Exodus International is "the largest Christian referral and information ministry" in the ex-gay movement, "promoting the message of Freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ." Exodus partner ministries offer reparative therapy, prayer, and other techniques to attempt to change the sexual orientation of homosexuals to heterosexuality. Exodus doesn't believe same-sex desires have a genetic basis, but instead are changeable and mask an underlying issue, like abuse and neglect from early development. The ex-gay or exodus movement claims that homosexuals can become heterosexual or otherwise leave homosexuality behind through counselling, prayer, and other therapies if they choose to do so. ... Reparative therapy (also known as conversion, reorientation or differentiation therapy), is any of several techniques that are aimed at changing the sexual orientation of a person with same gender attractions to heterosexuality. ... Mary Magdalene in prayer. ... Sexual orientation describes the direction of an individuals sexuality, often in relation to their own sex or gender. ... Homosexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by esthetic attraction, romantic love, or sexual desire exclusively for another of the same sex. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

Founded in 1976, it is a non-profit, interdenominational Christian organization which has grown to include over 120 local ministries in the USA and Canada and over 150 ministries in 17 countries.^[1] Exodus's system of support is composed of a church, a therapist and a support group. The group also has monthly newsletters, annual conferences, speaking engagements and web services. Alan Chambers is the current president of Exodus. When used to refer to the bringing together of different faiths, Interdenominationalism is sometimes refered to as Universalism Interdenominational Churches built for the purpose of bringing together Christians of different denominations are often refered to as Union churchs. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... // Psychotherapy is a range of techniques which use only dialogue and communication and which are designed to improve the mental health of a client or patient, or to improve group relationships (such as in a family). ... Support groups exist to combat or legitimise conditions or behaviours. ...

Criticism

Reparative therapy, which is any therapy aimed at changing the sexual orientation of a patient, has come under much criticism in recent years. There is no solid evidence that it works, and many psychologists believe it may be harmful, particularly to young people. The American Psychiatric Association's official position statement on the issue states "In the last four decades, "reparative" therapists have not produced any rigorous scientific research to substantiate their claims of cure. Until there is such research available, APA recommends that ethical practitioners refrain from attempts to change individuals' sexual orientation, keeping in mind the medical dictum to first, do no harm." ^[2] Reparative therapy (also known as conversion, reorientation or differentiation therapy), is any of several techniques that are aimed at changing the sexual orientation of a person with same gender attractions to heterosexuality. ... Sexual orientation describes the direction of an individuals sexuality, often in relation to their own sex or gender. ... The American Psychiatric Association is a professional organization of psychiatrists whose members are American and international physicians who are trained in psychiatry. ...

Groups that reject the idea of reparative therapy include The National Association of Social Workers, The American Psychological Association, The American Psychiatric Association, The American Counseling Association, and The American Academy of Pediatrics. ^[3] The National Association of Social Workers, or NASW is the largest organization of professional social workers in the United States. ... The American Psychological Association (APA) is a professional organization representing psychology in the US. It has around 150,000 members and an annual budget of around $70m. ... The American Psychiatric Association is a professional organization of psychiatrists whose members are American and international physicians who are trained in psychiatry. ... The American Counseling Association (ACA) is a non-profit, professional organization that is dedicated to the counseling profession. ... The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is an organization of pediatricians. ...

Controversy

Exodus International's first scandal occurred in 1979 when Michael Bussee (one of the five co-founding members who had helped organize the 1976 conference that led to Exodus' inception) left the group to be with Gary Cooper, a volunteer at the local Exodus ministry where they both worked, who was also volunteering for the first Exodus conference. Later they held a life commitment ceremony. Their story is one of the focuses of the documentary One Nation Under God (1993), directed by Teodoro Maniaci and Francine Rzeznik. A scandal is a widely publicized incident involving allegations of wrong-doing, disgrace, or moral outrage. ...

Exodus claims to have helped hundreds of thousands of ex-gay men and lesbians, however the claim hasn't been certified by an independent audit. To date, Exodus has also declined to release any information on what the estimate is based upon, or how the program success rate is measured.

