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Wayne Besen
PO Box 25491
Brooklyn, NY 11202
Thursday Evening Talk Will Dispel False Claims Made By Focus On the Family's Love Won Out Conference
What: Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out (TWO), will discuss the damage caused by programs that teach people to "pray away the gay". The presentation will take place prior to Focus on the Family's "ex-gay" road show, Love Won Out, which rolls into Charlotte on Saturday. Besen will address the history of ex-gay ministries; what the mental health experts say; the bizarre techniques used by these programs; why they are harmful and the political machine behind these dangerous groups.
Where: Lesbian & Gay Community Center, 820 Hamilton St., Charlotte NC
When: Thursday, Feb. 19, 7:00-8:30 PM
Background: The Charlotte Rainbow Action Network for Equality (CRANE) is sponsoring the lecture. CRANE is a grassroots coalition of activists and community members working toward civil and social equality for Charlotte's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) community.
To educate the community about the harmful message of Love Won Out, CRANE will holda press conference on Friday, Feb. 20, 11:30 AM.It will take place at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Charlotte (234 N Sharon Amity Rd.) At the event, Truth Wins Out and Lambda Legal will unveil their new publication, "Ex-Gay & the Law," which offers practical legal advice for victims of "ex-gay" therapies.
On Feb. 21, there will be a non-violent protest of Love Won Out, 11:00 AM-2:00 PM, in front of Central Church of God (5301 Sardis Road). The demonstration is open to all people and supporters of equality are encouraged to participate.
21 Comments:
The "Central Church of God" eh? Wayne, wear your flack jacket! Be careful and be safe.
posted by Chris L., at
2/19/2009 9:47 AM
I just reviewed the website of the church. They note that the ex-gay conference will tell attendees how to "respond to those family members who are living homosexually." Seriously, folks, there is no hope for these people. I know a few people in my life who think that way. They are not religious, but they nonetheless have views that they are married to, and they find facts to be very inconvenient things.
Personally, they disagree with many things that are factual; they seem to believe that their emotional barometer is a better indicator of what is true than logic itself. They're like those Christians who say they believe every word of the Bible, and when you show them the verses that cannot possibly be true (or morally right), it just goes in one ear and out the other. I realized awhile ago that it's actually not the truth that they're interested in.
Sometimes, even when people realize that they have built a faulty construct for themselves, they refuse to admit it, because they don't want to do the hard work necessary to rebuild one which is based upon the truth. So to these types, gay people are those who choose to "live homosexually."
posted by Chris L., at
2/19/2009 4:06 PM
Chris, I think many of them know the truth but refuse to accept it let alone deal with it. Otherwise, why would they obsess so much about our sexuality and our sex lives more than any others'? You know the old addage....those who protest too much...? I think this is a classic case of that. If they're so comfortable with their heterosexual orientation, why do they feel so threatened by ours and spending so much time on it?
posted by Anonymous, at
2/20/2009 9:18 AM
I think Biblical literalism is like a house of cards; if you pull one card out, the entire thing falls over. Remember that Brady Bunch episode where Marsha's bracelet knocked it over? :) These folks have a particularly powerful need for control and stability in their lives. (Many are former drug addicts, alcoholics, etc.,) We all want control, but to them it's paramount; it supersedes even the desire to be correct and factual.
They seem to have made a decision within themselves to simply not allow any of the cards to be removed, no matter what, whether it be at the expense of truth, honesty, or logic; they just won't budge. It's really not about homosexuality for most of them, in fact. It's about this powerful security blanket that they've found in Christianity. On some emotional level, that blanket actually works for them. It doesn't matter that the blanket is an illusion; it gives them peace of mind, and they will not let it go.
posted by Chris L., at
2/20/2009 9:36 AM
Those of us who are atheists often say "nothing fails like prayer." Change ministries certainly are an example of this.
posted by libhom, at
2/22/2009 10:18 PM
Robert: A lot of militant, Christian fundamentalists are people who are highly dishonest and dishonorable in the ways that they conduct their daily lives. Finding a "sin" that they aren't interested is very convenient for them. It lets them point their fingers at others and say that those others are the bad people.
posted by libhom, at
2/22/2009 10:20 PM
Everyone is born with inherent sin nature (Romans 3:23). The natural bent of a male is to lust after women. Taken to its logical conlusion one would pursue a lifestyle with mutiple sex partners to fulfill selfish desires. However, when a man's will is in submission to Jesus Christ, then he is dedicated and reserved physically for his wife, or if not married, to a life of chastity. There is great joy and peace when living in obedience and submission to the Lord's will. There is pain and confusion when stepping outside those boundaries. God is not the author of confusion.
posted by Unknown, at
2/23/2009 4:45 PM
Yanno, Tom, take your bible and put it where the sun doesn't shine! This is NOT a Christian country and we do not have to live according to some Broze Age book. I am sick to DEATH of fundies sticking their long noses where they don't belong. Shut up and stay the HELL away from us, OK?
posted by Merlyn, at
2/25/2009 8:58 PM
When the Wow Gold wolf finally found the Buy Wow Goldhole in the chimney he crawled wow gold cheap down and KERSPLASH right into that kettle of water and that was cheapest wow gold the end of his troubles with the big bad wolf.
