Lobbyist Randy Thomas complains on the Exodus blog that, at the Family Research Council’s misnamed “Liberty Sunday” event last weekend, a reporter for the Boston Herald chuckled at the label “ex-gay” and refused to receive ex-gay materials or interview ex-gay activists.
Thomas uses the Exodus blog entry to point the unnamed reporter to the Code of Ethics for the Society of Professional Journalists. This is a code that Exodus refuses to practice in its own blogging, lobbying, and media relations.
Thomas says:
People like Alan, including myself, are not gay whether the Boston Herald tolerates that fact or not. Diversity and tolerance includes people like us. If that fact is denied, then true diversity and/or tolerance is not displayed.
But Thomas has periodically admitted that he’s still same-sex-attracted. So by his own admission, he’s both not-gay and gay at the same time. He demands tolerance not for true former homosexuals, but for intentional mislabeling and misrepresentation. In other words, Thomas believes it is the duty of a reporter to parrot his political correctness.
He might have been right if he had said that true former homosexuals deserve tolerance. And he’s right that some journalists (TV talking heads especially) should show a little more respect for their subjects. But I fail to see why journalists for a reputable news organization should “tolerate” political correctness whether it comes from the left or from Exodus.
Like I said before, when these guys claim not to be gay, any reasonable person would laugh. I guess the reporter was too distracted by the obvious fact that Randy is gay that he could not bring himself to write down ex-gay. It goes back to my analogy about the big pink hat they wear while trying to convince everyone that the hat is blue.
Randy should have stood right up to the reporter and announced that he is not gay, but “formerly gay identified” because gay is just an identity and homosexuals don’t exist. That chuckle would have turned into a belly laugh. In all honesty, Randy, how do you expect a reporter to keep up with your multiple levels of denial when those of us who are in the middle of it don’t understand half the time? This isn’t a matter of diversity, into which you have tried to morph it, it is about stretching the truth to the point of disbelief and expecting everyone to pay along.
It’s rather obvious from the recent Liberty Sunday conference that the tag should be ex-sodomite. It’s rather obvious they were never gay anyway, though they might have had and may continue to have a homosexual orientation.
Exodus….. add an “s” and an “om” and you get Exsodomus. Yep, ex-sodomites, that should be their tag. Should really help them out in their ministry to the various sodomites around the world (straight and otherwise). Might then leave us gays alone.
Didn’t they do away with the term, ex-gay?
Posted by: David Roberts at October 18, 2006 09:47 PM
Right on, David, my feelings exactly.
The Globe could have used the scare quotes, you know, “ex-gay.”
Be afraid; be very afraid!
Exsodomus
Thanks, Lij, I needed a good laugh
I’ve been thinking about my identity. Since “human” is a sinful identity, and since Exodus tells me that physical reality need not have ANY correlation with identity, I’ve decided that from now on you all can just refer to me as God. After all, as Alan says:
“I do not believe that ‘freedom from homosexuality’ is most about a change of feelings or behaviors, but rather identity.”
With my new identity, I have freedom from humanity. And since I’m now God, it makes sense to pass laws that punish those who choose to stay in the sinful identity of “human”. After all, if humans were allowed any rights, I might have stayed a human.
Wait. Why are you chuckling? How dare you not be tolerant of my delusions?
To be both “gay and not gay at the same time” is a miracle, much like transubstation and must be accepted as an article of faith. (Although I doubt Southern Baptists like Randy would accept this explanation.)
“Ex-gay” is a statement of faith, not necessarily an indicator of a change in sexual orientation or even sexual behavior for that matter. Many guys who came to EXIT in Anaheim actually had MORE gay sex after becoming “ex-gay” because they finally had a way to meet other guys like themselves.
Then, they would “repent” each Tuesday night, we would pray over them and they would come back the next week with more adventures (they refered to them as “falls” or “backslides”) that they felt guilty about.
I have not divulged this before, but, I know for a fact that two of the original founders of EXODUS had sex while serving on the first board, and another one bought gay porn for himself and another “ex-gay” in one of the host cities where they had just given their inspiring “ex-gay” testimonies.
During this entire time, all of us had rejected the “gay identity” — we didn’t THINK of oursleves as gay — but the FACT is, we were.
I am finishing my autobiography, “My Own Private EXODUS” — and I intend to tell all.
I am finishing my autobiography, “My Own Private EXODUS” — and I intend to tell all.
Is this an XGW scoop?
I am just weary of keeping secrets — especially when the ex-gay movement has mis-led and harmed so many. The founders of EXODUS were my friends. I have no desire to harm them, but after 30 years, it’s time we all got honest.
Remember, “the truth will set you free, but first, it will make you miserable…”