Paulk Affair

Exodus International’s most recent and damaging scandal involved John Paulk who became the public face for the organization in its 1998 marketing push to promote its programs. Paulk became active in Focus on the Family and was also the elected chairman of the board of Exodus International North America. A former prostitute and drag queen, Paulk and his wife Anne (nee Edward), a self-described "former lesbian," enjoyed high profile publicity for their work with Exodus and as examples of "ex-gays" from their program. John Paulk (b. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF), founded in 1977, is a Christian non-profit organization based in the United States. ... Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ... Drag queens Luc DArcy and Jerry Cyr and friend at Montreals 2003 Divers/Cité pride parade. ...

Also in 1998, Paulk’s personal life story (written with the help of Tony Marco) entitled Not Afraid to Change was published by Winepress Publishing. In the book, Paulk told of his "gay origins" while a student at Ohio State University, his career as a prostitute and his habit of lying, all of which he claims were eliminated when he "gave his life to Christ." The book enjoyed success with Christian readers and leaders who held the book as a testament to the "power of Christ" in helping turn around lives. The Ohio State University (OSU) is a coeducational public research university in the U.S. state of Ohio. ...

On September 19, 2000 while on a speaking tour, Paulk was identified drinking and flirting at Mr. P's, a Washington DC gay bar, giving his name as "John Clint", one he had used in his days as a hustler in Ohio. A patron recognized him and contacted Wayne Besen, an employee of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay political action organization. When Besen arrived at the bar forty minutes later and confronted "John Clint", he denied that he was in fact John Paulk. Upon exiting the bar, Paulk's picture was taken as documentation that he had been in the bar. When confronted by Besen about the incident and the photographs, Paulk admitted being in the bar, but stated that he didn’t know it was a gay bar and had simply stopped in for a moment to use the restroom. However, eyewitnesses reported that Paulk stayed for more than an hour, flirted with other men, and when questioned about his sexuality, said he was gay (see Besen's book Anything But Straight). Flag Seal Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ... Wayne Besen is a gay rights advocate in the United States. ... HRC logo The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is one of the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equal rights organization in the United States. ...

Paulk was called back to Focus on the Family headquarters and was questioned by Dr. James Dobson. At first Paulk reportedly evaded a direct answer about the incident; however he later confessed that he had been in the bar for the purpose of flirting. Paulk was placed on probation, and was chaperoned on future speaking engagements to ensure that he had "support" in the event that he needed it. Dobson also removed Paulk from the Board Chair position of Exodus International. He remained on the board under probationary status only and was not allowed to attend meetings or vote. An Exodus press release soon after was openly critical of him: James Dobson, Ph. ... Flirting is a form of human interaction, usually expressing a sexual or romantic interest in the other person. ...

John's actions represent a serious lapse in sound judgment. His decision to enter a gay establishment for any reason opens him up to all kinds of speculation by both other Exodus leaders and also the gay community.

The incident received national headlines in newspapers and news magazines and raised questions about the program and its choice in leadership. Paulk eventually left his job at Focus on the Family and moved with his family to Oregon, where he is a full-time personal chef. Official language(s) None Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 9th  - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 2. ...

Billboard Parody Controversy

On March 2, 2006, Liberty Counsel, a law firm acting on behalf of Exodus International, sent cease-and-desist letters^[4][5] to Justin Watt, who blogs at Justinsomnia, and Mike Airhart, who blogs at Ex-Gay Watch. The letters "insist[ed]" that Watt and Airhart "immediately cease use" of an edited photograph on their respective blogs "or in any other form" which parodied an Exodus billboard. The original billboard image, obtained from Exodus's website, consisted of the message "Gay? Unhappy? www.exodus.to" while the parody image, created by Watt in September 2005, showed the same sign, substantially cropped, with the text altered to read "Straight? Unhappy? www.gay.com." Liberty Counsel is a legal organization dedicated to advancing its organizers conceptions of religious freedom the sanctity of human life and the traditional family. ... Cease-and-desist is a legal term meaning essentially stop: It is used in demands for a person or organization to stop doing something (to cease and desist from doing it). ...

