Major Group Devoted to 鈥楥uring鈥� Gay People to Shut Down
The anti-gay movement, which has faced a series of legal and public relations defeats in recent years, was dealt yet another blow on June 19, when Exodus International, a prominent religious-right group devoted to so-called 鈥渃onversion鈥� therapy (meant to help individuals 鈥渙vercome鈥� their 鈥渦nwanted same-sex attraction鈥�), announced it would be shutting its doors.
鈥淓xodus is an institution in the conservative Christian world, but we鈥檝e ceased to be a living, breathing organism,鈥� Exodus President Alan Chambers wrote on the group鈥檚 website. 鈥淔or quite some time, we鈥檝e been imprisoned in a worldview that鈥檚 neither honoring toward our fellow human beings, nor biblical.鈥�
Speaking at a conference at the same time his online statement went up, Chambers said, 鈥淲e are not going to control people any more. We鈥檙e not going to tell them how to live.鈥� He continued: 鈥淲e fought the culture, and we鈥檝e lost. 鈥� We believe it鈥檚 time for the church to open its doors and let the marginalized in.鈥�
Exodus had been struggling for some time. It was forced to cut its staff in 2010, and in November 2011, Chambers called together Exodus鈥� leaders, religious supporters and lay people to discuss ways of keeping the organization financially solvent and socially relevant. During a January 2012 panel discussion sponsored by the Gay Christian Network, Chambers admitted that so-called 鈥渃onversion therapy鈥� is all but useless, saying, 鈥淭he majority of people that I have met, and I would say the majority meaning 99.9% of them, have not experienced a change in their orientation.鈥�
A few months later, respected psychiatrist Robert Spitzer repudiated his own controversial 2001 study, which for years had been cited by anti-gay groups as 鈥減roof鈥� that sexual orientation can be changed. In May 2012, after years of declining attendance, Exodus canceled its annual 鈥淟ove Won Out鈥� conference, citing lack of registration.
While LGBT rights advocates celebrated Exodus鈥� admission of defeat, the group鈥檚 erstwhile allies wept and gnashed their teeth. Responding to Exodus鈥� closure, Focus on the Family President Jim Daly (who actually has been moving his organization in a more moderate direction) compared same-sex attraction to 鈥渓ust, adultery, [and] pornography addiction,鈥� and said Focus still has 鈥渉ope for those who struggle sexually.鈥� The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, a prominent source of anti-gay junk science, distanced itself from Exodus with a press release seeking to 鈥渁ffirm鈥� the value of ex-gay therapy and describing Exodus as nothing more than a 鈥減ublic relations voice and referral clearing house.鈥� And Christopher Doyle, president of the ex-gay group Voice of the Voiceless, called on Chambers to apologize for throwing 鈥渄aggers 鈥� at the ex-gay community.鈥�
Exodus wasn鈥檛 the only 鈥渆x-gay鈥� group to suffer in recent months. Voice of the Voiceless declared July 2013 to be the 鈥淔irst Annual Ex-Gay Pride Month,鈥� but despite enthusiastic flyers and the announced expectation that 鈥渢housands鈥� would participate, it was reported that fewer than 10 people showed up for a July 31 鈥淓x-Gay Pride鈥� event in Washington. (The group has since rallied 鈥� sort of 鈥� and declared September 2013 to be Ex-Gay Awareness Month.)
