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What do the followg have mon? • 1982 • Lutherans—specifilly, Missouri Synod Lutherans • Gay nversn therapy • Comedy • Mic The monaly for the five ems is the new mil edy, “Pray the Gay Away,” which premier Mount Vernon, Washgton, on November 8. Check out the Facebook page: ~ ~ ~…

Contents:

5 THGS I LEARNED AT A 'PRAY AWAY THE GAY' CAMP

When Amerin documentarian Kriste Stolakis set out to make her but feature film, she knew she wanted to she a light on the “ex-gay” movement. * pray away the gay what would you do *

But if you see somebody sportg an outlandish stume, 's not about makg homosexualy look fun to help "turn kids gay" (if Sam's gayns uld survive electroshock torture, then we're pretty sure another kid's straightns n survive a few paras and some sequ boas); 's about showg closeted gay kids that homosexualy isn't tomatilly a lifetime of misery.

Exod Internatnal, evangelilism’s flagship ex-gay mistry, shut down 2013 after former lear Alan Chambers said had ed pa and harm to too many people and that more than 99 percent of those who’d sought help there hadn’t actually experienced an orientatn change. While mistri cludg Exod Internatnal and Foc on the Fay ed to preach that homosexual sire should be elimated, most evangelil church, pastors, and mental health profsnals today emphasize chasty amid sir that might last a lifetime.

The revelatns surroundg Marc Bachmann's psychotherapy practice along wh his statements equatg gay people to barbarians reflect the eply held view among too many people that homosexualy is a psychologil or moral choice that n be altered and ed should be.

‘PRAY AWAY THE GAY’ HAS GONE AWAY. WHY ARE GOVERNMENTS TRYG TO STOP IT?

Gay the Pray Away: Healg Your Life, Love, and Relatnships om the Harms of LGBT Conversn Therapy eBook : Allison, Erika: Kdle Store * pray away the gay what would you do *

Robert Spzer, a proment psychiatrist who, oddly enough, led the charge to remove homosexualy as a disease om the Diagnostic and Statistil Manual, had unrtaken rearch wh 200 women and men who unrwent reparative therapy and believed themselv to be "cured" of homosexualy, as evinced by their abily to engage sexual relatns wh the oppose sex, marry heterosexually, and nceive children. It is important to regnize that the great majory of psychotherapy profsnals argue vociferoly that such "treatment" is uhil bee homosexualy is not an illns — rather the "illns" is our tolerance of sexual and genr behavrs fallg outsi rtrictive societal norms. I also tell clients that reparative and nversn therapi, bis beg effective, are psychologilly harmful to gays and lbians, which is another reason I do not remend them and will not assist clients procurg such treatment.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO PRAY THE GAY AWAY?

Becket Cook reviews Netflix’s ‘Pray Away,’ a documentary that seeks to discred all ex-gay stori bee of nversn therapy. * pray away the gay what would you do *

When Amerin documentarian Kriste Stolakis set out to make her but feature film, she knew she wanted to she a light on the “ex-gay” movement, which nsists of those that believe a person’s genr inty or sexual orientatn n be changed.

Shot before the Covid-19 panmic, the film chronicl the rise — and subsequent fall — of Exod Internatnal, a nversn therapy anizatn that, acrdg to the team behd the the film, began as a Bible study group the 1970s nsistg of five evangelil men who were lookg to help one another leave the “homosexual liftyle. Stolakis’ list of terviewe “Pray Away” clus Randy Thomas, the fal vice print of Exod Internatnal; Yvette Cantu Schneir, the former head of Exod’ women’s mistri; and John Plk, one of the most bt-known “ex-gay” people the world. “Somethg my team and I talked about a lot makg this film is, this really is a movement of hurt people hurtg other people, of what ternalized homophobia and transphobia looks like when is wield outward, ” said Stolakis, whose other directorial creds clu “The Typist” and “Where We Stand.

NETFLIX'S 'PRAY AWAY' LOOKS BEHD THE CURTA OF THE 'EX-GAY' MOVEMENT

A CAMPAIGN to get a teen released om a Christian “mp” where she was unrgog therapy to “pray the gay away” has been succsful. * pray away the gay what would you do *

”While many former lears have renounced and spoken out agast the “pray the gay away” movement, Stolakis said “the larger culture of homophobia and transphobia, ” particularly relig muni, has allowed the movement to ntue wh younger lears, even wh the dissolutn of Exod Internatnal 2013 and the legalizatn of same-sex marriage the U.

PRAY AWAY THE GAY?

* pray away the gay what would you do *

Alone, nearly 700, 000 lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr adults have been subjected to some form of nversn therapy durg their lifetime, acrdg to a 2019 report om the Williams Instute at the UCLA School of Law. ”“As long as that larger culture of homophobia and transphobia exists — be our church, any relig muny, our polil sphere or our culture — some versn of nversn therapy and the ex-LGBTQ movement will ntue, ” she explaed.

