In September 2005, blogger Justin Watt published a parody of an Exodus exgay billboard and encouraged other web sites to republish it.

On Feb. 27, 2006 — after learning of the parody from blogger Mike Tidmus — Ex-Gay Watch republished the parody.

Within three days, the Liberty Counsel delivered a cease-and-desist letter to both Watt and Ex-Gay Watch. (Cease-and-desist letter to Ex-Gay Watch, PDF file, 360 KB)

I took Ex-Gay Watch’s copy of the parody offline as a courtesy, but refused to agree to the terms of Liberty Counsel’s letter.

Lambda Legal helpfully referred Ex-Gay Watch to a legal team with the Los Angeles law firm of Irell & Manella. The team, led by attorney Robert Klieger, generously responded on my behalf today to the Liberty Counsel’s cease-and-desist letter. (XGW response to Liberty Counsel, PDF file, 1 MB)

I am grateful to Lambda Legal and Irell & Manella for their assistance. I hope that Exodus and the Liberty Counsel will, in the end, support freedom of speech and acknowledge the legality and legitimacy of comedic criticism and competing points of view.

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