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-------------------------
Wayne Besen
PO Box 25491
Brooklyn, NY 11202
(Zach - One of Love In Action's Many Teen Prisoners)
Gay activists are picketing Love In Action, an "ex-gay" ministry based in Memphis. They are protesting the hate group's barbaric practice of incarcerating gay kids against their will to make them heterosexual (It Doesn't Work). Love In Action's abusive tactics came to light when a brave 16 year old boy named Zach chronicled his story on his blog.
"They [Zach's parents] tell me that there is something psychologically wrong with me, and they 'raised me wrong.' I'm a big screw up to them, who isn't on the path God wants me to be on. So I'm sitting here in tears, joinin [sic] the rest of those kids who complain about their parents on blogs and I can't help it," Zach wrote. "I've been through hell. I've been emotionally torn apart for three days... I can't remember which days they were ... time's not what it used to be," the teen wrote in his last blog entry on June 3.
Let's hope that young Zach does not harm himself. It has happened before at this mockery of a ministry. I also know there is a 16 year old lesbian who is (was) trapped at the boot camp a few months ago.
Here is a history of the group's follies and failures:
** Love in Action was founded in 1973 by John Evans, a gay man, and Rev. Kent Philpott, a heterosexual preacher
** In 1974, Philpott wrote an influential ex-gay book called "The Third Sex?" featuring the testimonies of six people who said they had prayed away the gay. It later turned out that none of the people whose stories were featured had changed.
** Soon after The Third Sex? is published, key Love in Action participant Jack McIntyre commits suicide because he was unable to change from gay to straight. In his suicide note he writes, "To continually go before God and ask forgiveness and make promises you know you can't keep is more than I can take."
** After McIntyre's death, co-founder John Evans drops out and renounces the group as a sham. He dedicated his life to helping people escape the ex-gay trap.
** Love In Action's Director John Smid admits his group is useless. "I am not totally healed from homosexuality. It is part of my emotional, physical and spiritual history," Smid wrote. "It will not be erased as though it did not exist. I still struggle at times...I still shut down with my wife at times. I periodically have sexual thoughts regarding men."
** In 2000, Love In Action's youngest graduate and spokesman Wade Richards, comes out of the closet and condemns ministry as a fraud. Today, he is a gay activist today and appeared in the wonderful (Five Stars) movie, Fish Can't Fly.
** On Sept. 19, 2000, Love In Action's most famous graduate and ex-gay poster boy John Paulk is photographed in a gay bar in Washington, DC
As we can clearly see, Love In Action may be taking Zach's parents to the bank and looting their account. But they can bank on the fact that Zach will not be made into a heterosexual.
20 Comments:
These disgusting ministries should be shut dowmn. What a disgraceful country we live in that allows such garbage.
You queers need to leave this family alone. This family values having a normal kid. How dare you people deny them the chance to straighten out thier kid. If you had it your way, the kid's sould would burn for eternity in Hell. The Christian nation is waking up. Get used to it.
Glenn your spelling and grammar show what a stupid jackass you really are. Being Gay IS normal for some of us and CAN'T be changed you hillbilly FUCK. The only hell is the one you and your cretin co-religionists have created for this poor kid right here on Earth!! Yeah, the nation IS finally waking up to the totalitarian, fascist designs of the bush regime. That's why his approval ratings are in the toilet, just like your heart and brain (if you even have one!) Gary in NJ
posted by Anonymous, at
6/15/2005 11:31 PM
Glenn, for your information, Zach is normal just the way he is. See, the problem is that his parents have been brainwashed into believing that they caused Zach's sexual orientation. They did not and need to learn to love and accept Zach's authenticity, not stunt and emotionally criple him. This program is a scam and the only thing changing is his parent's bank account, to a lower level. Also Glenn, many gay people are also Christians. Tim W.
posted by Anonymous, at
6/16/2005 12:50 AM
So much for human dignity in this society. It is an abomination to allow such harmful, life threatening organizations to exist. This is not about freedom at all. The most disturbing part about all of it is that it probably has the tacit support of the government, ergo the White House. The APA is not doing enough to take these dangerous people to task. This is fast becoming a human rights issue. Are we becoming a pariah nation or what? I think so.
Robert, Bayside, NYC Robertocucina@earthlink.net
posted by Anonymous, at
6/16/2005 8:08 AM
Glenn is a little touchy-wouchy, isn't he? Maybe he's having "impure" thoughts himself.
posted by Anonymous, at
6/17/2005 2:19 PM
Glen,
You completely miss the point. Sexual orientation is biological - it is an innate characteristic like the color of your eyes or being left handed.
His parent's trying to change him is like a teacher beating a left handed person and trying to make him or her a right handed person. It is sick. It is cruel. It is misguided and many of us know what it feels like.
Glenn, I'm not exactly sure I'd describe the cult reality denial in the ex-gay movement as "waking up". But never mind. The waking up you guys need to worry about is what will happen when the things that go on inside these groups becomes more common public knowledge. Thanks to Wayne, and others like him exposing these groups for what they are, that waking may occur sooner then you'd probably like. Get ready for it.
Bruce Garrett Baltimore, Maryland.
posted by Anonymous, at
6/18/2005 12:30 PM
Organizations such as 'Love in Action' are just prisons where hate groups can work in congregation to abuse and attempt to bring down the homosexual community. To take a homosexual person and force them into a "conversion camp" as it can also be called, and abuse them psychologically, emotionally, and in some cases physically, is wrong in itself. The government in fact should take a stand to abolish any such organizations nationwide, as they are unconstitutional in the sense that it rips away the homosexual persons' basic freedoms.
