personally believe it’s wrong to pay another adult for sexual services, as long as everyone is aware of what they’re doing. (Illegal, yes, but “wrong?” Not unless there’s coercion.) So while it’s fun (delicious, even) to make a big deal when a hypocrite like Rekers is caught with a man, there’s the risk that the wrong message is sent. The attitude shouldn’t be, “See? Even you got caught doing the bad thing that you criticize.” The whole point is, “It was never a bad thing in the first place.”

James Savik

May 4th, 2010

So… how long until the whole Family Research Council is outed as a bunch of sick old trolls that have to pay for it?

Erin

May 7th, 2010

I find it interesting this story isn’t on the Fox News site. Hmm…..wonder why. Maybe because it blows another hole in the ex-gay therapy works, and being gay is a choice argument.

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