On the DL Foster has come completely unhinged over Truth Wins Out and posted this photo to his blog.
Oh yes, that’s exactly what you think it is.
Here’s DL’s entire post. PageOneQ wrote a little something about it and Good As You joined the fun too.
E
Typical DL: racist, homophobic, incendiary, and cruel.
I thought Wayne Besen’s response was on target:
Note: D.L. Foster is welcome to respond, provided that he honors standard guidelines of civility.
I find it ironic that a movement that seeks to eradicate gay people would describe Besen’s work to expose fraud as a “final solution.” Rev. DL is obviously looking in a mirror and doesn’t like what he sees.
This all sounds a little too much like a page out of Fred Phelps’ camp for me. I was particularly caught by this description Foster gave of the ex-ex gays at the press conference: “with curious hairdos and pedophilia flavored poses”.
Nothing like implying gays are pedophiles to rile up your base.
This is twisted even for DL. I don’t know if he’s just projecting his desire to exterminate gays, or maybe he really is losing it. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere close to him after he’s had a few drinks.
I got a blank page when I clicked on the “little something” from PageOneQ.
i really feel bad because of what passes for political discussion in this country. First Ann Coulter now this.
The sad thing is that DL delights in any mention of him and his site. If it comes from a gay source and is critical, he’s even happier. He belongs to the school of “Satan’s minions are attacking me now, I must really be doing God’s work”.
So now, in a way, we have rewarded and encouraged this nut-cake behavior. So we’ll probably see more.
I know that some who visit/write here have contact with Alan Chambers or Randy Thomas. I’d encourage anyone who sees them next to ask them if this type of nastiness is appropriate for a board member of Exodus. If nothing else, perhaps DL could lose some credibility or prestige he finds in his association with Exodus as a result of this evil spitefulness.
And since DL lives for attention, that might be the most appropriate result.
I don’t think Foster is a board member, but the Exodus blogs do give him favorable mention from time to time.
DL’s biography describes says he’s a board member for Exodus Global Alliance as well as PFOX.
https://www.witnessfortheworld.org/founder.html
DL had mentioned resigning from PFOX a while back so this might be out of date.
I’m also not exactly sure how Exodus Global Alliance fits in with Exodus International.
DL makes such is nice poster boy, dontcha think?
Exodus Global Alliance’s web site does not identify either the board members or the heads of the organization’s regional offices. Entire continents are represented by nothing more than a nameless postal box.
The alliance web site has a speakers page and a conference brochure (PDF file) that mention Foster, but neither identify Foster as a board member.
“DL’s biography describes says he’s a board member for Exodus Global Alliance as well as PFOX.”.
That is amazing. It just shows how unbelievably low the standard for acceptance is in these groups.
DL, you’ve completely divorced yourself from reality and a committment to the truth and instead committed to making any attack as long as it is anti-gay. I thought you were smarter than that. If you’d have tried to keep your vitriol to something that is at least technically true, if essentially misleading, you might continue to have a voice but you make it obvious your opinion should be dismissed as soon as you open your mouth.
I was wrong, DL is not open to being reasoned with. Maybe DL is trying to get someone to sue him so he can pretend he’s being attacked instead of vice versa.
The association between Exodus Global Alliance and Exodus International is difficult to figure out. It seems that at some point EI “became” EGA due to a “name change”. But somehow it also stayed named Exodus International for it’s North America ministry.
EI has a separate board of directors including Mike Haley (Focus on the Family), John Smid (LIA/R), and Phil Buress (anti-gay activist), Alan Chambers, and others.
EGA is much more secretive and does not list its board of directors. EGA describes EI in a way that suggests that they are not too closely affiliated:
“Exodus International, North America – an organization with a view of homosexuality and the possibility of change that is consistent with Exodus Global Alliance’s view.”
Also neither website indicates whether one organization answers to the other, though for political organizations that isn’t all that unusual. And although DL claims to be on the board of EGA, I could neither confirm nor refute that on the EGA site.
So, I don’t know how relevant it would be, after all, to confront Alan or Randy with DL lunacy.
An aside on EGA and EI:
The purpose/doctrinal statements of both websites are identical, just FYI. Verbatim. They’re presented differently–split up among pages–but the same.
Seems odd if they’re two different organizations.
