Anti-gay conversion group shuts down, issues apology

[Apelila]

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...,2132827.story

A controversial Christian ministry devoted to changing people "affected by homosexuality" announced Wednesday night that it was shutting its doors after operating for more than three decades.

The announcement by Exodus International came during its religious conference in Irvine and after its President Alan Chambers apologized to members of the gay community for "years of undue judgment by the organization and the Christian Church as a whole," the Florida-based ministry said in a statement.

"I am sorry I didn't stand up to people publicly 'on my side' who called you names.... I am sorry I have communicated that you and your families are less than me and mine," Chambers said in his apology.

"More than anything, I am sorry that so many have interpreted this religious rejection by Christians as God's rejection. I am profoundly sorry that many have walked away from their faith and that some have chosen to end their lives."

Chambers said in a statement that the organization's directors voted to shut down Exodus and start a new ministry that would would work with other churches to create "safe, welcoming and mutually transforming communities.”

The apology
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l..._story_display

Good riddance, but I have wonder what prompted it.

[Apelila]

Oh dammit, can a mod change that to Anti-Gay conversion group? I realized after the post that would be more accurate.

[Not Kuno]

Haha that title was a bit confusing after reading. Fixed it for you.

[Cairthenn]

The gay conversion group didn't even get to have its moment!

[Andalusian girls]

that's pretty wonderful, wonder what brought on the sea change in tone and behavior from him. article said he'd been president for eleven years. better later than neverer but long time to realize you've been acting like a prick.

[BaneTheBrawler]

I, too, wonder what caused the change. And it sounds like they voted on it, too, so its not like its just one guy coming to his senses.

in any case, faith in humanity slightly restored

[Waraji]

They know something we don't.... :eyes on the supreme court:

[Apelila]

Actually I was talking to some friends, they're probably in CYA mode after California outlawed Gay Conversion therapy for kids. (Converting from gay to not gay, since like my post the name is a bit misleading)

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2...py-for-minors/

It took effect at the start of the year, and we're guessing that someone or multiple someones might be preparing to sue the hell out of them now that there is a legal standing for "This is wrong and you shouldn't have done it".

[mightyg]

Yeah I mean people repent and find God all the time. When was the last time you heard a christian publicly apologize when he/she didn't have to? Or anyone for that matter? On top of that this is supposedly an organization. Not one or two people having a change of heart. Hope they get sued anyways.

[Uzor]

I'm sure they were being investigated for fraud and decided to divide their assets before they get sued.

[Callisto]

fwiw the guy's explanation was that he was went on some panel or TV show or some shit with LGBT people who had tried 'conversion therapy' that more or less ruined their lives and he felt like an asshole after. To his credit shutting down if you're under suspicion is one thing, but if that were the reasoning that wouldn't really be a prompt to issue a public statement saying you were wrong, you would just shut down as low-key as possible.

[ringthree]

I read another article on Huffpost that said that a guy that worked closely with this guy for this company came out as gay, and he was like well, fuck it then. It's probably all of those factors and maybe more.

Either way, this is a profoundly good thing. I am pleased when people admit they are wrong (especially, how openly and honestly and completely this guy did) and do something good and welcoming. Sometimes if you are a douche, just saying you are sorry doesn't fix things, but in this case, apologizing and reversing policy can actually do good.

[Acevalefor]

I read another article on Huffpost that said that a guy that worked closely with this guy for this company came out as gay, and he was like well, fuck it then. It's probably all of those factors and maybe more.

Either way, this is a profoundly good thing. I am pleased when people admit they are wrong (especially, how openly and honestly and completely this guy did) and do something good and welcoming. Sometimes if you are a douche, just saying you are sorry doesn't fix things, but in this case, apologizing and reversing policy can actually do good.

While I agree with you that this place shutting down is a very good thing, I am not convinced they did it solely because of a change of heart.

I have a very personal connection to misguided "Christian" persecution. My father was shunned by his own parents when he told them he was gay after trying for many years to live up to their standards and moral beliefs. After 6 years of marriage he finally said fuck it and told his parents and his wife (my mom) he was gay. The results were heartbreaking and I did not see my dad for almost 10 years because of his parents' religious beliefs that led them to condemn him and turn a cold shoulder to him. It was not until 20 years later when he was dying that they felt guilty enough to do anything about the damage they caused to him. It was too little too late and wasn't grounded in a change in themselves. It was the love for their child and their own selfish need for him to love them in kind instead of a realization that they were wrong. My grandparents still hold to their misguided beliefs that gay people are less human and are going to burn in hell. Their own son dying with the knowledge that his parents could not accept him for who he was was still not enough to change their minds.

That is why I cannot accept that these people did this because they realize their beliefs were wrong. If anything, they shut down the ministry (I say ministry because that is how these conversion groups view themselves) because it didn't work and they finally realized that, not because it was wrong to try to convert gay to straight.

[ringthree]

While I agree with you that this place shutting down is a very good thing, I am not convinced they did it solely because of a change of heart.

I have a very personal connection to misguided "Christian" persecution. My father was shunned by his own parents when he told them he was gay after trying for many years to live up to their standards and moral beliefs. After 6 years of marriage he finally said fuck it and told his parents and his wife (my mom) he was gay. The results were heartbreaking and I did not see my dad for almost 10 years because of his parents' religious beliefs that led them to condemn him and turn a cold shoulder to him. It was not until 20 years later when he was dying that they felt guilty enough to do anything about the damage they caused to him. It was too little too late and wasn't grounded in a change in themselves. It was the love for their child and their own selfish need for him to love them in kind instead of a realization that they were wrong. My grandparents still hold to their misguided beliefs that gay people are less human and are going to burn in hell. Their own son dying with the knowledge that his parents could not accept him for who he was was still not enough to change their minds.

That is why I cannot accept that these people did this because they realize their beliefs were wrong. If anything, they shut down the ministry (I say ministry because that is how these conversion groups view themselves) because it didn't work and they finally realized that, not because it was wrong to try to convert gay to straight.

I don't know, we have nothing more than the articles about the guy to go on, and what he says in those interviews, but it is plainly clear that he said he was doing this because of the damage he was doing to gay people. Like I said, there may be other reasons, but those are the stated ones.

[dejet]

Good. Let's stop trying to make something good into a bad thing... holy hell.