Ex-ex-gay

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The term ex-ex-gay is used to describe people who at one time participated in the ex-gay movement in an attempt to change their sexual orientation to heterosexual, but who then later went on to publicly acknowledge their sexual orientation as falling under the LGBT umbrella. People who participate in the ex-gay movement are predominantly American evangelical Christians. Ex-ex-gay people may publicly declare to have ended the attempt to change their sexual orientation to heterosexuality, and to have embraced their sexual orientation as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer.

Evangelical organizations such as Exodus International offer programming that they refer to as "reparative therapy", with the claim that an LGBT person's involvement in the programming can change their sexual orientation to heterosexual. This type of programming is opposed by many major medical organizations, including The National Association of Social Workers, The American Psychological Association, The American Psychiatric Association, The American Counseling Association, and The American Academy of Pediatrics. ^[1] The American Psychiatric Association describes reparative therapy as ineffective at changing sexual orientation, and as harmful to the LGBT person's well-being^[2]^[3]. Those who renounce the ex-gay movement often go one step further in describing these methods, referring to them as brainwashing.

Two publicly ex-ex-gay people are Günter Baum and Peterson Toscano.

In the span of eighteen years, eight of the Exodus International ministries have dissolved because the director returned to homosexuality.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth: A Primer for Principals, Educators and School Personnel 1999, American Psychological Association
^ http://www.psych.org/psych_pract/copptherapyaddendum83100.cfm Position Statement on Therapies Focused on Attempts to Change Sexual Orientation
^ http://www.apa.org/topics/orientation.html American Psychiatric Association - Q and A format

[edit] External links

"Wayne Besen", ex-ex-gay author of Anything But Straight
Official site of Anything But Straight
Soulforce -- "Freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered from religious and political oppression..."
Evangelicals Concerned - Western Region -- "Creating safe places for GLBT Christians." (National site at Evangelicals Concerned)
J. G. Ford -- "Reparative Therapy -- A Pseudoscience"