More denounce ex-gay conversion therapy

[gewhite3]

Interesting how these scumbags denounce the very thing they supported after destroying so many lives. A little too little, too late if you ask me. At least they are coming out publicly about it but that's the only good thing I can say about it.

Source Article: Advocate.com

Five former leaders of "ex-gay" ministries Down Under have publicly condemned converstion/reparative therapy, according to the Sydney Star Observer.

The Aussie leaders said they were inspired to make their comments by the recent apologies of three former "ex-gay" leaders at an "ex-gay" survivors conference in Los Angeles.

"There was not one person that I met or worked with who, in any genuine way, achieved the fundamental transformation from homosexual to heterosexual," Paul Martin, former leader of Exodus in Melbourne, told the Observer.

According to some of the former "ex-gay" leaders, conversion therapy teachers in Australia believe men become gay because they had emotionally distant fathers. Their therapy included "minders," who would follow the enrollees to make sure they were behaving themselves.

"Some people have suicided," Anthony Venn Brown, who spent 22 years trying to be straight, told the newspaper. "But most people have now come to terms with their sexuality. There is no success rate [with conversion therapy]." (The Advocate)

 

[G-Lexington]

It doesn't matter how many ex-gays become ex-ex-gays. As long as homosexuality exists, as long as people feel desperate for themselves (or their loved ones) to live heterosexual lives, and as long as there's money to be made, there will exist people willing to take that money to convert gays into straights.

Lex

 

[Circe Infuria]

"Some people have suicided," Anthony Venn Brown, who spent 22 years trying to be straight, told the newspaper. "But most people have now come to terms with their sexuality. There is no success rate [with conversion therapy]."

What a sad price to pay.

 

[gewhite3]

It's very sad. It's impossible to know just how many lives these people have ruined.

 

[Roland00]

I have only sympathy for these people. Yes they helped other people hate themselves, but no one forced those people to go to an ex gay clinic. It was their own self loathing and the message society taught them, that they were despicable.

I have no problem with these people as long as the y have a conscious and try to undue the institutional contraception they help create with the ex-gay movement.

More hate won't fix this, only love and teach people to understand and accept our humanity and basic goodness.

 

[Soilwork]

I hope they live in shame their whole lives. I hope they choke on their appology.

I hope they see how many peope they inspired to kill themselves and well.. kill themselves. The world would be a better place without them.

Their own cowardice lead them to hurt millions of people and their very existence was used as a weapon against those of us who aren't pathetic losers and had the spines to come out.

Awful, horrible excuses for human beings.

Dreadful bottom feeders.

I won't feel sorry for them ever.

 

[G-Lexington]

>>>I have only sympathy for these people. Yes they helped other people hate themselves, but no one forced those people to go to an ex gay clinic. It was their own self loathing and the message society taught them, that they were despicable.

Oh, come on. They hung out a shingle. They announced they could cure any homosexual for $599.95. They're like those people who sell "make your dick grow" pills, only much worse. They don't just sell sugar pills - they made people feel utterly worthless, and cost some people their lives. Had they had the guts to tell the truth - "there's nothing we can do to 'cure' homosexuality" - and send these people to someone to help them come to grips with it, these people would most likely still be alive. But no. They wanted the money. And if it meant convincing some people that the reason they were faggots was because they just weren't TRYING hard enough, hey, as long as the checks clear.

I'm glad they've stopped.
They never should've started.
No sympathy from this corner.
Not until they work at suicide hotlines and AIDS centers for at least as long as their little "center" was open.

Lex

 

[Soilwork]

I'm glad they've stopped.
They never should've started.
No sympathy from this corner.
Not until they work at suicide hotlines and AIDS centers for at least as long as their little "center" was open.

Lex

For free.

And donate all their blood-money back to the gay community and do out-reach work with gay youth.

And even then, I'll still hate them and wish they were dead.

but I'm like that.

 

[Roland00]

>>>I have only sympathy for these people. Yes they helped other people hate themselves, but no one forced those people to go to an ex gay clinic. It was their own self loathing and the message society taught them, that they were despicable.

Oh, come on. They hung out a shingle. They announced they could cure any homosexual for $599.95. They're like those people who sell "make your dick grow" pills, only much worse. They don't just sell sugar pills - they made people feel utterly worthless, and cost some people their lives. Had they had the guts to tell the truth - "there's nothing we can do to 'cure' homosexuality" - and send these people to someone to help them come to grips with it, these people would most likely still be alive. But no. They wanted the money. And if it meant convincing some people that the reason they were faggots was because they just weren't TRYING hard enough, hey, as long as the checks clear.

I'm glad they've stopped.
They never should've started.
No sympathy from this corner.
Not until they work at suicide hotlines and AIDS centers for at least as long as their little "center" was open.

Lex

First these people were with the religous groups not the pretend psychology groups such as narth.