/Return to regular thread/
With all due respect, I really wonder whether or not DL Foster should be invited to respond on this page. I have visited his page several times to keep track of the criticism and all comments critical of what Foster did to Besen have been removed. There were 16, now there is only six. I just posted a comment complaining about this. I bet it will be removed.
Wait a minute… this may be a little far out there, but no one’s ever seen DL and Anne Coulter in the same room at the same time, have they…?
Mike A/TimothyPat Lawrence refers to Foster’s appointment in an earlier “World News”.
grantdale, you are the researchers extraordinaire.
As vile as Foster’s post is, at this point I am not surprised by it – Foster is a vile and pitiful person and there is just no way around that. What really does surprise me is that any organization that wishes to be taken seriously would claim association with him. They should not be allowed to avoid accountability for that. If they have not separated from him by now, the only conclusion is that they agree with him.
Speaking of accountability, the following is part of a comment left by Stacy Harp on DL’s blog concerning this particular post.
She is “honored” to be promoted by DL Foster. Wow.
David Roberts
What I find interesting is how severely John Paulk was punished for having drinks in a gay bar and lying about it. He was removed from Exodus’ board for a period of “restoration” – wasn’t he? Yet Exodus lets someone like DL represent them overseas, be on the board, etc. I wish DL’s only problem was a bit of hanging out with gay people and lying about it to save his job.
Curious the priorities. Hate, anti-semitism and lying (if it’s against ex-ex-gays or gays) is OK. Looking like you might still be gay? Wow, that’s big trouble.
There we have it, kids. Don’t drink and Photoshop.
There are a few on the ex-gay side who are distancing themselves from DL.
Up at WayneBesen.com:
“As an Exodus ministry Director, I apologize in regard to Foster’s post. You have every right to think we are “hateful bitches”. I’m guessing you may even attack this entry, but nevertheless, I’m embarrassed for that post and hope other directors and leaders will acknowledge this as well.
posted by Jason Thompson, at 6/12/2006 9:40 PM”
Along with
“Wayne, I know this probably won’t mean anything to you considering it is coming from me but I am truly saddened that DL did this. I can’t apologize for him of course but regardless of our differences you shouldn’t have been treated that way.
posted by Randy, at 6/12/2006 8:46 PM ” (Randy Thomas)
Randy Thomas recently posted about the incredible hatred of Margie Phelps. I will gain some measure of respect for Randy when and if he posts about the same hatred displayed by DL, which is arguably orders of magnitude worse because he is officially associated with organizations such as Exodus and PFOX. It takes more than a comment on someone else’s blog to disavow yourself of that kind of venom. How about it Randy?
David Roberts
I’d like to say that I was very encouraged to see the post by Jason and especially Randy (since I converse with him on his blog fairly frequently). Randy does not often (if ever) make posts about DL’s site, so I don’t feel compelled to have him post about it this time, but to see him distance himself on Wayne’s blog was a very nice gesture.
I left a message at Wayne’s site for Alan Chambers under the article where Chambers posted a message for Wayne.
I very much would like all of you to send me your thoughts on what I wrote.
The essentials were on heterosexuality being treated as a virtue, and no matter how straight people act on their sexuality they are redeemable and forgiven.
I told Chambers that there are thousands of people just like Foster who have taken what Chambers espouses to heart and the damage is done.
Your opinions on this are welcome, as always.
Brady said, “Nothing like implying gays are pedophiles to rile up your base.”
Then we have gays being compared to virulent Klansmen.
Can’t you just feel the love?
Randy does not often (if ever) make posts about DL’s site, so I don’t feel compelled to have him post about it this time, but to see him distance himself on Wayne’s blog was a very nice gesture.
I think it’s important that Randy shows consistency in this. It’s easy to say what he said to those who are already upset. It takes real leadership to say the same thing to the “Amen” corner.
I’m not so quick to see Randy’s comments as encouraging:
“Now, DL and I have had our discussions and while we don’t always agree I do understand him. I saw him briefly last week.”
and
“…I am truly saddened that DL did this. I can’t apologize for him of course but regardless of our differences you shouldn’t have been treated that way.”
It’s pretty clear that Randy doesn’t disassociate himself with DL or his crazy rantings at all, only just this one instance.
