Exodus Youth has launched a new initiative, the Allies, Too project, whose stated goal is “to build a community of tolerance and respect.” As Focus on the Family reports,
“We hope most of all to bridge the gap between Christian and GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered) students that has been created by the promotion of false tolerance,” said Mike Ensley, youth analyst for Exodus. “Our goal is to embolden and educate students to make a stand for real tolerance – treating each other with dignity and respect in the midst of debate.”
While dignity and respect are certainly laudable goals, Ensley’s notion that the “gap between Christian and GLBT students” is somehow the product of gay-straight alliances and other efforts to combat bullying and discrimination begs the question of when Christian students (at least those likely to side with Exodus) were ever on friendly terms with GLBT individuals, and when and how gay activism allegedly destroyed this bygone utopia.
It also begs the question of what “dignity and respect in the midst of debate” look like to Ensley. Will Allies, Too work to educate Christians on how to treat others with dignity and respect, or will it and Exodus continue to stand by as their allies portray “unrepentant” gays as abominations, pedophiles, destroyers of families everywhere or just plain stupid?
Will Allies, Too speak up when Exodus leaders side with anti-gay extremists? Will it correct its political allies when they use false statistics and twisted or distorted research?
Given the religious right’s history of demanding respect without showing any to its opponents, Allies, Too will hopefully be understanding of the skepticism it’s bound to encounter. And given that the resource list in its Leadership Packet consists entirely of websites that promote a single viewpoint (including NARTH) and fails to offer any materials to instruct students in how to conduct meaningful dialogue, that skepticism would appear to be well founded.
Allies, Too has scheduled its national campaign for the week of November 5 (scheduled to coincide with the Gay and Lesbian Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) Ally Week), so we won’t have long to wait to see whether this new initiative represents a sincere effort at reaching out to GLBT individuals or just another salvo in the culture war that it claims to deplore.
This is just another way these “ex gays” are trying to slither into any gay-friendly organization to give “an opposing view of homosexuality”.
Don’t be fooled by these snakes.
And why is a grown man with a questionable history the head of some youth organization? That’s creepy.
“We hope most of all to bridge the gap between Christian and GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered) students…”
This also sets up a false dichotomy, which fails to acknowledge that sometimes Christian students are GLBT.
I think we can safely say that this is nothing but a ploy to counteract GLSEN’s Ally Week, like the ADF’s “Day of Truth” was meant to counteract GLSEN’s “Day of Silence.” It is nothing more than an attempt to “steal the thunder” of Ally Week, away from GLBT people and imput their own rhetoric.
“And why is a grown man with a questionable history the head of some youth organization? That’s creepy.”
Doesn’t really matter, I guess, as long as he believes he’s fighting for Christ.
As for tolerance, I think this word is as ambigous as the term ex-gay. Plz, someone give me their definition of tolerance.
At face value ex-gay means being straight, but seems that this isnt always, or usually, true. Ex-gay also means a straight behaving gay.
How does promoting tolerance to gays fit in with, homosexual and ‘the evil agenda’? I dont see how you can tolerate something your out to eliminate. I really couldnt care less if ppl went from straight to gay or gay to straight on their own accord. I have yet to empathize with them, srsly, how is loving and having a relationship with someone undermining society? . An ideal world, imo, would be where we are all bisexual :D. I really wish I was bi, but im still gay. D’oh.
I’m glad to be gay, but i wish bisexuality was the norm, and homo/hetero were the minorities. That way the majority would understand both sides.
The debate: Whether or not GLBT persons are of equal human worth – AS WE ARE.
I don’t recall having agreed to my human worth even being up for debate. So really, the whole thing is an effort to sell the idea that our human worth SHOULD be up for debate.
Another disingenuous example of “Teach the controversy,” but first they have to convince kids that the controversy is legitimate.
–These are some of my comments reposted from Joe Brummer’s site, but I think they bear repeating.
2nd Annual Allies, Too Campaign
Posted by MikeEnsley on Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Now try it:
–From the Allies, Too! site:
Now try it:
Not unhappy, just legally inferior. How Christian.
–From the same section:
Well they’re right about one thing, it’s not about hate, it’s about the love of hate.
And for the record, I realize that many of them have convinced themselves that it’s really not about hate, but denying your hatred just makes you hateful AND delusional.
Of course, since they define gay people as being unhappy, then by wanting people to be happy they want them not to be gay.
Despite the virulence of his comments at times, I have always had a soft spot for Mike Ensley. He really is quite young, and I keep thinking that he is going to wake up and really regret his work for Exodus. Pushing him out front on Exodus Youth issues may over time backfire against Exodus.
Although he parrots the ex-gay line, he can at times be far more honest than the rest of them. In the Exodus Live Out Loud blog, he posted “What if I’m Still Struggling?” which to my reading is an admission that he is still gay. It left me with the hope that he will one day accept who he is and abandon the hate filled mission that is Exodus. Time will tell.
John, funny you mentioned that article.
https://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001447.cfm
This quote jumps out at me:
Besides the very unfortunate implication that gay friendships can ONLY be about “flesh” (often they are just the opposite, they are about a sense of belonging and common ground), doesn’t this fly in the face of this new Allies Too plan to bridge a gap between students? Is the REAL plan for this Allies Too to only befriend GLBT students if you can get them to become ex-gay and turn their back on any gay friends or relationships they have?
Ensley’s words seem to be a complete contradiction.