'WHAT WOULD YOU DO?' REP: PASTOR TRI TO PRAY GAY OUT OF TEEN, BOUNCER DENI OVERWEIGHT CLUB PATRON

Interventnist Brad Lamm talks about a gay stunt whose photo was emted om her high school yearbook. Pl, he shar his thoughts on why beg gay isn't always easy. * pray away the gay what would you do *

One former Bachmann & Associat patient Andrew Ramirez, who was 17 2004 when he was treated at Bachmann's clic, told ABC News, "[One unselor's] path for my therapy would be to read the Bible, pray to God that I would no longer be gay. Interview highlights clu extend web-only answers and have been eded for length and clary: Interview Highlights Thomas on how he joed the "ex-gay" movement and Exod Internatnal I was out of the closet the '80s. Movi|‘Pray Away’ Review: Atong for an Anti-Gay Stance ADVERTISEMENTIn this documentary, people who had promoted the ia that sexual orientatn uld be changed exprs their AwayDirected by Kriste StolakisDocumentaryPG-131h 41mThe Netflix documentary “Pray Away” profil several people who, the public sphere and the ntext of Christiany-cloaked “nversn therapy, ” peddled the ia that homosexualy uld be changed, and who now regret the sufferg they ed.

FORMER 'EX-GAY' LEARS DENOUNCE 'CONVERSN THERAPY' IN A NEW DOCUMENTARY

Pray Away: Directed by Kriste Stolakis. Wh Yvette Cantu Schneir, Michael Bsee, John Plk, Julie Rodgers. Former lears of the "pray the gay away" movement ntend wh the aftermath unleashed by their actns, while a survivor seeks healg and acceptance om more than a of trma." data-id="ma * pray away the gay what would you do *

Michael Bsee, a founr of Exod Internatnal, nsired one of the major anizatns that preached that sexual orientatn uld be changed, was both an early promoter and an early harms nversn therapy , and the tactics , aren’t news at this pot, and “Pray Away” is more tertg when foc on how most of s subjects eventually embraced gay and bisexual inti spe havg formerly been so public their homophobia. Exod was born 1976 at a large nference Anaheim, California, seekg to help homosexuals who wanted to rid themselv of unwanted same-sex attractns through a seri of ad hoc and unscientific theraptic methods.

It’s worth notg how this stance reprents ntradictory doublpeak om the LGBTQ movement, which on one hand sists that gay inty is utterly unchangeable, while on the other suggts sexualy and genr are fluid and that radil self-exprsn mands we n change our inti on any given Tuday. July 11, 2011 — -- A former patient who sought help om the Christian unselg clic owned by GOP printial hopeful Michele Bachmann and her hband, Marc, told ABC News he was advised that prayer uld rid him of his homosexual urg and he uld eventually be "re-oriented. ""[One unselor's] path for my therapy would be to read the Bible, pray to God that I would no longer be gay, " said Andrew Ramirez, who was 17-years-old at the time he sought help om Bachmann & Associat suburban Mneapolis 2004.

That footage shows another unselor at the Bachmann clic tellg a gay man posg as a patient that, wh prayer and effort, he uld eventually learn to be attracted to women and rid himself of his gay the full report tonight on ABC News' "Nightle" disclosur have provid h sight to what Michele Bachmann has lled her fay bs -- the primary source of e for her fay as she left her law practice to move to polics.

CAN CATHOLICS “PRAY AWAY THE GAY?”

Among gay men, the mpy printial ndidate has a ntroversial history. * pray away the gay what would you do *

Clton Anrson, who heads the associatn's Office on Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgenr Concerns, told ABC News that his anizatn did an exhstive review and found no evince that efforts to nvert someone om gay to straight uld succeed. "I told my therapist that I was stgglg wh attractn to the same sex, and that my attractns were overwhelmgly, predomately, exclively homosexual, " said John Becker, the man who vised the clic five tim late June. Ask God to keep your gay loved one healthy physilly and mentally, pray for their growg discernment and wisdom, and for them to grow love for Him—jt as you would pray for anyone else you Bible tells to pray for others, and that pleas the Lord.

We mt also affirm the tth of the Bible wh nfince and obedience to God, not strayg away om Biblil tth prayer, word, or That Homosexual Friends and Fay Rpect Their Christian Loved OnYears ago, a gay iend shared wh me her hop of someday gettg married. Disregardg all evince that the ex-gay movement is credibly damagg to more than 90% of those who unrgo "treatment" (bee they clearly jt didn't believe God enough), Settg Captiv Free wants you to know that you were not "born this way. " Homosexualy is a s that you need to purge om your system, and the only way to do is to follow their three-parts-a-day the app is only downloadable om Google Play (iTun and the 69, 822+ people who petned them don't believe nversn therapy for some reason), there is an abridged versn available on the mistry’s webse.

Realize That Beg Homosexual Mak You Feel Alone Fet that we told you to shut yourself away om most of the world, and ignore the ia that maybe gay people feel so alone bee of the discrimatory and hateful attus that they face, helped by people like . And wh that, her strict relig parents allegedly moved her to a Christian “mp”, where she would be ma to unrgo psychologilly-damagg therapy to “pray the gay away”, and “nvert” her to a make matters worse, the law prohibs Sarah om leavg until she reach the age of 18, when she will be regnised as a legal, a global mpaign is unrway to see her released om the unnamed facily, anised by the more supportive members of her extend fay.

‘PRAY AWAY’ REVIEW: ATONG FOR AN ANTI-GAY STANCE

“But when they did that, Sarah’s parents, who believe that homosexualy is a s and abnormal, sent Sarah away agast her will to an East Texas Christian boardg facily for troubled teens to ‘pray away the gay’. He is now livg a happier life a same-sex last week, a new study om the Southern Poverty Law Center me out, labellg the practice as “monisg” homosexualy and mandg be also lled for public and private surers to refe to reimburse claims ma by “therapists” 2009, the Amerin Psychologil Associatn nducted the world’s biggt study to the fluidy of sexual orientatn.

