Wayne Besen - Author, Activist, Columnist, Public Speaker

Sunday, July 20, 2008

(Weekly Column)

Sporting a fog machine for its smoke and mirrors routine and an extravagant stage that would make The Rolling Stones blush, the "ex-gay" group Exodus International held its glitzy annual conference in Asheville, North Carolina. I was in town all week to partner with regional and state organizations to oppose the meeting and its dizzying array of distortions.

A dark cloud hovered over the Exodus event, with violent hate crimes unsettling the local GLBT community. At the very moment ex-gay televangelists were railing against homosexuals in the foothills, news broke of an 18-year old boy in Anderson, South Carolina whose father, "yelled, cursed, swung a baseball bat, prayed and tried to cast the demon of homosexuality out of him."

In nearby Greenville, South Carolina, Stephen Moller, an anti-gay thug who murdered 20-year-old Sean William Kennedy outside a gay bar, just learned that he would spend approximately 10 months in jail for his ferocious crime. In this gross miscarriage of justice, the message was sent that murdering gay people was tacitly acceptable, if not encouraged. While in town, I spoke to Sean's grieving mother, Elke Kennedy, who rightfully called the sentence, "a joke and a slap on the wrist." Meanwhile, on the opening day of the Exodus conference, an anti-bullying bill was stalled in the North Carolina legislature.

Into this backdrop of brutality stepped the ex-gay activists Alan Chambers and Randy Thomas, who were determined to show the progressive residents of Asheville that Exodus did not stigmatize gay and lesbian people. Unfortunately, they kept tripping over reality and revealing the true nature of their duplicitous, deceptive and depraved ministry.

For a week, western North Carolinians were dazzled with disingenuousness. The audacity of the lies was breathtaking and the sheer nerve was mind numbing. By the end of the conference, everyone who had paid attention learned that Exodus leaders are shameless charlatans who lack even a modicum of morality.

For example, Thomas tried to distance Exodus from the controversial practice of "reparative therapy," telling the Asheville Citizen-Times, "We get lumped into the groups that do reparative therapy, when it's just not true."

To put it kindly, Thomas sees the truth as a political pinwheel that he can spin in his efforts to win. I personally visited the Exodus conference (before I was evicted) and found that they were selling several books that taught "reparative therapy" including one from Dr. Joseph Nicolosi who invented the term.

In yet another instance of insincerity, on a local radio talk show Thomas feigned compassion for people living with HIV and AIDS. What "good guy" Thomas failed to tell listeners was that Exodus addresses AIDS on its website by saying that, "In today's society, homosexuality is reaping a bitter harvest...Homosexual involvement reaps deep devastation in the lives of many who practice it." That Thomas runs away from such judgmental words when speaking to more liberal audiences shows what a phony he truly is.

(Hear Wayne Besen on "Take a Stand" the day before Thomas)

The double-talk and dissembling continued when Alan Chambers told the Citizen-Times that Exodus was, "not about fire and brimstone." This, of course, was the same person who wrote in a 2005 newsletter, "One of the many evils this world has to offer is the sin of homosexuality. Satan, the enemy, is using people to further his agenda to destroy the Kingdom of God and as many souls as he can." On Sept. 21, 2007, Chambers told a crowd of social conservatives in Florida, "We have to stand up against an evil agenda. It is an evil agenda and it will take anyone captive that is willing, or that is standing idly by."

With such bombastic broadsides, does one really have to wonder how the violent Andersonville father got the idea that homosexuality was demonic? Or, how the gay bashing hooligan, Stephen Moller, believed he could devalue the life of a gay man?

To underscore this connection, consider Exodus' keynote speaker on Friday, author Andy Comiskey, who wrote a book that Exodus was selling, which calls homosexuality "spiritual disfigurement" and says that "Satan delights in homosexual perversion." Inside of a packed chapel, 700 vulnerable and confused gay people had their souls strip-mined, as Comiskey declared war:

"Wickedness is a reality," said Comiskey on-stage. "And those with same-sex attraction that succumb to the spirit of the age, can become agents of that wickedness...When you claim healing for the homosexual, you have declared war. And people, it is only going to get worse; it is only going to get worse in the changing cultural climate in which we live. Ours is not a benign healing path, it is a call to battle."