The following excerpt from Watt's cease-and-desist letter details Exodus's rationale for the request. The letter mentions Wikipedia because Watt had cited the Wikipedia entry on fair use in posting his parody. For fair use in trademark law, see Fair use (US trademark law). ...

"You appear to believe that the stolen image is exempt from federal intellectual property laws as a 'parody' due to 'fair use.' Unfortunately, the intricacies of federal law cannot adequately be covered on 'Wikipedia' due to the variety of facts addressed by courts in numerous cases. Your use of the image is indeed a violation of copyright law and is not covered by 'fair use.'"

In response, Watt contacted the ACLU, who took his defense and responded to the cease-and-desist letter^[6] in partnership with the law firm of Fenwick & West LLP. According to reports in The New York Times^[7] and USA Today,^[8] Exodus decided against pursuing further legal action once the Exodus logo was removed from the parody. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a major American non-profit organization with headquarters in New York City, whose stated mission is to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.[1] It...

Exodus today

Although Exodus does not provide any verifiable statistics on its success rate, its website does feature a number of testimonials, including one by former Executive Director Bob Davies.

Davies says he has found comfort in non-sexual friendships with heterosexual men, especially from the Church. "All my life I had felt so inferior to other men. But through same-sex affirmation, I slowly began to feel more like 'one of the guys.' Another root which fed my homosexual desires was being cut."

Davies also describes how he met and married a woman from his church. He says he's not deterred by the "many more battles" ahead because of Jesus. "Through His death for me, the war has already been won."

See also

• Christian Right
• Conservatism
• Ex-gay

It has been suggested that Conservative Christianity be merged into this article or section. ... Conservatism is a political philosophy that generally favors free markets, traditional values and strong foreign defense. ... The ex-gay or exodus movement claims that homosexuals can become heterosexual or otherwise leave homosexuality behind through counselling, prayer, and other therapies if they choose to do so. ...

References

1. ^ Exodus International. Retrieved on 2006-05-04.
2. ^ COPP Position Statement on Therapies Focused on Attempts to Change Sexual Orientation (Reparative or Conversion Therapies) American Psychatric Association, March 2000
3. ^ Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth: A Primer for Principals, Educators and School Personnel 1999, American Psychological Association
4. ^ My first cease-and-desist letter. Justinsomnia (2006-03-02). Retrieved on 2006-04-18.
5. ^ Liberty counsel threatens to sue over Exodus parody. Ex-Gay Watch (2006-03-02). Retrieved on 2006-04-18.
6. ^ A response to Liberty. Justinsomnia (2006-03-22). Retrieved on 2006-04-18.
7. ^ Miller, Lia. "Both sides in parody dispute agree on a term: Unhappy", New York Times, 2006-03-27, p. C7. Retrieved on 2006-04-18.
8. ^ Swartz, Jon. "Christian group backs off case against blog parody", USA Today, 2006-03-23. Retrieved on 2006-04-18.

2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (109th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (109th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 22 is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (109th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (109th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (109th in leap years). ...

Sources

Besen, Wayne, Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth The Haworth Press, Inc. (2003) ISBN 1-56023-445-8 (hardcover) ISBN 1-56023-446-6 (paperback)

Carlson, Margaret , Praying Away the Gay , Time Magazine, July, 27, 1998. She has appeared as a panelist on the CNN political programs Inside Politics and The Capital Gang, is on the staff at Time Magazine and writes a weekly column for the Los Angeles Times. ... (Clockwise from upper left) Time magazine covers from May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ...

John Paulk (with Tony Marco) Not Afraid to Change: The remarkable story of how one man overcame homosexuality Winepress Publishing (1998) ISBN 1-57921-097-X John Paulk (b. ...

External links

• Exodus International
• American Psychological Association on Reparative Therapy
• Ex-gay Watch - Collection of posts on Exodus