” episo of Our Ameri wh Lisa Lg on the Oprah Wey says the tle of the episo was meant to be rhetoril, and the entire pot of the show was to reach out to those Christian evangelils who do thk gay people n changed and nvce them that wasn’t the se.

PASTOR ‘PRAYS THE GAY AWAY’ ON ‘WHAT WOULD YOU DO?”

In fact, GLAAD (the Gay and Lbian Alliance Agast Defamatn) took Lg to task both for that episo, as well as a follow up episo that revised one of the gay subjects who was, fact, tryg to pray the gay GLAAD on their blog about Lg’s verage:Last night’s episo of Our Ameri – entled “A Closer Look” – actually marks the third time three weeks that the show has taken a “closer look” at the same archaic qutn: “[Can a person] pray the gay away? Havg been answered by virtually every rpected medil and psychologil anizatn Ameri, the qutn is no longer a the non-qutn three tim the last three weeks – and havg spoken wh GLAAD, ’s clear that OWN and s producers still haven’t gotten ‘’ – wh ‘’ beg the two nsistent problems wh all three “Pray the Gay Away?

” related episos of Our recently spoke wh Lg about the episos qutn, cludg the backlash om the gay muny, and while she spoke passnately of her support for gay rights, beme apparent that she and GLAAD would never see eye to eye on this particular issue. I’m a stnch gay rights activist, I’m a stnch human rights activist and I jt found that some of the msag that the church was liverg were jt astoundg [and] ngent what I felt J would have we set out to explore why people believe what they believe.

GAY THE PRAY AWAY: HEALG YOUR LIFE, LOVE, AND RELATNSHIPS OM THE HARMS OF LGBT CONVERSN THERAPY KDLE EDN

That was the ultimate objective and I thk that if you watch the show, Michael Bsee, who was one of the founrs of Exod, not only walks away om that anizatn, but also speaks out agast that anizatn bee he says do horrific, horrific we spent time wh this gay Christian mp lled The Namg Project which was one of the most movg experienc I’ve ever had. And you see the kids who have been nmned by their church and sometim they’ve been nmned by members of the gay muny bee, let’s face , there are some members the gay muny that have been so burned by the church and by Christiany that they n’t even engage a dialogue or disurse about .

So the are kids that have been burned but they ntue to praise God, the same as Michael Bsee, and the people to me exemplify te what disappoted me about some of the cricism that we got – and by the way the overwhelmg rponse to our show has been credibly posive – but the rponse I have to some of the cricism is “Why jt foc on the negative, and what you perceive is the negative aspect of the show, the ex-gay movement? I want people to be able to walk the sho of other people and really try to unrstand better why people believe what they Lookg back now do you unrstand that wh the show’s tle, and by even askg the qutn, how mak a lot of gay people say, “Really?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PEOPLE WNS A 'PASTOR' TRYG TO 'PRAY AWAY THE GAY'?

My hope is that people who watched the show and heard that tle n see that the answer to that qutn is most fively most movg thg, I read a lot of movg thgs, but the number of evangelils who felt firmly rooted one si, which was the si that believed that homosexualy was wrong, and I n’t tell you how many emails I got om those people those muni sayg, “Wow, you really ma me thk differently about this issue. My tentn was to provoke really closed-md relig folks and hope they would expand their horizons and really fd out what God’s love really So you thk some gay people missed who the show was meant for and what msage was beg sent out, and stead jt foced on a qutn that we feel like we’ve heard too many tim? And I don’t even mean to try and take that kd of feelg away om people and obvly ’s a very fundamental feelg that people have regards to that qutn and that notn and if anyone felt harmed by that, I’m tentn was to send a msage to closed md evangelils bee even if they thought for a moment that the notn of prayg the gay away was possible, all they had to do is watch the show to the end and hear people like Michael Bsee and all the kids at The Namg Project sayg you know what, “That qutn a way is kd of irrelevant bee God lov all regardls.

MICHELE BACHMANN CLIC: WHERE YOU CAN PRAY AWAY THE GAY?

I assumed me evolved past that and I wanted to take the nversatn to a different place, and I hope we n still ntue to do I thk the reactns om this show shows jt how touchy the subjects are and how judged gay people still feel. ”“In a lot of ways this movement is ternalized transphobia and homophobia turned outwards, ” Stolakis says — and as long as transphobia and homophobia exist, so will people who believe and promote nversn, as the se of Freedom March.

THE HARMFUL IMPLITNS OF “PRAYG THE GAY AWAY”

“I was told I was the only gay left the world, that the ernment had killed all the gay children, that I had Aids, that God hated me – a horrifyg battery of li which I had no reason not to believe bee the were the people that were supposed to be helpg me, ” Brton me the physil torture: forcg his hands to ice while showg him pictur of men touchg men, wrappg his hands ils that heated up pafully when he saw imag of men huggg, showg him gay porn and givg him electric shocks.

WHAT DO “PRAY THE GAY AWAY” MEAN?

