Anyone who has read this blog for a while knows that I am very much against reparative therapy and the bogus claims that gays can “change” their sexual orientation. Having tried myself for 37 years, I know the claims are utter bull shit. If I had my way, all of these quack programs would be shut down. Thus, except for what happened to the victim, I find it hilarious that a minister and former Christian college instructor has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a young man who sought counseling after he feared he was homosexual. It seems that the therapist wasn’t all too cured himself. My friend Wayne Besen, author of Anything But Straight, Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-gay Myth (http://www.anythingbutstraight.com/index.html) should love this story! Here are some highlights from last Thursday's Winnipeg Sun (http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/Winnipeg/2008/02/14/pf-4847839.html):
Crown attorney Dale Schille said the evidence against Lewis was “overwhelming” and he never denied the allegations in a statement to police. In earlier testimony, the alleged victim, now 29, told court he started meeting Lewis for counseling sessions in early 2000 after his parents caught him viewing gay pornography on the family computer. Lewis — a family friend and minister — confided he had his own sexual identity issues and the two embarked on weekly counseling sessions designed to “assist me to be straight and to live a straight life,” the man said.
The man said Lewis started a program of “touch therapy,” which included the two kissing and fondling each other and engaging in sexual role playing. “He said I was to tell no one about it because no one would understand,” the man testified. During “touch therapy” sessions in Lewis’ car, Lewis asked him to masturbate, the man said. Lewis also admitted to fantasizing about him, the man said.
A jury returned with the guilty verdict early last night after only a few hours of deliberations. Terrance Lewis, 60, will be sentenced at a later date.
Crown attorney Dale Schille said the evidence against Lewis was “overwhelming” and he never denied the allegations in a statement to police. In earlier testimony, the alleged victim, now 29, told court he started meeting Lewis for counseling sessions in early 2000 after his parents caught him viewing gay pornography on the family computer. Lewis — a family friend and minister — confided he had his own sexual identity issues and the two embarked on weekly counseling sessions designed to “assist me to be straight and to live a straight life,” the man said.
The man said Lewis started a program of “touch therapy,” which included the two kissing and fondling each other and engaging in sexual role playing. “He said I was to tell no one about it because no one would understand,” the man testified. During “touch therapy” sessions in Lewis’ car, Lewis asked him to masturbate, the man said. Lewis also admitted to fantasizing about him, the man said.
A jury returned with the guilty verdict early last night after only a few hours of deliberations. Terrance Lewis, 60, will be sentenced at a later date.
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