Ex-Gays Face Increasing Harassment

By Mike Hatfield

May 29, 2008 - Bart Allen is a name that most people haven't heard before. No one has made traveling plays about his tragic death nor have there been TV movies made about him nor hate crime legislation named in his honor.

Bart Allen's name, however, should be widely known and mourned. He was in the process of leaving the homosexual lifestyle when he was strangled and murdered by his gay roommate.

Allen's parents, Joe and Marion, founded Hope for the Broken Heart after his tragic murder at the hands of his gay lover. They have spoken at Exodus International events.

When Bart was struggling with unwanted homosexual feelings, he sought out a counselor for help. The counselor, however, told him he was born gay. According to Joe and Marion, "When Bart came out of her office, he looked like he had been given a death sentence. I know this lady did not realize what she was doing ... but she had told him he was born gay. She told him we were doing him an injustice by telling him this was wrong and he needed to go back [to the homosexual lifestyle].

Bart Allen did go back to homosexuality, but he couldn't accept it. His lover, however, refused to accept the fact that Bart wanted to leave homosexuality behind. While Bart was asleep, his partner strangled him to death with a dog leash.

Bart Allen's story is an extreme, but more and more ex-gays are reporting being targeted for ridicule or violence for openly leaving homosexual behaviors. In addition, professional groups are being pressured to remain silent about the possibility of change.

Regina Griggs, executive director of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays says her organization and staff members have been repeatedly attacked because of their message: there are ex-gays.

PFOX members were assaulted at the Arlington County Fair in 2007 for distributing literature sharing hope for those with unwanted SSA.

The American Psychiatric Association was recently pressured into cancelling a seminar on the role of faith among gays and heterosexuals.

Oklahoma legislator Sally Kern has come under withering attacks by gay activists for vocally rejecting homosexuality as a fixed condition.

Stephen Black is an Oklahoman who has struggled with unwanted SSA. He doesn't like referring to himself as "ex-gay" but he confirms that there is growing evidence of widespread harassment of individuals who openly reject a gay identity.

According to Black: "Ex-gays are in fact, afraid to make themselves known. I have met with MANY people who are influential in my community and others who have church communities that would make it very difficult to talk about their recovery from homosexuality. He continues:

Yet there is even a larger and growing threatening group of gay activists who are fueling the fire of fear and oppression in our culture. They wish to silence the freedom of choice when it comes to leaving homosexuality. The idea of leaving homosexuality is very threatening to their gay insecure existence and their political agendas."

***

There are growing numbers of political gay groups that are very disturbing to me. They are actual GAY hate groups who wish to silence the voices of ex-gays. These groups are like the brazenly named "Ex-Gay Watch" and their club of bloggers who use hatefully sarcastic words in addressing ex-gays. There are even more radical groups that are extra hateful with their narcissistic sarcasms which reveal vicious vitriol fueled by people like Wayne Besen.

There are extremist individuals on both sides of the issue of homosexuality. Some radicals such as Fred Phelps demonize gays; gay groups are now treating ex-gays to the same campaign of vilification practiced by Phelps and his ilk. NARTH rejects both extremes.

A person struggling with unwanted homosexual feelings and behaviors should not have to fear "coming out" of homosexuality or being ridiculed for embracing a heterosexual identity. Yet, that is what is occurring. As more and more scientific truths are revealed about the origins of homosexual feelings, the uglier this situation may become for those who wish to leave homosexuality behind.

It would appear that, according to gay orthodoxy, you can embrace a gay identity, but once you do, you can't leave it without suffering ridicule or violence.