In follow to yesterday's post, set out below is the text of the apology/press release by Darlene Bogle, Exodus-founder Michael Bussee (pictured at left), and UK's Jeremy Marks:
As former leaders of ex-gay ministries, we apologize to those individuals and families who believed our message that there is something inherently wrong with being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Some who heard our message were compelled to try to change an integral part of themselves, bringing harm to themselves and their families. Although we acted in good faith, we have since witnessed the isolation, shame, fear, and loss of faith that this message creates. We apologize for our part in the message of broken truth we spoke on behalf of Exodus and other organizations. We call on other former ex-gay leaders to join the healing and reconciliation process by adding their names to this apology.
We encourage current leaders of ex-gay programs to have the courage to evaluate the fruit of their programs. We ask them to consider the long-term effects of their ministry. "My heart breaks as I hear the many stories of abuse and suicide from men and women who couldn't change their orientation, regardless of what Exodus and other Christian ministries told them. One of our female attendees became so depressed over her inability to change that she jumped off a bridge rather than continue the struggle. I was told it wasn't my fault, but my heart knew better. ....There does need to be a change in our lives, but our sexual orientation is not what needs to be healed. I call for a time of healing within the body of faith that will celebrate Christ's life within all His children," said Darlene Bogle, founder of an Exodus off-shoot called Paraklete Ministries in Hayward, California.
Some of the fruits and effects of their ex-gay programs have been and are self-hatred, deep depression, and suicide when the falsely promised change does not occur. One can only wonder how many lives have been damaged by these fraudulent programs. While I was never in an ex-gay program per se, false religious promises certainly cause me unmeasurable anguish and self-hate for many years.
Some good new is that according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, a majority of Americans (56%) do not believe that sexual orientation can be changed. Now if only the GOP would wake up to reality.
For younger gays who never experienced the decades in the closet like many in the older generation, I do not think they fully understand the Hell we experienced or how long the process takes to get over the damage, including the time involved in free one's self from a sense of guilt and/or failure.
2 comments:
Here's hoping these people continue this learning and growth process themselves. If so, they have reason to be Very, Very proud. It takes a big person to stand up and publicly admit "I was wrong."
Well, I wish bostonpobble was right. But Cults still dominate. After all, they divined reparative therapy. I know. I demanded "proof." They did not have any. So the Council of Hawaii (1973), by a vote of the holy synod, became "enlightened," or frightened, depending on the color of light shone on their proceedings. With backs to the Wall, they "divined" new revelations; Pavlovian operant conditioning was no longer a part of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and new nest had settled, and they divined it: It's religion's fault. They made us do it! Where we saw "sick," they saw "sin," where we saw "cures," they saw "redemption," where we saw "unconciousness," they saw the Plenitude of Indulgences; where our priests divined Pavlov, theirs offered the confessional booth; but Jung himself claimed confession was more useful, more propitious, more successful than our divinations. Of course, he went insane. Yes, Sigmund had an addiction problem, and apparently had trouble with the Greek authors and the anal-retentive thing. But he knew we all want to kill our fathers to fuck our mothers. That proves the "Future of an Illusion" is still the Triumph of the Therapeutic. Reiff, himself, said so, after his wife Susan Sontag left him for Amy what's her name.
Yep, just another day in the Cults. Oedipus gets screwed, Plato gets misunderstood, and the anti-psychotics flow to the highest paid Cult Members who advise the Pharms of their Drug Preferences. Don't mess with them. Unlike priests and the Holy Inquisition, they can mess with more than your body and your soul. It is psyche, is it not, or De Anima. Did someone say enema? So anal. Get the Cult. Divined that right, hey? I'm so godly. I'm a Cult member. Want to see my stars, my Ids, my SuperEgos? I have a S&M chamber, some call it reparative therapy, but we call it a "cure." Want to see? Want to "play?" It's just electrical current to your butt and penis, the pain feels like pleasure, and we'll tell the world you're cured, because we have Sigmund, they have an illusion.
http://gayspecies.blogspot.com/2007/06/quackery-fraud-and-charlattans.html
You've been diagnosed. They can even commit you (not "to" you). They are the Dr. Phils, the Dr. Waynes, the Dr. Phrils, and all the fucks you wished put the toilet set down, since you seem flushed. They have drugs for that, too. It's the Cult, after all.
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