Timothy and Jim- I definitely see both of your points, especially yours about who the audience is, Jim. That being said, Randy could have pretended he never saw this whole controversy and let it go. So, for him to go over to Wayne’s blog to comment was a nice step imo.
Brady said:
That being said, Randy could have pretended he never saw this whole controversy and let it go.
I think the fact that the bar has been set this low on Randy’s behavior says quite a bit.
David
Doesn’t Exodus support laws imprisoning people for same sex sex? If they’re willing to do that to LGBTs just how different can they really portray themselves from DL Foster?
Brady — I’d like to think that Randy is being genuine, but there’s a sneaking feeling I cannot shake.On his own blog Randy refers to the comment (twice), but also makes point of calling him “Will Benson” and “Dwane Belson”. And a hate mongerer. I’m not feeling much sincerity because of that. It seems rather childish — something one normally is not when making a sincere apology. I am seeing concern for the possible bad PR, more than anything else.(quite apart from using “Belson”. Randy’s never struck me as all that erudite, so I don’t think it’s deliberate, but that’s rather too close to “Belsen”… just for the record)There’s also no public comment on the DLF blog (whether one was left and deleted, who knows). Mike Ensley has now left one, asking DL to reconsider what “benefit will come from mud-slinging with fringe activists?” (but not, note, before also mentioning “we know that Wayne Besen hates the ex-gay cause and community”.)Whatever.Far more interesting (for me) was Randy’s comment that he “broke my own rule” and actually went and bothered to read Besen’s site. Considering the roles of the two, dating back many years, that seemed an extraordinary confession of deliberate ignorance.
Well DL has just posted about the whole affair.
https://psimo.blogspot.com/2006/06/distance-between-us.html
He’s saying he’s never been a part of Exodus and interestingly he sort of plays the race card claiming Exodus has never made any attempts to reach out to the black community.
What puzzles me is DL’s claim of serving on the Executive Board of Exodus Global Alliance in his bio.
https://www.witnessfortheworld.org/founder.html
WOW
That’s really confusing. Is DL differentiating between Exodus Global Alliance (on who’s Board he claims to sit) and Exodus International (who appears to be the North American branch of Exodus Global)?
Simply using the term “Exodus” suggests that he views them as one and the same. Let’s hope not. Because if by Exodus he’s including Exodus Global Alliance, that would also mean that he’s either very forgetful, untruthful, or insane.
Well I did notice that Exodus Global Alliance is listed on the Exodus International Website under “affiliates” so there is some sort of loose affiliation between the two.
There is more than a “loose affiliation” between the two.EI — or as DLF called it Exodus(Orlando office) — handles North America. The US member ministries report to it. There are similar setups in other Regions. EGA coordinates these regions.The history helps. As does the org structure.To the best of my knowledge DLF has never run a member ministry that reports to the Exodus Orlando office. Made one wonder if he has an exgay “ministry” at all, if it’s all merely a front. A hollow ministry. And, of course, let’s consider the (IMO accurate) possibility that DLF is the type of personality that sees himself as a Chief and not an Indian. Wouldn’t want to dirty his hands doing any real (albeit fruitless) work now would he?But he most def. was declared to be on the board of EGA. He’s just returned from an official Exodus expedition to Barbados, where Exodus is working to keep homosexuality as a criminal offense. And Exodus (Orlando) has never had any qualms about having DLF front and centre whenever they need to balance out the whiter-than-white appearance at media stunts (too many to link to!).I’d suggest this type of relationship has done nothing to dampen his roaring, baseless, ego. I’m not sure any of that makes him strictly certifiable — an unsavoury piece of nastiness, yes — but one is always wise to stand clear of a loose cannon when the ship is heaving about on open sea…Gratifying though it is, Chambers comment — now on DLF blog — is rather irrel., directly. It would need a response from EGA. Pat Lawrence, feel free…Oh, and one from PFOX. His other Chief-Not-Indian directorship.
So there actually isn’t an “Exodus International” anymore? This is getting cryptic. Where is the information on DL being a board member (or whatever affiliation) of PFOX?
David Roberts
David,
“He serves on the Executive Boards of both Exodus Global Alliance and Parents and Friends of Exgays (PFOX).”
https://www.witnessfortheworld.org/founder.html