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Battle with Benefactor said Caused by Money Issues 'Religious Ecstasy Cure' Groups Sincerity Questioned |
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By John Aravosis Wired Strategies
In the past, FRC has helped the ex-gays by backing ad campaigns, among other projects. Falzarano also reportedly told Besen that the ex-gays are planning a new "billboard campaign" to promote their cause. Confirming a story reported here Wednesday, Besen says Falzarano admitted he was in fact "barred" from the recent Exodus International conference in Wheaton, Illinois. Exodus is the nation's largest ex-gay umbrella organization, somewhat notorious for two of its male founders subsequently falling in love and marrying each other.
Yet Falzarano's staff told Wired Strategies Wednesday that the Exodus incident was far more serious, and that the P-FOX head was in fact "barred" from the conference and that he "wasn't allowed to go in." Falzarano nonetheless tried to minimize the apparent discord during today's phone call, attributing it to "growing pains" between the two ex-gay organizations. But HRC's Besen, a long-time observer of the ex-gay movement, believes the situation is much graver than Falzarano is letting on. "Falzarano being barred from Exodus is like Clinton getting banned from the Democratic Convention," said Besen this morning, "there's more to this story than the ex-gays would have us know." Besen also believes the spat between FRC and Falzarano is indicative of a wider falling out between the fringe-right and ex- gays. "The religious right created an ex-gay Frankenstein, and now that it's alive, they're not sure what to do," said Besen. "They know they're pumping money into something that doesn't work, but they have no choice," he said. "By taking the money away, they'd be admitting publicly that the ex-gays, and they, have failed. They're basically stuck with a pink elephant," he added. From the ex-gay perspective, Besen sees an equal amount of frustration. "The religious right seems far more willing to put money in to political ads than into the ex-gay groups themselves. "They're more interested in promoting the ex-gay theory than in actually helping gay people change, were it even possible," he added. Besen thinks that the religious right's focus on public relations instead of substance casts doubt on their motives. "This not only calls into question their sincerity about 'helping' gay people, but it makes one wonder whether they even believe gays can change at all," Besen concluded. |