Acrdg to the Amerin Psychologil Associatn, “the most important fact about the ‘therapi’ is that they are based on a view of homosexualy that has been rejected by all the major mental health profsns” – that is abnormal, unnatural, and a mental illns that n be Jersey, California and the District of Columbia have banned the practice on young people, yet remas wispread and attempts to make illegal numero stat have flounred, most recently Colorado, jt a few hours before the Whe Hoe took a 2012, four gay men lnched an ongog lawsu agast a nversn therapy centre New Jersey, claimg they had been put through huiatg and harmful exercis such as strippg naked ont of a mirror and holdg their penis, beatg imag of their mothers and squeezg two orang that reprented 2012 Michael Fergon, centre, was one of the four gay men makg allegatns agast a New Jersey centre that did nversn therapy. “Obvly, our print don’t know anythg, or very ltle, about the nature of homosexualy for some dividuals, knows very ltle about the scientific and anecdotal evince that dit that sexualy is changeable and that ’s not somethg that’s naturally born, ” he said.

“People who are gay don’t have a disease, they are not mentally ill, nothg like that, but the rearch shows that sexualy tends to be rather fluid and pecially for dividuals who durg childhood have been sexually abed by same-sex pedophil, whose sexual feelgs have e up bee of the cinc. ”Christopher end up seeg an “ex-gay” California-based Christian reparative therapist, who told him that homosexualy had root – perhaps a weak father and a strong mother, rejectn by classmat, or likg art but not sports.

THIS TEENAGER HAS BEEN FORCED TO A GAY NVERSN MP WH NO PE

”Last year, Texas Republins adopted a platform backg reparative therapy “for those patients seekg healg and wholens om their homosexual liftyle” and statg no laws to prohib should be year, Celia Israel, an openly lbian Democratic state reprentative the At area, troduced a bill to ban reparative therapy for mors. First of all, there are que a few Christian groups that mister to gays and lbians who voluntarily walk through their doors (as opposed to groups that, theoretilly, would go out on the streets and kidnap people).

PRAY THE GAY AWAY

Stat, nversn therapy remas enmic many nservative, relig muni—and as Pray Away documents, is groundg a new generatn of believers s rhetoric as part of larger culture wars beg waged over gay and trans rights. One thg I’ve learned om spendg time this world is, let’s say, [when you’re part of] a fah muny that’s homophobic or transphobic and you fd a Bible study group or a nversn therapy support group happeng at your church—that may actually be the first time you feel any fort, sharg any part of your inty. My mom knew I was gay around the same time, as I was smoochg on other boys, yet ed a motn and distrs when I me out my late teens jt the same, and my parents promptly sent me to a "pray away the gay" therapist.

Cast & crewUser reviewsTrivia2021PG-131h 41mFormer lears of the "pray the gay away" movement ntend wh the aftermath unleashed by their actns, while a survivor seeks healg and acceptance om more than a of lears of the "pray the gay away" movement ntend wh the aftermath unleashed by their actns, while a survivor seeks healg and acceptance om more than a of lears of the "pray the gay away" movement ntend wh the aftermath unleashed by their actns, while a survivor seeks healg and acceptance om more than a of productn, box office & pany Vios1More like thisReview Not the Story I Expected Or WantedSo many children and fai have had their liv torn apart by nversn therapy, but stead of tellg their story, this documentary foc on the terrible people who ed that harm. But not all the gay social-media affectn for Williamson is tongue--cheek: “There are maybe three ndidat on stage whose rhetoric make me feel patrtic and y one of them is Marianne Williamson, ” one fan tweeted. In a tweet that went viral durg last Tuday’s bate, Stephen Guy-Bray, a 59-year-old English profsor at the Universy of Brish Columbia, wrote, “Seeg young gays make [Williamson] to some kd of mp in fills me wh fury & spair.

I asked whether might be te that, even if Williamson never told people they were unworthy of love or ed their own illns, some gay men terpreted her words that way and suffered psychologil or emotnal harm as a rult. Seeg some of his fellow gays ll Williamson an anti-vaxxer or anti-science—characterizatns that Guffey vehemently rebuts—has ma Guffey feel a b alienated, but he says he knows plenty of people, pecially the progrsive Christian muny, who support her.

