Fifteen months to the day since I wrote this post summarizing the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Conference, Exodus President Alan Chambers has written his own acknowledgment of how badly he and his organization screwed up.
First things first, I was personally lax in investigating thoroughly the pre-conference intelligence that was coming in from Timothy Kincaid, David Roberts and Warren Throckmorton, to name a few. My initial belief was that their major concern was over Caleb Lee Brundidges association with Richard Cohen. Again, no excuses, I was negligent in digging deeper and heeding their warnings.
As I have stated in less trafficked public settings, I am disappointed that some of my reasons for not heeding warnings was due to who was issuing them. I believe that probably works both ways, but in this case my error was grave.
Alan will get no disagreement from me here, particularly concerning the truly disgusting background of Scott Lively. There was more than enough information on his activities to turn most people’s stomachs and yet Alan was silent. It did occur to us that the messenger could be part of the problem, though inexcusably so. Certain Exodus executives have been particularly dismissive and hostile to what they call “militant gay activists,” and especially to XGW.
I cannot undo my initial lack of, then delayed, response or the harm that it caused, but I have learned from that terrible mistake and tried to make amends by condemning the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2009 and by standing with a cross-spectrum group of people to see that the measure is, itself, killed. Exodus and I will continue to do that with regard to the Uganda measure or any other similar law or proposed law in other nations. We will also seek to condemn that which is condemnable more swiftly; not to do so finds us breech in our responsibility as an organization people look to for biblical wisdom.
During the past fifteen months, Exodus has released some rather weak statements concerning Uganda and their connection to the whole mess. Then, last March, they issued a much more definitive statement. We acknowledged the good and called out the bad (mainly the unconscionable delay). We also gave them this bit of advice:
No one can go back and undo the past, but we sincerely hope that Exodus leadership can take lessons from this. Be very careful when becoming involved with potential hot-spots abroad — know who you are dealing with and the effect your message can have, especially when no healthy counterbalance exists. And act fast to admit mistakes and minimize the damage you might have done, whether intentional or not.
While only time will tell if they have learned their lesson about getting involved in potentially violent situations abroad, Exodus’ recent statement in response to comment by Bradlee Dean of You Can Run International was certainly swift.
Using whatever insight I may have gained in dealing with Alan, I believe this statement is an honest and candid one. I can’t say for sure if Exodus will always act according to the lessons learned, but I believe Alan means what he has written. And the policy statement is a good thing, particularly as desperate people on the extreme right use recriminalization (and worse) to express their last gasps of anti-gay bigotry.
That said, there is another voice still silent in all this — Don Schmierer. Even before Exodus, Schmierer had the obligation of finding out what he was participating in. If this was indeed a private mission, then the buck really does stop with him as well. Beyond irresponsible, one could even call Schmierer’s lack of comment since the conference cowardly. Any group that considers calling on him to speak or using his materials should consider this first.
So Alan, while any apology will need to be directed to those Ugandan’s affected, I thank you for this statement. Don, what do you have to say?
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Note: The above does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other writers at XGW.
More on Uganda from XGW.
For the record, I agree with this article. It is a sincere statement from Alan and I’m glad he acknowledged that the fact that the uganda warnings came from “militant gay activists” caused him to slow his reaction. It makes him vulnerable and the willingness to show that vulnerability demonstrates true remorse.
It’s just a little too bad that Uganda and her gay citizens had to be the proving ground for this statement by Exodus. It seems that Lawrence v. Texas would have been the trigger for such a statement. But it was then that Randy Thomas wrote in Exodus news:
And in support of that position Thomas provided a link to an FRC article about their brief supporting criminalization. The FRC claimed:
What has changed in the intervening seven years? Certainly not their Christian religion.
This is Randy Thomas’ answer to me concerning my similar post on the Exodus blog:
I left off the first part of his paragraph as it simply did not appear to have any bearing on his final conclusion to support the Texas law.
And this is the link to that post.
There is a reason for everything, and I believe that the reason for this new Exodus position at this very, very, very past due point is for political and PR purposes. Exodus under the leadership of Alan Chambers and Randy Thomas has never been particularly concerned about doing the right thing in any particular circumstance.
I know that we constantly hope that Chambers, Thomas and Exodus will change for the better, but, like it or not, it is very unusual for people to really change their ways.
Excellent reporting…..and great to see further results from you persistence.
love your work.
It’s a fine apology, for what it’s worth, but as the Brits say, the proof is in the pudding. Will Exodus continue to make this kind of mistake over and over?
Exodus’s response to future challenges will show whether anything has really been learned.
We cannot accept this apology, even under a Christian mindset, because Alan Chambers and Exodus will not fulfil the rest of the bargain… “go and sin no more”.
Alan Chambers has never had any problem with Christian Confession, or rapidly condemning others. What he has a problem with is honesty. The real type.
Unfortunately, this is all part of the “I’m a sinner, I said I’m a sinner, therefore NOW I’m pure” attitude. Some of you, I fear, may fall for this type of potentially perpetual fraud; without noticing.
Even in that statement Alan Chambers cannot help himself:
Alan Chambers knows that talk is cheap. He has made a career from cheap talk, especially about himself.
But… all else said, Don “FieldStead” Schmierer is still on the Board of Exodus, you know. The self-admitted failure, Alan Chambers, is still CEO, you know. He hasn’t resigned. He hasn’t made any personal sacrifice. He made no promises.
How is this Alan Chambers Apology worth anything?
Personally, this was never about Alan Chambers making a apology. It was never about Exodus, even. Frankly, who could care. It was about the dehumanising attitudes that CAUSE groups like Exodus to be anti-gay, and what follows that from the people involved. It was about Alan Chambers and the degrading way he talks about gay people. It was about the extremists that Exodus associate with, the views they promote, and the consequences for follow. Uganda is but an example.
The anti-gay Warren Throckmorton understood, and said so, from day 2.
Alan Chambers took 15 months. Under duress. I don’t for a moment think that he understands, nor deeply cares, what he and his organisation has done in Uganda; or anywhere.
In complete opposition to Alan’s plea that “I’m a sinner, I said I’m a sinner, therefore NOW you must therefore forgive and forget” — I refuse the apology.
Alan Chambers, and Exodus, will sin again. Deliberately. And he knows it.