I Am An Ex Gay

MYTH:

I am an ex gay. You can be too!
There's no harm in trying to be straight.

TRUTH:

Sure. Right. We believe you! Not.

The ex-gay movement is perhaps the most dangerous movement to gay people that there is, in more ways than you might think.

Some notes:

• Ex-gay movements destroy people's lives and breaks apart families.
  In The Life have made an excellent documentary depicting various instances of the harm this idea does.
  
  
• It spreads mis-information about homosexuality.
  Especially the lie that your sexual orientation is a choice.
  
  
• It simply doesn't work.
  We've written about several instances of people denying their sexual orientation, being caught in the act. Instead of admitting that they're not straight, they choose to hide behind a blanket of regret and human fallacy in the hope of forgiveness.
  
  
• It kills people.
  We're not talking about suicide here. Ideas like those of ex-gay Richard Cohen (we're so willing to place a bet there) and Rick Warren actually influence people and governments to push ideas, practises and laws that not only take gay people's rights away, but in the case of Uganda, take their lives (although these individuals haven't pulled the trigger, they certainly left behind some smoke).

So, back to the "you can be straight too!" line. We simply know this as one of the stickiest myths out there. Jonathan Jones from Queer Life doesn't either. He begins by telling Richard Cohen' story:

"I watched the telly with great interest when Rachel Maddow interviewed ex-gay Richard Cohen on her show. Richard was an out gay man who came to Christianity in his earlier life and believes that Jesus gave him the power to be free of his homosexuality and thus ever since has traveled about telling other gays the 'good news' which has led thousands of people away from the homosexual 'lifestyle.' "

Read the rest of his article here.