I myself am a homosexual. I'm you're simple, average 16-year old gay boy, looking for his place in this world. Though young, I can easily boast that all of these ignorant gay-haters wouldn't last 15 minutes in a debate with me. They can claim all they want against the homosexual lifestyle, when it matters little what they say to begin with. For in the end, none of their claims can be backed up. None of their anti-gay ideals can be kept up to stand firmer than the ideals of equality for all.
As well, there was a comment on this topic from an 'anonymous' which stated:
"You queers need to leave this family alone. This family values having a normal kid. How dare you people deny them the chance to straighten out thier kid. If you had it your way, the kid's sould would burn for eternity in Hell. The Christian nation is waking up. Get used to it."
Well, this right here is the signs of an overly-religious, ignorant fool who is too closed-minded to see the truth. The family values having a 'normal' kid? I'm sorry, but can they even DEFINE normal without using the useless meaning in the dictionary? There is no such thing as 'normal'. Normality is but a myth, a thing thought up just as a way to get people to do what someone wants, someone in a position of power and influence, like the president of all people. Get used to the Christian nation waking up? I don't think so. Two problems with that: First, this is not a "Christian nation" as they stated, this is a country for all to be equal, no matter who they are or what they believe. To call this a "Christian nation" shows not just ignorance to the ideals of equality, but even a good hint of prejudice and racism on so many levels. The Christian community, isn't completely made up of people like this, whom can safely be named 'bible thumpers'. This is just an example of the extremists, the ones who have been brainwashed by religion beyond the point of no-return.
If this truly was the land of the free, where all men are created equal, all women and children too, where no one is discriminated against for who they are...then I promise you this world would be a much better place. As a nation, we preach the ideals of equality, yet we strip that freedom from so many, just because they're 'different'. It's a sad turn of events for this nation. Not only are we possibly the most ignorant nation on the planet in general, we're also failing as a nation as a democracy as well. It will all come tumbling down soon enough.
In finality, homosexuality is a lifestyle, a way of life lived by millions of people worldwide. Homosexuality is no different from heterosexuality, bisexuality, transgenders, hermaphrodites, none of them. If you're living, and you have a lifestyle, then there is nothing wrong with it. No one should be discriminated against because their lifestyle is different from that of someone else. As for these "conversion camps", I say burn them all to the ground, and imprison or slaughter the brainless and ignorant fools who run them and praise them, for it is people like them who will bring about their own, and this world's destruction.
posted by Anonymous, at
6/30/2005 2:26 AM
Oh god. Now I'm pretty frightened. I'm about thirteen-years-old, and around November or December 2006, I went on my computer, like any normal day. I went through my History column, looking for a website whose name escaped me, and found several links which talked about this program. My father had almost sent me to this god-forsaken place.
Glenn, shutup. I know it's unnecessary for me to tell you this after about eight-or-so people told you, but, sexuality is NOT some sort of "mark of the beast" or whatever you make it out to be. It is an attribute which is naturally occuring, and sure, while it can change a bit, generally it stays the same.
I know that sometimes I am completely asexual (all general signs of arousal are nowhere to be seen for suggestive showings of both genders) and others I am homosexual (bisexuality happens rarely with me, but generally it happens once out of every five months.)
Our brains are organs that are fueled by odd chemical reactions concering chromosomes when young and developed nerve/brain cells when old. Thoughts and ideas travel through "wires" in our brains to other places (using, what I believe may be electrical currents, but I'm some "stupid kid," I suppose.) Many, like our heart beating, breathing, and reflexes are unconscious things that travel on these paths. Erections are among these.
posted by Anonymous, at
6/16/2007 2:31 PM
Oh, and that reminds me, Jesus Christ said, "Love your neighbor as you would yourself." Not "Hate all those queers, Ay-rabs, non-Zionists, and any other 'minority.'"
posted by Anonymous, at
6/16/2007 2:33 PM
Okay, Ill leave a comment as a young adult (15) who has only a handful of friends that know about his true sexuality. And is currently trying to understand the fascism that drives homophobic perspective before I choose to come out openly. Ill say that I dont think I was born gay but I dont think I can change. I think sexuality is a developed trait after a series of events in life. and some people (like me) Develop an attraction for the same gender during the time that straight people develop an attraction for the opposite gender.
I think this program is close-minded rubbish. And that society really does need to see a better perspective on what they do to people. Basically they are saying " You have an inperfection and need to be concentrated and conformed to the normal-side"
Also I find it hard to beleive that anyone who has been brainwashed to even have the slightest attraction to what they normally wouldnt, It would be very VERY hard to cope with it and be happy. You just cant be happy as someone you are not. This is rediculous nonsense and very close-minded.
posted by Anonymous, at
9/20/2007 5:26 PM
oh yeah and religious-fanatiscism slows the country and society down more than anything else. Homophobes like wendy think that anyone not like herself as far as sexual preferance is going to burn in hell. Her opinion of course...but a rediculous one driven by her own sad perspectives. And this is NOT taught in the bible in more than one or two verses.. This is demonized by contemporary-christianity. I think its funny that you cant make a mountain of a molehill out of HOMOSEXUALITY. When half of you have been divorced and have remarried. Did you know that is a sin as well? Society chooses to ignore that one. So I suggest you homophobes look at yourself before you EVER start judging others. "Get the sawdust out of your eye before you sweep it out of your brothers."-(misquoted but very accurate)Jesus.
"Some people worry so much about the next world that they dont ever learn how to live in this one"- To Kill a Mockingbird / Harper Lee
posted by Anonymous, at
9/20/2007 5:33 PM
oh very sorry wendy! i meant glenn my apologies~!!!
posted by Anonymous, at
9/20/2007 5:34 PM
Zach,
Stay safe, keep your chin up, and disregard any attempt by others to tell you how to live your life
posted by Anonymous, at
11/12/2007 8:20 PM