INTERVIEW: LISA LG SAYS SHE KNOWS "YOU CAN'T PRAY THE GAY AWAY"{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}CELEBRIBY MICHAEL JENSENAPRIL 6, 2011/11:57 AMBY MICHAEL JENSENAPRIL 6, 2011 / 11:57 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"INTERVIEW: LISA LG SAYS SHE KNOWS \"YOU CAN'T PRAY THE GAY AWAY\"","DATEPUBLISHED":"2011-04-06T15:57:19.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2011-04-06T15:57:19.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"MICHAEL JENSEN","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"CELEBRI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“THE ANSWER IS MOST FIVELY ‘NO.’”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SO LISA LG SAYS EMPHATILLY WHEN ASKED BY ABOUT TLE OF THE RECENT “CAN YOU PRAY THE GAY AWAY?” EPISO OF OUR AMERI WH LISA LG ON THE OPRAH WEY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LG SAYS THE TLE OF THE EPISO WAS MEANT TO BE RHETORIL, AND THE ENTIRE POT OF THE SHOW WAS TO REACH OUT TO THOSE CHRISTIAN EVANGELILS WHO DO THK GAY PEOPLE N CHANGED AND NVCE THEM THAT WASN’T THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}UNFORTUNATELY FOR LG, MANY GAY PEOPLE DIDN’T SEE THE QUTN AS RHETORIL AND TOOK OFFENSE THAT THAT A CREDIBLE JOURNALIST WAS EVEN ASKG THE QUTN. IN FACT, GLAAD (THE GAY AND LBIAN ALLIANCE AGAST DEFAMATN) TOOK LG TO TASK BOTH FOR THAT EPISO, AS WELL AS A FOLLOW UP EPISO THAT REVISED ONE OF THE GAY SUBJECTS WHO WAS, FACT, TRYG TO PRAY THE GAY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SAID GLAAD ON THEIR BLOG ABOUT LG’S VERAGE:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LAST NIGHT’S EPISO OF OUR AMERI – ENTLED “A CLOSER LOOK” – ACTUALLY MARKS THE THIRD TIME THREE WEEKS THAT THE SHOW HAS TAKEN A “CLOSER LOOK” AT THE SAME ARCHAIC QUTN: “[CAN A PERSON] PRAY THE GAY AWAY?”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE ANSWER IS AN EMPHATIC “NO,” AND THE SCIENTIFIC MUNY HAS SAID SO FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS NOW. HAVG BEEN ANSWERED BY VIRTUALLY EVERY RPECTED MEDIL AND PSYCHOLOGIL ANIZATN AMERI, THE QUTN IS NO LONGER A {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ASKG THE NON-QUTN THREE TIM THE LAST THREE WEEKS – AND HAVG SPOKEN WH GLAAD, ’S CLEAR THAT OWN AND S PRODUCERS STILL HAVEN’T GOTTEN ‘’ – WH ‘’ BEG THE TWO NSISTENT PROBLEMS WH ALL THREE “PRAY THE GAY AWAY?” RELATED EPISOS OF OUR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;} RECENTLY SPOKE WH LG ABOUT THE EPISOS QUTN, CLUDG THE BACKLASH OM THE GAY MUNY, AND WHILE SHE SPOKE PASSNATELY OF HER SUPPORT FOR GAY RIGHTS, BEME APPARENT THAT SHE AND GLAAD WOULD NEVER SEE EYE TO EYE ON THIS PARTICULAR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AFTERELTON: WHAT MA YOU CI ON THE TOPIC “CAN YOU PRAY AWAY THE GAY?” AS AN EPISO OF YOUR SHOW?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LISA LG: THIS IS A TOPIC I’VE WANTED TO DO FOR A LONG TIME BEE I’VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY NFLICTED BY THE MSAG THAT WERE G OUT OF THE CHURCH [CHRISTIANY], VIS-A-VIS HOMOSEXUALY. I’M A STNCH GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST, I’M A STNCH HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND I JT FOUND THAT SOME OF THE MSAG THAT THE CHURCH WAS LIVERG WERE JT ASTOUNDG [AND] NGENT WHAT I FELT J WOULD HAVE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SO WE SET OUT TO EXPLORE WHY PEOPLE BELIEVE WHAT THEY BELIEVE. THERE ARE QUE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE OUR UNTRY WHO BELIEVE THAT HOMOSEXUALY IS NOT LE WH THE CHRISTIAN FAH. AND THERE ARE ALSO GAY CHRISTIANS WHO NTUE TO WORSHIP GOD SPE THE FACT THAT THE CHURCH MAY NMN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}REALLY FOR OUR JOURNEY WAS NOT TO DO THIS VTIGATIVE PIECE ON EXOD OR ANYTHG LIKE THAT. IT WAS REALLY JT TRYG TO UNRSTAND WHY PEOPLE BELIEVE WHAT THEY BELIEVE BEE I’VE ALWAYS BELIEVED WE ARE A BETTER PEOPLE, A MORE EVOLVED PEOPLE IF WE N UNRSTAND EACH OTHER BETTER AND UNRSTAND WHERE EACH SI IS G OM. BEE ONLY THEN, I THK, N WE REALLY MAKE RMED CISNS AND IGNE A PROPER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AE: MANY GAY PEOPLE, CLUDG GLAAD, FEEL THAT JT HAVG A JOURNALIST ASK “CAN YOU PRAY THE GAY AWAY?” LENDS CRENCE TO A QUTN THAT IS NOT ONLY OFFENSIVE, BUT THAT HAS BEEN WILY BUNKED. WHAT’S YOUR RPONSE TO YOUR GLAAD’S CRICISM THAT YOUR SHOW DID THAT?