Response rally today (WA) at church that held Focus on the Family

[freeplessinseattle]

"Love Won Out" event. Organized by a woman who changed her opinion of homosexuality and broke from her fundamentalist church after her lesbian daughter committed suicide.


/Mary Lou Wallner acknowledges that some people consider her strong. After all, she broke with her own fundamentalist upbringing and her church's doctrine in the months following her lesbian daughter's suicide.

But Wallner knows the limits of her fortitude. She reached it while standing outside the recent "Love Won Out" conference in Bothell, sponsored by the group Focus on the Family. While she was happy to offer attendees alternative ideas about the nature of homosexuality --that Christian-based therapy won't "cure" it -- she said she simply couldn't walk inside and listen to a message that she once held as gospel truth.

"I don't think I could sit there for eight hours and listen to that anymore," she said. "I'm a Christian and I don't believe that my daughter was living in sin."

Wallner's story is one of the focus points of today's "Love Welcomes All" counterrally at the Newport Presbyterian Church in Bellevue. Organizers said the conference is a direct response to the "Won Out" session two weeks ago


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/231937_pflag09.html

[murielm99]

1. I wonder about the people who work for Dobson, or any

fundy groups who claim to be former homosexuals.

What does that mean? Has anyone ever questioned those people? Are they people who experimented with homosexuality briefly? Did they live in committed long-term homosexual relationships? Who are they? Have any of them ever recanted their conversions to heterosexuality?

I feel sorry for this woman. But I am more sorry for her daughter. I have a Lesbian daughter. I simply cannot imagine rejecting her and breaking her heart and spirit.

[freeplessinseattle]

2. This woman "read everything Dobson ever wrote"

and "didn't treat her very well." by her own admission. Now she is ashamed for shaming her daughter. It's a shame that it took her daughter's death to open her eyes, and heart. I'm wondering if she encouraged (to put it mildly) her to consider that she was just "going through a phase" or whatever the Dobsonites call homosexuality, which would have left her feeling more conflicted than ever, I'm sure her mom threw every vile Dobson drivel in her direction, which must have hurt and confused her greatly. I would like to hear from the converts in a few years and administer a psychological stress test of some sort, I'll bet they carry around an unconscious, or conscious, burden that wears.

[Kipepeo]

8. "Love in Action" is another ex-gay program

The Republic of T has the sort of background yuo're looking for on their "success" rates:

http://www.republicoft.com/index.php/archives/2005/06/28/love-in-action-investigation-concludes/

** Love in Action was founded in 1973 by John Evans, a gay man, and Rev. Kent Philpott, a heterosexual preacher

** In 1974, Philpott wrote an influential ex-gay book called “The Third Sex?” featuring the testimonies of six people who said they had prayed away the gay. It later turned out that none of the people whose stories were featured had changed.

** Soon after The Third Sex? is published, key Love in Action participant Jack McIntyre commits suicide because he was unable to change from gay to straight. In his suicide note he writes, “To continually go before God and ask forgiveness and make promises you know you can’t keep is more than I can take.”

** After McIntyre’s death, co-founder John Evans drops out and renounces the group as a sham. He dedicated his life to helping people escape the ex-gay trap.

** Love In Action’s Director John Smid admits his group is useless. “I am not totally healed from homosexuality. It is part of my emotional, physical and spiritual history,” Smid wrote. “It will not be erased as though it did not exist. I still struggle at times…I still shut down with my wife at times. I periodically have sexual thoughts regarding men.”

** In 2000, Love In Action’s youngest graduate and spokesman Wade Richards, comes out of the closet and condemns ministry as a fraud. Today, he is a gay activist today and appeared in the wonderful (Five Stars) movie, Fish Can’t Fly.

** On Sept. 19, 2000, Love In Action’s most famous graduate and ex-gay poster boy John Paulk is photographed in a gay bar in Washington, DC

[Larissa238]

3. Its sad...

I used to go to a fundie church, and they had a "Homosexual Recovery" ministry, and I was in it. It was basically us trying to talk about our problems and get over it. I know people there who said that no matter what they were told, or what they did, they would never be happy with a member of the opposite sex. They stay in the church, try to accept the fact that they will be alone the rest of their lives, and thats it. Most people I know from there eventually left, and found acceptance in other places. What I dont understand is that if God is love, why would he deny gays and lesbians to love? Its almost like He is denying up part of Him.

[Scottie72]

4. Ny cousin is a evangilacal christian minister

Since I have been sick he has called me. Last time he called he told me that "he wanted to talk about more eternal things". Now I am a Christian but not in the manner he wants me to be. I told him that no matter what I am going to be fine. For those who haven't read about it I am in treatment for brain cancer. I love him to death but I just wish he would call me just to talk.

[freeplessinseattle]

5. I'm sorry to hear that, it's devastating enough

what you are going through without having that judgemental garbage plied on you. I am sending you healing thoughts.

[Maat]

6. Sending healing and strength energy your way!

Blessings and vital health to you, Scottie.

Keep around the positive, and short circuit the negative.

Peace,

[sakabatou]

7. So many LIA -like stories...