Two former clients — Brandon Tidwell of Memphis and David Christie of New York — spoke on July 18 in front of Love in Action, a Memphis, Tenn., residential program that claims to help people reject “false images” that supposedly contribute to same-gender attraction and behavior. Tidwell and Christie said their experiences at Love in Action caused emotional, spiritual, and financial hardships. They then presented framed artwork depicting their stories to staff at the facility.
Tidwell and Christie spoke in conjunction with the Survivor’s Initiative, a national campaign to share the stories of “ex-gay survivors”– men and women who feel that ex-gay messages and programs did them more harm than good. To date, according to Soulforce, similar actions have occurred in Los Angeles, Colorado Springs, and Salt Lake City.
In 2005, according to Soulforce, Love in Action was investigated by the state of Tennessee for operating a mental health facility without a license. LIA then changed its operating procedures to avoid state regulation.* Soulforce notes that LIA recently closed its controversial Refuge program for teen-agers and replaced it with “Family Freedom Intensives,” a four-day program for parents of gay or questioning teenagers that originally cost $2,000 per person prior to a price cut that followed adverse publicity. According to Soulforce, Love in Action charges $7,000 for 3 months of adult residential treatment.
Christie said, “I grieve for my own years of anguish, but also for the confusion and pain I caused my ex-wife, my family, and my friends. And sure, I spent a lot of money in the process, but what I want back more than anything is the time and energy I put into it.”
Tidwell said, “Today, I stand here as a gay man of Christian faith, a man with hopes, dreams and aspirations to live a life of authenticity and service to this world. Through Soulforce and other partner groups, I hope to be a voice among many who are calling for God’s love and acceptance to prevail in this struggle.”
* LIA has contacted us to say they dispute this description of events. We will update if necessary after reviewing the facts ourselves and with Soulforce from whom the description came.
Update: See LIA’s concerns in detail, along with our response here.
For Evergreen people you might read the following report:
https://www.sltrib.com/faith/ci_6370067
(of course, not many people will read it since it was buried in the Saturday’s edition.)
There is an interesting quote:
Hmmm…why the close ties with its General Authorities then?
Hmmm… Reading about this again reminds me of lawyers who twist and tumble the case to create validity and avoid true justice. That is why we see so many innocent people going to jail, some even executed… and so many guilty parties walk free….
I’ve also wondered what was behind the move of Love in Action from San Rafael to Memphis, and if there was a state-regulation component to it. Tennessee is interesting in that its state regulation isn’t totally hands-off on religion. Taking up serpents, for instance, is not legal in Tennessee.
Cowboy, thanks for posting the article of Barbara and Lester.
Their press conference was also part of the Soulforce Survivor’s Initiative (that sponsored this Love In Action press conference).
The initiative began with a press conference at Narth, and continued with one at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, then Barbara and Lester at Evergreen and now David and Brandon at LIA.
You can check out all the collages that have been presented, video, etc of the different survivors – everything we’re aware of is being linked to on the front page of beyondexgay.com (look down toward the bottom to the box that says “Survivor Initiative”)
Some of this interaction with gays/ex-gays/recovering gays is like a chess game. You have to consider what the ramifications of your move will be four or five steps later. How do you prepare for all counter-moves? Eventually, I keep hoping, for a checkmate move that will end this game.
I wholeheartedly support this demonstration by recovering ex-gays. Closeted recovering-ex-gays are in need to have their message heard too. Some brave people are certainly giving it a voice…finally!
Dear All, I’m sorry Dralene Bogle went back to the lesbian lifestyle. But many of us made it out of the very dangerous gay lifestyle, I am now free from homosexuality for 18 years…instead of marching your wagons aroung the ones who don’t make it OUT, try reporting about the Anthony Falzaranos and Joe Dallas’ and sy Rogers of the world..Check-out parentsandfriends.20m.com…and may God have mercy on you for attacking the work of the Holy Spirit!!!
Dear Anthony, I’m sorry Dralene Bogle went back to God’s lesbian truth. But many of us indeed are just waiting in the wings to have God catch us when we fall from the dangerous lifestyle of lying to God and ourselves.
I am now free from spending the rest of my life as who I am not, and I am no longer a compulsive method actor before God. I wasted 7 years of my life pretending, and now I can stop hiding behind a mask.
Instead of marching your wagons aroung the ones that are in the end confused straights, try reporting about the reasons why more and more ex-gays are leaving this circle of contaminated doctrinal diluted and prejudice enforced unholy transformation attempts.
Check-out this site, seriously, read it.
Our God please forgive us for allowing others to dictate the will of God for us, and forgive those who tried to define God for all those struggling with religious intolerance.
But many of us made it out of the very dangerous gay lifestyle, I am now free from homosexuality for 18 years…instead of marching your wagons aroung the ones who don’t make it OUT, try reporting about the Anthony Falzaranos and Joe Dallas’ and sy Rogers of the world.
Hmmm…I don’t call my “lifestyle” dangerous as you like to call it. Unless I miss a bill payment and reap a hefty late payment fine then I can see your point Anthony. Those late payments can be murder!
Pleaze…don’t drag out those same individuals that have made it around all the ex-gay circles for the past 20 years as examples. I am well aware of these individuals. Shame and condemnation doesn’t work with me. Neither does using the word “broken” ten times in one paragraph work either.
Anthony, I think its time that you and others that call themselves ex-gay leaders look at the testimonies of former ex-gays. It seems that all the prayers, pleading, and work they did to rid themselves of their SSA didn’t work. In fact, I have read testimonies on the net that some have left Christianity all together.
Personally, I wouldn’t abandon God. Rather, I would abandon the conservative evangelical/fundamentalist sect of Christianity that seems to attack the GLBT community at every turn for their own political and financial purposes.
It is probably a mistake, but a linguist would have a field day with Anthony’s statement: “I am now free from homosexuality for 18 years.” The now combined with 18 years could be considered linguistic ambiguity and suggest uncertainty. It is probably nothing, but as someone who teaches English, that line really stands out as contradictory and odd. Sorry Anthony. Just the professor in me.