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LL: WELL I THK THAT’S A B OF AN UNFAIR CRICISM. THE TLE “CAN YOU PRAY THE GAY AWAY?” WH THE QUTN MARK AT THE END WAS SUPPOSED TO BE RHETORIL BEE I THK THE DAYS, MOST PEOPLE REGNIZE THAT YOU N PRAY THE GAY AWAY AS MUCH AS YOU N PRAY THE ASIAN AWAY. [LGHS] OR PRAY THE BLACK AWAY. IT HAS NEVER BEEN PROVEN. IN FACT, ’S BEEN DISPROVEN BY REPUTABLE MEDIL ASSOCIATNS. THE TLE WAS TO REALLY SPIRE PEOPLE TO WATCH THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MY TENTN WAS FOR PEOPLE TO WATCH THIS WH A SENSE OF PASSN AND REGNIZE– NOW I’M NOT SOMEONE WHO IS A RELIG PERSON, BUT WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT J, ’S BEEN MY NTENTN THAT IF GOD IS AS LOVG OF A GOD AS CHRISTIANS BELIEVE HE IS, THEN HE SHOULD LOVE ALL PEOPLE REGARDLS OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN. THAT WAS THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE AND I THK THAT IF YOU WATCH THE SHOW, MICHAEL BSEE, WHO WAS ONE OF THE FOUNRS OF EXOD, NOT ONLY WALKS AWAY OM THAT ANIZATN, BUT ALSO SPEAKS OUT AGAST THAT ANIZATN BEE HE SAYS DO HORRIFIC, HORRIFIC {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AND WE SPENT TIME WH THIS GAY CHRISTIAN MP LLED THE NAMG PROJECT WHICH WAS ONE OF THE MOST MOVG EXPERIENC I’VE EVER HAD. AND YOU SEE THE KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN NMNED BY THEIR CHURCH AND SOMETIM THEY’VE BEEN NMNED BY MEMBERS OF THE GAY MUNY BEE, LET’S FACE , THERE ARE SOME MEMBERS THE GAY MUNY THAT HAVE BEEN SO BURNED BY THE CHURCH AND BY CHRISTIANY THAT THEY N’T EVEN ENGAGE A DIALOGUE OR DISURSE ABOUT . SO THE ARE KIDS THAT HAVE BEEN BURNED BUT THEY NTUE TO PRAISE GOD, THE SAME AS MICHAEL BSEE, AND THE PEOPLE TO ME EXEMPLIFY TE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AND WHAT DISAPPOTED ME ABOUT SOME OF THE CRICISM THAT WE GOT – AND BY THE WAY THE OVERWHELMG RPONSE TO OUR SHOW HAS BEEN CREDIBLY POSIVE – BUT THE RPONSE I HAVE TO SOME OF THE CRICISM IS “WHY JT FOC ON THE NEGATIVE, AND WHAT YOU PERCEIVE IS THE NEGATIVE ASPECT OF THE SHOW, THE EX-GAY MOVEMENT?” HOW ABOUT ACKNOWLEDGG MICHAEL BSEE AND THE NAMG PROJECT AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXTRAORDARY FAH? THOSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HAVE BEEN LETED OM THE NVERSATN WHICH I THK IS A HUGE MISSED OPPORTUNY TO HIGHLIGHT PEOPLE WHO I THK ARE BG THE THGS THAT FE THEM MOST, THEIR FAH AND THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN SUCH A BETIFUL {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}CAMPERS AT THE NAMG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AE: DID YOU CLU MICHAEL AND THE NAMG CAMP TO GIVE THE PIECE BALANCE THEN? {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LL: ACTUALLY NO, NOT AT ALL. WHEN I SET OUT TO DO THE SHOW WAS TO PROFILE THE NAMG PROJECT WHICH WAS SORT OF THE MA FOC OF THE SHOW, BUT I THK ’S IMPORTANT TO SEE WHAT’S GOG ON AT EXOD, WHAT’S GOG ON THERE. AND NOT AN VTIGATIVE WAY, BUT A WAY TO FD OUT WHAT THEY ARE SORT OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHAT I SAW WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE VERY, VERY NFLICTED AND PEOPLE WHO WERE HIDG BEE THEY HAVE THE SORT OF EP PAS, AND BY PROFILG THE SORTS OF CHRISTIANS. I SAW A KID, WHO WAS REALLY TORTURED MANY WAYS, ONCE BY HIS PAST AND NOW HIS FIGHT TO FIGURE OUT WHO HE IS. AND I’M NOT THE PERSON WHO LIK TO BEAT PEOPLE OVER THE HEAD, I FEEL LIKE THERE IS ENOUGH OF THAT TELEVISN. I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO WALK THE SHO OF OTHER PEOPLE AND REALLY TRY TO UNRSTAND BETTER WHY PEOPLE BELIEVE WHAT THEY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AE: LOOKG BACK NOW DO YOU UNRSTAND THAT WH THE SHOW’S TLE, AND BY EVEN ASKG THE QUTN, HOW MAK A LOT OF GAY PEOPLE SAY, “REALLY? WE’RE DISCSG THIS AGA?” WHETHER OR NOT ’S A RHETORIL QUTN. NOW THAT YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH THIS, DO YOU SEE THAT POT?