And, Exodus claims it does not preach fire and brimstone?

Exodus may smile sweetly and tell the mainstream media they love homosexuals. But, judging by the recent hate crimes in the Carolinas combined with the reactionary rhetoric of Exodus, it seems that they are literally "loving" us to death.

(Exodus Selling Hate Books At Conference)

37 Comments:

"It is an evil agenda and it will take anyone captive that is willing, or that is standing idly by."

Wow they make it sound like a big gay tornado is going to come whooshing by to suck everyone up who isn't chained down.
posted by Anonymous, at 7/20/2008 12:59 AM

I probably agree with most of this article, but...isn't the author out of N.C. ? Maybe he shouldn't be remarking on what's done in S.C., which is a different state.
posted by Joey, at 7/20/2008 8:35 PM

It is just ghastly that Randy Thomas and Alan Chambers prefer to keep their cottage industry afloat at the expense of murdered human beings. What they are in denial about is that they would be the first on the list and no matter how unsuccessful they are while trying to butch it up for the sake of their own demons inside their minds, they will always remain gay men. Ghastly. Just ghastly to behave with such disregard for the dignity of gay men and women. They are sick and should be ashamed of themselves. God bless you Wayne Besen. The real God of love and understanding!!!!!
posted by Anonymous, at 7/20/2008 10:43 PM

That murder has brought me to tears. There is so much to concentrate on and this bullshit with Thomas and Chambers is such nonsense. Shame on them for contributing to the hate.
posted by Anonymous, at 7/20/2008 10:46 PM

Which murder was that, Ewe? Is there a rash of hate crimes in N.C. I'm missing here? I'm asking seriously.
posted by Joey, at 7/21/2008 3:12 AM

Okay, never mind. Looking over this blog I see that Wayne Besen allows himself to comment on national matters and other states and even other countries. So....not to make light of the Exodus story, but you guys should know what's coming to Brooklyn, NYC, on Aug. 31 with the reggae Straight Pride march! The "murder music" has left Jamaica and will be right here. If there's ever anything that will incite violence against gays and lesbians, it will be this.
posted by Joey, at 7/21/2008 3:37 AM

Joey7777, "Straight Pride"....what a joke. If that term is not a veiled antigay threat, I don't know what is. The bigots are always telling us to not shove our orientation down their collective throats, yet its ok for them to flaunt theirs at us 24/7, 365 in the media, public functions and on the street. I wonder if the AFA is funding them or some other right wing business?
posted by Anonymous, at 7/21/2008 7:48 AM

I was (unfortunately) at an event in 2004 at the Anaheim Vineyard Church where Andy Comiskey was giving a fiery speech about "healing shame". This man was so extreme that he yelled until his voice gave out. After the event, I wanted to see him up close to verify if the ex-gay brainwashing materials he so copiously published had really paid off for him. Seems to me he had a crazed and hungry look around the eyes. And his Desert Stream "ministry" has quite a shady history that Mr. Besen has documented--they lumped me, a fearful celibate 25 year old gay guy in the same group as a convicted pedophile!
-Josh
posted by Anonymous, at 7/21/2008 11:58 AM

"Okay, never mind. Looking over this blog I see that Wayne Besen allows himself to comment on national matters and other states and even other countries."

Well no shit.

What does it matter if these things were happening on Mars, they're wrong and anyone with any compassion should care about them.
posted by Anonymous, at 7/21/2008 4:00 PM

Joey7777: you really need to wake up and realize who exactly your enemies are because it is not me and it certainly is not Wayne Besen who travels to North Carolina to confront a bunch of closeted gay men who think God can cure them while someone in the next state is murdered and the perpetrator is given less of a sentence that someone who steals a fucking car. Instead of attacking the messenger, go after the message of the people who want you to be silent about who you are. People who if they don't kill you have the audacity to tell you you orientation can be cured. That murder was done with proof of a voice mail by the murderer who used the word faggot proving it was a hate crime. The evidence is so obvious and still inadequate punishment given. Get your priorities straight Joey7777.
posted by Anonymous, at 7/21/2008 4:19 PM

Joey7777: And as far as some reggae idiots pissed off because they think their hateful lyrics are being censored, i say "what else is new." This is no different than the culture they were raised in. Get a booth if you want to protest them. Petition at a kiosk.
posted by Anonymous, at 7/21/2008 4:24 PM

above comment was me as well
posted by Anonymous, at 7/21/2008 4:51 PM

joey,

If FOF, AFA and other such groups think they have the right to try to influence what goes on in my state (read Proposition 8) then Wayne Besen and others have every right to comment on what goes on in S.C. After all, it's the bigotry inspired by groups such as FOF and AFA that cause what happened there, and similar events that happen all over the nation.
posted by Buffy, at 7/21/2008 5:09 PM

"This man was so extreme that he yelled until his voice gave out."

