I’ve finally read Tanya Erzen’s Straight to Jesus: Sexual and Christian Conversions in the Ex-Gay Movement. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a better understanding of those who are going through ex-gay movements.
Erzen spent a year observing New Hope, Frank Worthen’s live-in program for Christian men who are struggling with unwanted same sex attraction. She was given access to the participants over a long period of time and was able to gain their trust and respect. The resultant book is a fascinating look at the motivations, methods, and attitudes of the participants in the program.
Over the next few weeks I’ll discuss some observations that Erzen made and some of my thoughts that were generated as a result of her writing. To get the book, there is a link from exgaywatch.
A reminder of the Salon review of Erzen’s Straight to Jesus “Gay, godly and guilty” written by Laura Miller.
It’s a good book. Erzen seems to like the people she studied. She is fair to gays, exgays and ex-ex-gays.
Are any of the New Hope participants here?
I found the book stimulating as well. Her concept of ‘queer conversion’ is very thought provoking.
I did note an interesting term used by a letter writer:
homosexual fundamentalists
Exodus, you’ve got your new terminology 🙂