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LL: OF URSE. I THK ’S IMPORTANT, AND I’M A PERSON WHO IS NEVER IMMUNE OM CRICISM AND I N PLETELY SEE THAT POT. MY HOPE IS THAT PEOPLE WHO WATCHED THE SHOW AND HEARD THAT TLE N SEE THAT THE ANSWER TO THAT QUTN IS MOST FIVELY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE MOST MOVG THG, I READ A LOT OF MOVG THGS, BUT THE NUMBER OF EVANGELILS WHO FELT FIRMLY ROOTED ONE SI, WHICH WAS THE SI THAT BELIEVED THAT HOMOSEXUALY WAS WRONG, AND I N’T TELL YOU HOW MANY EMAILS I GOT OM THOSE PEOPLE THOSE MUNI SAYG, “WOW, YOU REALLY MA ME THK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THIS ISSUE. YOU REALLY OPENED MY EY TO WHAT GOD’S LOVE REALLY MEANS” AND QUE HONTLY THAT WAS MY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MY OBJECTIVE WASN’T TO CE A REACTN OM THE GAY MUNY, AND IF DID SO, I’M SO SORRY. MY TENTN WAS TO PROVOKE REALLY CLOSED-MD RELIG FOLKS AND HOPE THEY WOULD EXPAND THEIR HORIZONS AND REALLY FD OUT WHAT GOD’S LOVE REALLY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AE: SO YOU THK SOME GAY PEOPLE MISSED WHO THE SHOW WAS MEANT FOR AND WHAT MSAGE WAS BEG SENT OUT, AND STEAD JT FOCED ON A QUTN THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE’VE HEARD TOO MANY TIM?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LL: I DON’T WANT TO ASSUME THAT. ALL I N DO IS STATE WHAT MY OBJECTIVE WAS AND HOPEFULLY THAT ME TE. ONE OF MY BT IENDS IS NAMED JAMIE, HE’S A GAY MAN, [AND HE] WROTE ME THE MOST BETIFUL EMAIL AND SAID THAT HE FELT LIKE I WAS TALKG TO HIS FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD SELF WHEN HE WAS WATCHG THAT. AND HE WISHED THAT PLAC LIKE THE NAMG PROJECT EXISTED FOR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHAT WE SET OUT TO DO WAS TO SHOW WHAT WAS GOG ON AT EXOD BUT CLOSE THE SHOW WH THE NAMG PROJECT AND SEE THAT THERE ARE THE PROGRAMS AND THE URAGEO YOUNG PEOPLE. I WANTED TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT ARE VOLVED PROGRAMS LIKE EXOD THAT THERE ARE OTHER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}YOUNG PEOPLE N GO AND BE THEMSELV AND PRAY TO GOD, THE SAME GOD THAT OTHERS PRAY TO AND HE IS JT AS LOVG AND JT AS FIVG. A UPLE OF TIM I WAS FACED WH THE QUTN OF “ARE THE PEOPLE ALL WORSHIPG THE SAME GOD? ARE THE PEOPLE AT EXOD WORSHIPG THE SAME GOD AS THE KID AT THE NAMG PROJECT?” AND IF GOD IS JT AS LOVG AS CHRISTIANS SAY AND BELIEVE HE IS THEN SEXUAL ORIENTATN SHOULDN’T {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}[A PUBLICIST TOLD OUR TIME WAS UP, BUT LG WANTED TO MAKE SURE I’D UNRSTOOD HER POT.]{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}DO THAT MAKE SENSE, MICHAEL? DID YOU…?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AE: IT MA … SENSE. I THK PEOPLE WILL APPRECIATE YOUR TAKG THE TIME TO TALK WH ME. BUT I STILL THK THERE IS A PRETTY FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE POT OF VIEW AS TO WHETHER OR NOT ’S OKAY TO ASK THAT QUTN. I THK A LOT OF FOLKS WOULD MAKE THE POT THAT THERE WOULD NEVER BE A SHOW LIKE THAT ABOUT WOMEN OR ASIANS THAT SORT OF ASKED THAT KD OF QUTN…{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LL: YOU SEE, THAT’S THE THG, IF WE ASKED THAT SORT OF QUTN, “CAN YOU PRAY THE ASIAN AWAY” AND THE ANSWER IS OBVLY, NO! AND I FELT THE SAME WAY ABOUT THAT QUTN, “CAN YOU PRAY THE GAY AWAY?” THE ANSWER IS CLEARLY “NO.” AND EVEN ALAN CHAMBERS SAYS YOU N’T CHANGE YOUR SEXUAL ORIENTATN. YOU N CHOOSE TO MARRY A WOMAN AND LIVE YOUR LIFE AND HAVE CHILDREN, BUT DON’T MEAN THAT YOUR SEXUAL ORIENTATN HAS CHANGED. I MEAN I THK THE ANSWER TO THAT QUTN IS UNDOUBTEDLY “NO!”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AE: IF THE QUTN IS UNEQUIVOLLY “NO” THEN WHY WAS ASKED THAT WAY? WHY WASN’T THE TLE PHRASED, “WHY ARE PEOPLE BEG FORCED TO PRAY THE GAY AWAY?” AND BEEN MORE OF AN EXPLORATN OF THE DAMAGE THAT THE KIDS G OUT OF THOSE PROGRAMS LIKE EXOD. SUFFER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AS YOU SAID, THIS ISN’T A HARD HTG ANALYTIL LOOK AT THE ISSUE, BUT MORE EXPLORG HOW PEOPLE FEEL AND WHY THE FEEL THE WAY THEY DO. BUT I DON’T THK GLAAD IS GOG TO TURN AROUND AFTER READG THIS TERVIEW AND SAY, “OH, OK, WE UNRSTAND NOW.” FOR CERTA PEOPLE CERTA QUTNS ARE SO OFFENSIVE AND WE’RE SO TIRED OF HEARG THEM, THAT NO ONE IS VERY GOG TO BE OK WH THAT. DO THAT MAKE SENSE?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LL: YEAH. AND I DON’T EVEN MEAN TO TRY AND TAKE THAT KD OF FEELG AWAY OM PEOPLE AND OBVLY ’S A VERY FUNDAMENTAL FEELG THAT PEOPLE HAVE REGARDS TO THAT QUTN AND THAT NOTN AND IF ANYONE FELT HARMED BY THAT, I’M {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MY TENTN WAS TO SEND A MSAGE TO CLOSED MD EVANGELILS BEE EVEN IF THEY THOUGHT FOR A MOMENT THAT THE NOTN OF PRAYG THE GAY AWAY WAS POSSIBLE, ALL THEY HAD TO DO IS WATCH THE SHOW TO THE END AND HEAR PEOPLE LIKE MICHAEL BSEE AND ALL THE KIDS AT THE NAMG PROJECT SAYG YOU KNOW WHAT, “THAT QUTN A WAY IS KD OF IRRELEVANT BEE GOD LOV ALL REGARDLS.