EX-gay movement

EX-gay movement, The ex-gay or exodus movement claims that homosexuals can become heterosexual or otherwise "leave homosexuality behind" through counselling, prayer, and other therapies if they choose to do so. The movement is primarily based in the United States (though it exists in other countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom), and is largely led by Christian fundamentalists (see also Christian views of homosexuality). Most "ex-gay" organisations will also offer "support" for transgender persons; they usually see transgender as a variation of homosexuality and/or express fears that if gender identity would become untied from physical sex, then sexual orientation would necessarily become untied from it, too. The movement's claims are highly controversial.

Ex-gay Groups

Love In Action
Love in Action, or LIA, was founded in 1973 by John Evans, who claimed to be a former homosexual, and Rev. Kent Philpott, a heterosexual. It was the first group to publicize cases of homosexuals who had allegedly been converted or learned to abstain from homosexuality or homosexual feelings, which were perceived as sinful and in violation of biblical moral code. After Evans' friend Jack McIntyre committed suicide out of despair concerning his inability to change, Evans left the project and denounced it as dangerous. He was quoted by the Wall Street Journal (April 21, 1993) as saying: "They're destroying people's lives. If you don't do their thing, you're not of God, you'll go to hell. They're living in a fantasy world." Shortly after founding the group, when his patients numbered six, Philpott wrote a book about his ministry called "The Third Sex?," which claimed that his patients had successfully changed their sexual orientation through prayer. His patients, who had not changed their orientation, confronted him, but he said it was "God's will" that the book be written. None of the men ever successfully changed their sexual orientation, and four of them, including Evans, filed suit against Philpott for misrepresenting them in the book. Rather than face the suit, Philpott had the book pulled off the market.
Exodus International
Exodus International is probably the largest ex-gay group. Founded in 1976, it is an interdenominational organization which, according to its own description, "has grown to include over 100 local ministries in the USA and Canada" and is "linked with other Exodus world regions outside of North America, totaling over 135 ministries in 17 countries." Exodus promotes a "system of support" comprising a church, a therapist and a support group.
Exodus International had its biggest scandal in 1979 when Michael Bussee (one of the co-founding members who had helped organize the 1976 conference that led to Exodus' inception) left the group to be with Gary Cooper, also a co-organizer of that conference and a staff member at the local Exodus ministry where they both worked. Later they held a life commitment ceremony. Their story is one of the focuses of the documentary One Nation Under God (1993), directed by Teodoro Maniaci and Francine Rzeznik.
Like Love In Action, Exodus recovered from the scandal. Their website and literature today contain testimonials such as this one by Bob Davies:
God continued to work in my own life. Much to my surprise, I discovered that homosexuality was not my "real" problem. The illicit same-sex desires were only an outward symptom of deeper emotional wounds that needed healing. Through LIA's support group, I was able to openly confess such struggles as insecurity, fear and envy of other men.
Because I had never "acted out" my homosexual feelings with other men, there were some struggles to resist the allure of the unknown. I heard many stories of other people's involvement in sin. Quite frankly, some of their illicit adventures sounded like fun. I had to resist thoughts like, "You got tired of so much impersonal sex? I wish I could say the same thing. Then I'd be ready to give it up!"
God also opened my eyes to see the tremendous devastation that sin had brought into these men's lives. Unknown to all of us, some of them were already infected with the HIV virus (Exodus International online).
Davies says he has found comfort in warm hugs from heterosexual men -- this kind of male hugging has been perceived by some as a substitute for homosexual activity among self-described ex-gays (see below). Finally, Davies describes how he met and married a female member of his church. While he fears that "many more battles" are ahead, he believes that he can overcome these battles with the help of God.
Davies has since been replaced as Executive Director by Alan Chambers.
Homosexuals Anonymous, Quest Learning Center
Seventh Day Adventist Colin Cook (who had been dismissed as a minister in 1974 for having sex with another man) founded the groups Quest Learning Center and Homosexuals Anonymous in 1979 and 1980 respectively; both are ex-gay organizations. In 1985, he wrote two books, Homosexuality, and Homosexuality: An Open Door. In 1986, he was discovered to be engaging in sexual acts with his Quest patients. He claimed that the nude massages of other men should desensitize them against homosexual desires.
In 1987, he was ousted from Homosexuals Anonymous for sexual activity, and in 1995 a similar scandal happened with his newly founded group FaithQuest Colorado (according to the Denver Post, Cook had engaged in phone sex, practiced long and grinding hugs, and asked patients to bring homosexual pornography to sessions so that he could help "desensitize" them against it). The Seventh Day Adventist church finally severed all ties with Cook. Homosexuals Anonymous survived without Cook.
Courage Trust (United Kingdom), now defunct
Courage Trust was formed in 1990 to "heal" homosexuals. It collapsed in 2001 when the group's founder, Jeremy Marks, wrote in the journal "Lesbian and Gay Christians", "I have come to the conclusion that we have been quite wrong to dismiss all same sex love (other than platonic) as sinful." At that time the group was holding weekly meetings in London for about 150 men.
True Freedom Trust (United Kingdom and Irish Republic)
On the collapse of Courage Trust in 2001, True Freedom Trust became the sole remaining ex-gay group operating within the Church of England. This Liverpool-based group was formed in 1977 by Canon L. Roy Barker and Martin Hallett, a Church of England cleric and a layman who renounced homosexual sex on scriptural grounds. The body claims to have 1200 supporters and 13 support groups for gay men and lesbians and their families in Britain and Ireland, in Belfast, Birmingham, Chelmsford, Dublin (Irish Republic), Eastbourne, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London Central, London South East, Lancaster, Sheffield and South Wales.
True Freedom Trust is a founder member of Exodus International Europe.

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