The columns are too narrow, the text is too small, the colors are all wrong, the writers are too friendly to ex-gays… These are just a few of the suggestions we hear. (To be fair, most of the feedback is positive, but that’s not the point of this message.)
Here’s your chance to pick the colors, fonts, and layout of the blog. Submit your comments, including links to blogs whose design you do like. Keep in mind that any designs should be viewable by folks with visual impairments such as colorblindness.
Also let us know how you feel about adding more variety in the writers. While I can become exasperated at times, Steve and I are more moderate than most writers about ex-gay politics. What would you think if XGW writers included anti-exgay activists and gay-tolerant exgays (should any exist)?
XGW is busy moving back to Washington, D.C., at the moment, so please be patient as we put the changes into effect and struggle to stay up-to-date with ex-gay political news.
And as always, thank you for your support.
Ah choose what ever you like. You could never please everyone.
Ah forgot to mention that I generally enjoy the writing. I am not against adding more writers, but do worry that the blog would loose its voice (i.e. gay-affirming conservative). You might consider redoing the way you update the blog if you are getting tired. The blog can go days without a single update then suddenly 3 or 4 pieces at once. Perhaps a single update daily or one regularly scheduled might work better on you.
This looks ok to me. I’d prefer a tighter line spacing so that more text appears on a screen, but it’s no big deal. The green used for the topic headings is a bit odd (for some reason, it bleeds on my screen), but it’s also no big deal. I would prefer if the comments popped up in a separate window (I still use dial-up, so the comments require downloading a new page, and then returning), but even that’s not a big deal since there aren’t a lot of comments anyway.
BTW, if you want to add anti-ex-gay rants, feel free, but I had gotten the impression that this was more of a news blog. If so, it would seem a bit out of place for you to host anti-ex-gay rants here.
BTW, this is somewhat tangential, but whatever happened to Bridges Across? They don’t seem to be updating their site.
Commentaries highly critical of exgays may appear in separate blogs under the exgaywatch.com website. The same may happen with gay-tolerant exgay commentators, should any come forward.
As for the main blog: I’m likely to rant from time to time against mismanagement at Exodus. But Steve and I would like to focus more on science and current events; activists’ use or misuse of these developments; profiles of the major exgay activists; and standards of accountability for exgay activists and therapies.
I have not been actively involved in Bridges Across the Divide since early 2001.
Raj is right, the web site has not been updated in a very long time. And the site’s public information was (in my opinion) the most valuable part of the project. The discussion forums are still active. I imagine they would benefit from additional participation by exgays.
“As for the main blog: I’m likely to rant from time to time against mismanagement at Exodus.”
Well, to me that is different from “anti-ex-gays”. People at Exodus, and their handlers, are professional rhetorical gay bashers. They aren’t ex-gays. I know people who are “ex gay” without having had to go through the idiotic religious indoctrination that Exodus and its handlers engage in. And I know ex-straights who have done the same thing.
Regarding BA, I used to post there. I concluded that they were a bit too full of themselves and not persuading anyone–well what would one expect, given that access to the discussion groups were blocked to people who might happen onto the site.
The fact is that, if the “ex-gay” groups weren’t so patently anti-gay-equal-rights, nobody would care about them. They could go along and do their own thing. They might help people come to terms with whatever it is they want to come to terms with. But they have allowed themselves to become a tool of people who just want to bash gay people for THEIR financial benefit. Well, the “ex-gay” groups have made their bed. I suspect that, except for the fact that they’ll do well financially (money does, after all, make the world go ’round) for at least a while, they’ll be last weeks’ news in the not too distant future.
Just happened upon your site from LMGTS.com. I’ve enjoyed reading so far. Posting links to articles and then rebutting them is most effective. Most importantly I think it helps some people who can’t quite articulate what is so obviously wrong with the ex-gay movement/idea. Sometimes I find it hard to intelligently explain why the blatant homophobia is wrong and what exactly is going on with both sides.
On the website… for the sake of all that is holy, if you are going to use a serif font, use georgia, as it was made for the web. What you’re using now is not only terrible and bad design, but it’s just plain hard to read because it “looks” soft and fuzzy. The side bar is nice though, with sans serif, which is ideal for the web. Not trying to insult here… just a thought from a web designer in school…
keep up the good work…