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AE: I’M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU RECEIVED MSAG OM PEOPLE THAT ME OUT THE OTHER SI OF THAT. I’M GLAD THAT AT LEAST ME OUT OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LL: OH, YEAH AND MY REALLY GOOD GAY IEND SAID, “WE DON’T LIKE TO BE H OVER THE HEAD LIKE MICHAEL MOORE STYLE OR BILL MAHER STYLE.” THIS IS A VERY NUANCED PIECE THAT REALLY LET REALLY THK HARD ABOUT A LOT OF THGS AND GETTG THE MSAGE THAT GOD LOV ALL. WE JT DON’T HEAR THAT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I THK BOTH SIS GET SO EPLY ENTRENCHED THAT BOTH SIS JT WANT TO ATTACK AND NAME LL. AND I DON’T THK THAT DO A DAMN B OF GOOD. WHEN PEOPLE WERE CRICIZG THE PIECE I WAS THKG, “DO YOU THK THAT’S REALLY HELPG YOU?”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHY NOT TAKE THE PIEC OF OUR SHOW WHERE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY RENCILG THEIR FAH AND THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN A LOVG WAY AND PROMOTE THOSE KDS OF THGS? I THK WE’VE EVOLVED PAST THAT. I ASSUMED ME EVOLVED PAST THAT AND I WANTED TO TAKE THE NVERSATN TO A DIFFERENT PLACE, AND I HOPE WE N STILL NTUE TO DO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AE: I THK THE REACTNS OM THIS SHOW SHOWS JT HOW TOUCHY THE SUBJECTS ARE AND HOW JUDGED GAY PEOPLE STILL FEEL. I’M SURE YOU FOLLOW THE NEWS AND KNOW THAT SOME RELIG NSERVATIV JT BLOCKED GAY MARRIAGE MARYLAND AND JT YTERDAY THEY FEATED A CIVIL UNNS BILL COLORADO. SO FOR GAY PEOPLE THE QUTNS FEEL VERY FUNDAMENTAL AND VERY PRENT AND VERY MUCH AFFECTG OUR LIV. {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LL: THE ONLY THG THAT I WOULD SAY IS THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF HATEFUL THGS THAT HAVE E OUT OF THE EVANGELIL MUNY ABOUT GAY PEOPLE. AND I HOPE THAT THE GAY PEOPLE DON’T ADOPT THAT STRATEGY AND BEE AS JUDGMENTAL AND VOLVE TO THAT KD OF BETRAYAL AS THE EVANGELILS HAVE. I REALLY HOPE WE N TAKE THIS TO A DIFFERENT LEVEL AND EXPLORE WH A DIALOGUE AND FD PASSN AND TRY AND BETTER FE THAT GOD LOV YOU AND ME AND I’M NOT EVEN RELIG, SO LET’S PUT BACK OUT THERE TO THE RELIG MUNY. SO LET’S ASK THEM TO REALLY REFE OR REALLY RETERPRET OR TERPRET AT ALL WHAT GOD’S LOVE SHOULD {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AE: I AGREE. {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LL: BEE QUE HONTLY ONLY ENTRENCH BOTH SIS EVEN MORE. IT MAK ME WANT TO FIGHT HARR AND NAME LL EVEN MORE, BUT ULTIMATELY IS THAT GETTG ANY CLOSER TO ACHIEVG OUR OBJECTIVE RATHER THAN EXPANDG THE DIALOGUE AND LETTG PEOPLE UNRSTAND WHAT ’S LIKE TO LIVE MY SHO AND WHY PEOPLE MIGHT BELIEVE WHAT THEY BELIEVE. ONLY THEN N PEOPLE UNRSTAND WHY PEOPLE BELIEVE WHAT THEY BELIEVE, AND THEN PEOPLE BE ABLE LEARN HOW TO AL WH AND GET TO A PLACE WHERE THEY UNRSTAND EACH OTHER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AE: IT’S AN IMPORTANT TOPIC TO TAKE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LL: AND I SAID TO GLAAD YTERDAY, RATHER THAN N PICKG, WHY DON’T WE ALL OPEN A DIALOGUE AND DO SOMETHG POSIVE? LET’S DO SOMETHG THAT CHANG PEOPLE’S PERCEPTNS. LET’S REALLY DO SOMETHG THAT’S REALLY PRODUCTIVE AND THE MORE WE NPICK, THE MORE CHALLENGG THGS BEE, I THK, AND DON’T ADVANCE OUR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

As an alternative to the moralizg, anti-gay shamg and blamg that people wh AIDS faced the ’80s and ’90s, the ll to heal onelf by lovg onelf offered, for some gay men, a longed-for shift mdset, even if the implied flt still lay wh. This is part of the reason why some gay men who remember Williamson’s teachgs the ’80s and ’90s are disturbed to see young queer people, many of whom have no knowledge of Williamson’s AIDS-related work, embracg her personal-over-polil paradigm, even fun.

Kriste Stolakis directed and produced Pray Away, a Netflix documentary spired by her uncle’s experience that tak viewers si the history and current state of the “pray the gay away” or “ex-gay” movement, which she lls “a movement of hurt people hurtg other people, of ternalized homophobia and transphobia wield outward. It seeks to end nversn therapy by passg laws to protect LGBTQ children and adults, fights urtrooms to ensure their safety, and rais awarens about the practice’s ’s nversn therapy, om age 16 to 21, clud separatn om his mother and sisters for three years “based on the false belief that beg gay is ed by a man beg too close to his mother or other female relativ.

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