Second they have relented and started campaigning against it. Here are some video testimonials that "inspired" this group to apologize. These aren't some con people who stop with one con to start another.
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2007/06/28/491
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2007/06/27/490

 

[angedelune]

There is a line in the movie Stardust *which is EXCELLENT btw* Robert DeNiro's character the sky pirate is gay, and he says "Why would people spend so much time and effort to please people whom they don't even want to be like anyways?"

 

[angedelune]

Capitalism is so much fun. You can sell anything as long as you put the right spin on it. Nothing like using the word of "God" to sell a product.

 

[Roland00]

Hey Lex.......as far as i'm aware (and i think i'm pretty well informed about what goes in here)....none of the ministries in Australia have ever charged money to join an ex-gay group. They are all volunteer organisations. Even though this still doesn't make the groups acceptable or right it does let us know they were never motivated by money.

It seems in the US things are different....you have people like Narth and Exodus type ministries that charge people for programs or endless years of counselling.

NARTH and Exodus are different though both say you can change.

NARTH is completely secular organization (though it exists due to church referrals), they do all this fake pseduo psychology to explain, treat, and 'convert" former homosexuals to heterosexuals. These people will swindle your money

Exodus on the other hand is a religious coalition of ex-gay groups. They will spend most of their time praying together, shamming you, reading bible verses and telling you god loves you but you must change for that love to work. While they take money (only through donations though) Exodus is a non-profit. They will swindle you just nowhere near as bad as NARTH.

both are disgusting organizations, but I find NARTH far worse. The leaders of this organization don't have the excuse of fundamentalist religious brainwashing like Exodus, they pretend they are doctors when in reality they care nothing about science or psychology, instead they are practicing a world view and twisting reality to shape that world view.

 

[Soilwork]

They are all volunteer organisations. Even though this still doesn't make the groups acceptable or right it does let us know they were never motivated by money.

So they ruined people's lives for FREE.

Wow.. how.. altruistic.






Bunch of fucking cowards. Sorry, but words from any of you are poison.

 

[Soilwork]

OK, so Anthony... I gotta ask.

Now.. tell us..

You were an ex-gay with a ministry. And as far as I can tell, there's no such thing as a "ministry" which doesn't rake in cash.

So where did all those tax-free donations go? Did you fund the ex-gay brain-butchers or something else?

And I checked out your site. I didn't see the words "sorry" or "appology" or "we suck as human beings" on there anywhere, although I did see Jerry Falwell referred to as "Sinere and Intelligent" and a kinda weird tribute to Tammy Faye Baker.

I realize that you have seen the error of your ways and are now trying to make a buck as you make it right. Or maybe you're just trying to make a buck while you make yourself feel better for all the people who killed themselves thanks to you and your kind.

Hey, we all gotta make a living.

But tell me.. does the guilt for how many lives you've helped destroy keep you up at night or do you just not worry about the little people?

 

[Ninja108]

too little too late. God knows how many people committed sucide because they couldn't be "cured"

 

[Shepherd 2]

Give me a pound of flesh.
I said, "Give me a pound of flesh."
Vengence is ours is the news here.
Two wrongs will never repair the damage.
I hear and I undeerstand the rant,
I hear and feel the anger about what has been done.
But it saddens me to see that those who do such shit,
can look back and say, "See, how they are."
Are we not just as mired down as the old Exodus Ministry
that we loathed?
Can anyone see that?
I am hated,
maybe if I hate back, and ever more,
it will make something better.
Bitterness in the end only destroys the person
who is bitter.
Shep+

 

[marcuspig]

Having undergone the entirely inadequate sort of 'ministry' myself in the U.K. I can only say that most of the folk involved in it are NOT evil or horrible but just misled. They are sincere in their beliefs and not motivated by money; in fact their ministries often operate on a shoestring budget!) That is NOT to underestimate the awful oppression and damage they can inflict but to put their foolishness into perspective. When they see the errors of their ways and go public I think we owe it to them to support them and to forgive past wrongs. They have been as much the victims of deception and lazy thinking. Their public disavowal may come at great personal cost and is clearly done to prevent further affliction and advance intelligent acceptance of homosexuality. And when it comes from such a quarter surely the message for acceptance is all the more compelling?!
I say forgive....and believe me I have suffered at their hands.

 

[Soilwork]

I say forgive....and believe me I have suffered at their hands.

How about we let them suffer at OUR hands for a bit and THEN call it even?

I mean... It's not like I wanna rip their arms out of their sockets... (enough to actually do it), but maybe we can come up with some kind of electric shock machine...

Oh, wait.. they all probably have those anyway, right?

 

[glo-unit]

Does anyone one have any experience with the US ex-gay ministries, I'd like to know how different the experience is than the overseas ministries.

 

[pisces_ken02]

It doesn't matter how many ex-gays become ex-ex-gays. As long as homosexuality exists, as long as people feel desperate for themselves (or their loved ones) to live heterosexual lives, and as long as there's money to be made, there will exist people willing to take that money to convert gays into straights.

Lex

Very true.