My friend, Wayne Besen, the Director of Truth Wins Out ( http://truthwinsout.org/) released the following press release on the closing of James Kennedy's anti-gay organization, Reclaiming America for Christ. I am pleased that I may have had a small part in helping this to happen. Here are Wayne's comments:
Failed 'Ex-Gay' Poster Boy Michael Johnston Helped Lead to Theocratic Center's Demise
MIAMI BEACH - Truth Wins Out today rejoiced over the downfall of the Center for Reclaiming America for Christ, a political arm of theocratic-leaning Coral Ridge Ministries. In 1998, the Center, which was then led by anti-gay activist Janet Folger, gained notoriety by leading a divisive national advertising campaign that featured so-called "ex-gays." The Center's influence quickly declined after its "ex-gay" poster boy Michael Johnston was caught in a 2003 sex scandal.
"Today we celebrate the demise of one of the most insidious anti-gay groups in America that incited intolerance by pumping out virulently anti-gay propaganda," said Truth Wins Out's Executive Director Wayne Besen. "The Center for Reclaiming America for Christ bet the bank on the 'ex-gay' message, and by doing so, bankrupted their credibility after their rising 'ex-gay' star crashed and burned."
The Center for Reclaiming America for Christ featured Michael Johnston, an HIV+ "ex-gay" leader in a million dollar print and television advertising campaign in 1998. In the notorious TV ad, Johnston's mother, Frances, used convoluted logic to explain how homosexuality led to her son contracting HIV. In a full-page print version that ran in the Miami Herald, Johnston is shown as a young boy blowing out birthday candles under the headline, "From Innocence to AIDS."
In August 2003, Johnston's claims at sexual conversion collapsed. Michael Hamar, a Virginia attorney, contacted Besen to say he had a client who had been having an affair with Johnston, not realizing, at first, Johnston's true identity as a prominent ex-gay figure. Besen was also introduced to another young man who claimed to have had unprotected sex with the ex-gay leader. While in Virginia, Besen was shown a video of a man that looked eerily similar to Johnston having unprotected sex with several men. Hamar's client signed an affidavit swearing the man was Michael Johnston.
What Wayne doesn't mention is that the Center for Reclaiming America continued to market videos and books featuring Johnston right up until the moment the Washington Blade story broke.
1 comment:
I'm glad that came to an end great blog!
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