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June 28, 2007

Ex-Ex-Gays Apologize for Preaching Gay Cure

Three former ex-ex-homosexual ministers have publicly apologized for the harm their gay cure efforts have caused many gays and lesbians who believed their claims that prayer could cure them. They say they sincerely believed in their work, but over time they realized that not only were they not "cured," but their conversion efforts were inflicting a "wrenching human toll" on other gays who came to them for help.

"Some who heard our message were compelled to try to change an integral part of themselves, bringing harm to themselves and their families," the three, including former Exodus co-founder Michael Bussee, said in a joint written statement presented at the news conference. "Although we acted in good faith, we have since witnessed the isolation, shame, fear and loss of faith that this message creates."

Now a licensed family therapist in Riverside, Bussee left Exodus in 1979 after he fell in love with a man who was a fellow ex-gay counselor with the group. He speaks out frequently against ex-gay therapies.

"God's love and forgiveness does indeed change people," said Bussee, who remains an evangelical Christian. "It changed me. It just didn't make me straight."

The three former leaders from Exodus, who are all "committed Christians" but "still gay," said they knew people who had tried to be "cured" of their homosexuality who instead had become depressed and even suicidal because they did not change. Rev. Mel White, founder and president of a faith-based gay rights group called Soulforce, praised the three, saying sexual orientation "isn't a light switch that you can switch on and off."

Of course, those who remain in ministry at Exodus disagree, saying thousands have been "cured" of homosexuality through prayer. This being a blog, I'm going to give you my own opinion about that. I think they're also telling the truth. From everything I've seen and read, what makes the most sense to me is that sexual orientation covers a very broad scale from one extreme to the other, with most of us falling somewhere in between entirely straight and entirely gay. Some people are so close to the middle they can happily swing either way. Those people probably can switch back to being straight after having been gay and live happy, fulfilling lives. But the closer a person is to one extreme or the other, the less likely a transformation is. The prayer part isn't, in my opinion, God's intervention. It is a personally empowering form of meditation that strengthens one's belief and resolve and thereby increases the odds of a successful outcome for those who are in the "swingable" zone on the scale.

Posted by Becky at June 28, 2007 02:48 PM