This is the problem with "ex-gays". If they fry their brains out with crystal meth, it's everyone else's fault but their own. If they get HIV (through tricking, or being a prison slut, like James Hartline), it's everyone's fault but their own. Even if they killed somebody, it's everyone else's fault - not theirs.

Imagine how many people "ex-gay posterboy" Michael Johnston infected with HIV while he was chanting "it's not about hate - it's about hope". Nope, not his fault, either. The devil made him do it - including the drugs.

And these guys will scream and bitch until they can convince enough people that they're totally innocent of their evildoings.

These "ex-gays" truly are the bottom of the barrell, absolutely worthless as human beings. There's nothing in life for them, except spending their life blaming everyone else for their fuck-ups in life (and making a living doing so).

It's a shame the human race can't petition to have these folks, and worthless wastes of flesh like themselves, euthanized.

And beings most of the "ex-gays" have openly or indirectly talked about having gay people exterminated, or at least quarantined (as if their nasty disease-ridden asses are perfect), I have absolutely no shame in saying this.
posted by S., at 7/21/2008 5:12 PM

It's no surprise that they have these 'conventions' in a redneck state where they put stupid juice in the water. They're afraid to have them in educated parts of the country with lots of out and proud GLBT people around, instead of bible banging hicks with baseball bats.
posted by Anonymous, at 7/21/2008 6:02 PM

I saw the pix on truthwinsout website--at the risk of sounding shallow, Wayne-you got nice legs! Wink.
posted by Anonymous, at 7/21/2008 6:23 PM

Ewe: What are you talking about?! I know just who my enemies are. I already said I agreed with Besen's views on homophobia. My only objection wasn't even gay-specific. I thought Besen limited himself to N.C. life, so didn't know why he was stretching to S.C. I live in NY so I have to deal with non-natives coming here to criticize all the time, which I dislike. But, again, I don't disagree with Besen, and...if he wants to discuss what goes on in other states, that's fine. ////And speaking of out-of-towners, the fact that so many at this Straight Pride parade will be Jamaicans who moved to the U.S. makes it doubly insulting. Their murder music makes the AFA seem like pussycats. Anon 4:24 : I know this is the culture they were raised in, but don't they have to learn that this is a more civilized, less crime-ridden, society (yes, even in Brooklyn) and that they just can't bring that behavior with them?
posted by Joey, at 7/21/2008 6:44 PM

Thanks for the legs comment. :)

As far as commenting on South Carolina? I conducted live interviews with people from S.C. who came to N.C. at our coalition picnic. It was close geographically.

So, obviously, they thought it was important to discuss these issues. I'll take their words for it, not yours.

Thanks
posted by Wayne Besen, at 7/21/2008 6:52 PM

Alright, Mr. Besen! Then you have my permission (lol) to discuss the Brooklyn situation.
posted by Joey, at 7/21/2008 6:54 PM

Exodus is full of lying scum who refuse to take personal responsibility for their hate speech. They have blood on their hands and are executioners who smile and throw their hand up and say, "who me"?

Wayne, thanks for your efforts to expose the self-loathing, dangerous, pigs. Alan Chambers and Randy Thomas will rot in the hottest dungeon in Hell.

Jordan
Dallas
posted by Anonymous, at 7/22/2008 8:12 AM

Wayne,

You did an incredible job helping to combat the forces of evil that are Exodus while you were in town. Thank you, from the Paris of the South.

Porscha*.
posted by Porscha Yount, at 7/24/2008 4:33 PM

Wayne, it may be worth mentioning that the reported story about the teen who was attacked by his father with a bat may not be true. The teen's been charged with filing a false police report, and some of the details to his story did seem fishy.
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