Word 4 The Soul Radio w Min. Gerald Palmer, MSW  

Show Notes

• Archived Blog Post

  Date / Time: 7/20/2009 4:45 PM UTC

  Enough is Enough: Addressing the Ex-Gay Movement
  

   
  I will admit this right here and right now, I have serious doubts about the ex-gay movement, their ministries, therapies, research and success rates.
  
  The key word was the ex-gay movement and not God. Those in this movement claim that the power to change comes from Jesus Christ alone and yet this movement depends on sexual reorientation theory and other methods to bring folk back to being heterosexual.
  
  As a professional Social Worker and member of the National Association of Social Workers, I know very well that sexual reorientation is not supported by any medical or mental health governing body for these treatments do more harm than good.
   
  (Well the NARTH the National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuals supports these treatments and that is another blog.)
  
  As the title says, this issue is complicated oh so complicated because there are some who consider themselves to be ex-gay and in no way do I want to diminish their voices or their struggles and/or success.  
  
  But on the other hand there are many who have been severly hurt by this movement, there have been some who took their lives because they failed to convert back into heterosexual (they were never heterosexual in the first place).
  
  I have talked to ex-gay survivors from all parts of this country and not addressing this issue would be ignoring their voices.  
  
  So to my ex-gay and ex-lesbian brothers and sisters I say I love you and respect your decision but I have some serious concerns about this ex-gay movement.
  
  I have concerns about a movement whose founders are no longer ex-gay but now consider themselves to be gay and lesbian and have since apologized to those they have hurt.
  
  I have concerns about a movement that stereotypes a whole group of people and then uses these stereotypes to vilify and demonize those who are quite happy being who God made them to be.
  
  (Yes there are some who are not happy but ask this question, whose doing was this?)
  
  I have concerns about a movement that ignores the fact that homosexuality like heterosexuality is a sexual orientation and sexual orientations are more than just sex.  Sexual orientations are not chosen.
  
  I have concerns about a movement that has been accused of using propaganda and scare tactics to garner funding and participants.  
  
  And lastly I have concerns about a movement that destroys lives from the inside out.  This movement kills spiritually by using scriptures in a haphazard and dangerous way.
  
  So I must say as long as I am blessed to see another day I will be a voice calling for the end of this movement well at least some honesty and truth coming from this movement. 
  
  So until then I will yell from deep within my soul "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"!!!!!!!!!
  • Tags:
  • homosexuality
  • Christianity
  • sexuality
  • ex-gay
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