Monday, April 23, 2007

More Ex-gay Fraud

Wayne Besen has a good column on the dishonesty of the “Christian” Right forces in opposing proposed federal hate crimes legislation to be named after Matthew Shepard. (See: http://www.waynebesen.com/2007/04/battle-over-hate-crime-legislation.html). Have worked with Wayne and had the opportunity to get to know him in connection with unmasking prominent “ex-gay,” Michael Johnston, it is good to know that we have people like Wayne working to expose the lies and untruths spread by the likes of the Family Research Council, Focus on the Family and other modern day Pharisee organizations.

A description of Michael Johnston’s unmasking can be found in this Washington Blade story: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2003/8-8/news/national/exgay.cfm in which yours truly is quoted. Sadly, some among the far “Christian Right” – e.g., the American Family Association (“AFA”) and Americans for Truth - are once again claiming that Michael Johnston is “cured” and marketing (for $15.00 and $10.00, respectively) an anti-gay video, "It's Not Gay." Michael Johnston is featured as one of the “former homosexuals.” Peter LaBarbera, the founder of Americans for Truth, previously worked with Johnston at the now defunct Kerusso Ministries, based in Newport News, Virginia, and knows in full about Johnston’s “moral fall.” Yet he and Don Wildmon at AFA continue to work this fraud on the public.

I hope readers will take the time to contact their representatives in Congress and express their support for both the Matthew Shepard bill and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. While in my view the Human Rights Campaign is not sufficiently transparent with how it uses its money and seems to hold too many dinner galas instead of fighting in the trenches, the HRC website does provide a means to contact one’s legislators: http://www.hrc.org/Content/NavigationMenu/HRC/Get_Informed/Federal_Legislation/Index.htm.

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