I founded the Ex-Gay Watch web site in 2002 to promote new voices in the social dialogue regarding so-called ex-gays.
After two years of writing 20 hours per week (or more) about ex-gay political activists, I began to run out of energy and time.
XGW could have ended right there, but two excellent writer/researchers — Daniel Gonzales and Timothy Kincaid — stepped in, rescued Ex-Gay Watch, and took the project to the next level. At a time before “Make it work!” became a popular catchphrase, that’s what Daniel and Timothy did — spectacularly.
XGW further evolved with the issues and changing times in 2007 when David Roberts took over as editor and recruited additional writers who were diverse in perspective and geography.
With the web site in capable hands, I’m ready to move on and pursue a more activist approach against efforts by ex-gay political activists to undermine equality, freedom of speech, religious freedom, and sexual honesty.
The specifics of that different approach will be announced in the near future. Meantime, Ex-Gay Watch has exciting plans of its own.
Best wishes to the writers and commenters of Ex-Gay Watch. As a certain hero of mine would say: “Carry on!”
Good luck, Mike, and well done for all your hard work here!
thx for starting this site. I think you’ve made a real difference.
Congratulations Mike. Thanks for all the work you have done and I look forward to seeing your ongoing contributions to the struggle. You have been an inspiration to many of us, and to me in particular. Even though you are leaving Ex-Gay Watch in extraordinarily capable hands, you will nevertheless be missed. Thanks for all you have done.
Thank you, Mike, for all your hard work over the years. And best wishes for your latest endeavor.
Best of luck, Mike. You’ve done a tremendous job here, and I hope your future endeavors are just as great!
I’m sure that the truths which have been revealed on this site, really have helped to change some peoples’ lives for the better.
Thanks Mike, for getting it all going, and best wishes in your future endeavours.
Good job, Mike, and thank you!
Mike,
Thanks for the kind words.
This site certainly has become an invaluable tool in the quest for communication and bridge building between two very different and at times hostile communities. Congratulations for that success.
And best wishes on your future projects. But meanwhile your voice will be missed.
You are to be congratulated for your valuable contributions to the community. Good luck with your future projects.
Goodbye Mike, best wishes and best of luck in your other endeavors! I’ve very much enjoyed all that you’ve written here 🙂
Thank you for this site and its willingness to show all faiths and non-faiths. I continue to recommend this site to my GLB friends, so that they can see the broad range of lifestyles, the spectrum of humanness that is shown here by the ex-gays and ex-ex-gays, and can observe reasoned dialog coming from a community that is advertised as non-reasoning sexually/spiritually deceived persons. Blessings on your journey!
Thanks for all your visionary work and best wishes for the future. Will be looking forward to your new adventures.
Many, many thanks, Mike, for all your activism–both on this blog and in other venues. I must confess I’m eager to learn what your new vein of activism will be.
God bless,
John
Mike has been a friend and confidant, and I’m certain he knows how much I respect him. This site is the work of many, and we owe it to those who have worked so hard to build it, and those who benefit from it, to give nothing less than our best.
Thanks Mike, good luck.
Thanks for your work! I started coming here, oh gosh, I forgot when, but I think it was pretty soon after I came out. This site means a lot to me, as I know whenever I come out to my family I’ll be hearing a lot of the discredited “facts” that are often disproved here. I hope you enjoy your new path as an activist.
I remember distinctively the first article I read in Ex-Gay Watch. It is a piece about the Real Love Ministry by Mike Airhart. It can be said, if the piece was not written, I would not have googled RLM all the way to XGW.
Thanks Mike for everything. I wish you the best in your future undertakings. Hope I could assist in continuing your legacy on countering ex-gay agendas in this world.
What a journey this has been….I remember first learning of you and this site through the relationship I formed (only virtually) with Ben at Scattered Words. Back then, he used to sort of go “round and round” with you as I recall. I never really took the time to even figure out what his biggest beefs were. Anyway…I say all that to say that you just never know where life will take you, do you? But I’m happy that our paths have crossed and that we’ve been able to hopefully help grow each other to more closely resemble the image of Christ. To me, that’s the purpose of true friendship.
Blessings to you!
By the way, who’s the hero that says “Carry on”?
All I can think is Kenneth Williams, and somehow I’m doubtful it’s him. 😀
Mike!
Not much to say, given all of the above best wishes, other than to add we also wish you every success in your upcoming adventures.
We’ll look forward to seeing what’s next!
G&D
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Dave: you could be thinking of a hundred people. It’s best stuck in your mind, don’t doubt, from all those amusingly too-awful “Carry on…” films — that started with “Carry on Sergeant”.
(a phrase all too familiar, apparently, to those who suffered under upper-class officer twits half a century ago).
You may also be thinking, therefore, about the upper-class officer twit who used to end Monty Python skits when they ran out of steam: breaking into the sketches to end them with “Right, stop, you lot. That’s enough of you, and this thing. Off you go. (then looking at the camera) Alright, carry on chaps.”
I tend to think of “Ooooh, but you mustn’t…” when I think of dear old departed K.W. 🙂
And please don’t get me started on The Goons. Sad, aren’t we.
Much like an Olympic relay, Mr. Airhart has passed the baton. When the race is done, he will be on the podium with the rest of the XGW team and I’ll be cheering them from the stands. You’ve done a fine job, Mr. Airhart. I tip my hat to you.
???
You told me you were going to be a judge for man mud wrestling shows in Cabo.
Love ya Mike and Thanks.
Mike, you are a hero to so many of us. You’ve created an invaluable institution that has become one of the few sources of actual truth on the Net, managing to play fair to all sides while still advocating for GLBT persons. And best of all, you did it without creating a cult of personality around yourself, but rather an institution that can be perpetuated by like minded persons in pursuit of excellence.
That is no small feat. I look forward to your next project.
Thanks to all for the well wishes.
Dave and Grantdale, you really need to watch more American cable TV 😀
Franc, please send tickets to Cabo and I will gladly mudwrestle with real men — gay or ex-gay, clothed or otherwise.
Steve, thanks for always being a supportive friend even as you enjoy success after success in music and theatre.
Peace and blessings… I can be reached at michael (at) mikeology dot net.
thank you for giving the gay and straight community the opportunity to understand the truth behind the exgay world. i wish you luck in all your new paths that life takes you
Thanks for your work over the years, Mike. It’s appreciated. And best wishes for your future adventures.