A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013

Educate the media: Update on responding to the “ex-gay” conference

Alaska’s GLBT community will respond when the anti-gay Love Won Out seminar comes to Anchorage on Sept. 13. GLBT and progressive groups are planning events to educate the media and the community.

Wayne Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out, is coming to Anchorage to oppose the notorious “ex-gay” event.

“Love Won Out distorts gay life and conflates stereotypes with science, while selling false hope to vulnerable people,” said Besen. “We are looking forward to working with Alaskan advocacy groups to counter Focus on the Family’s false and destructive messages.”

The Anchorage Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) is hosting two events with Besen. He will present a workshop at the Thursday night Soul Food gathering on Sept. 11 ($6, dinner at 6:30, workshop around 7 p.m.) and will speak at the worship service on Sunday, Sept. 14 (service begins at 2 p.m.)

The Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (AUUF) offered to host an event, and other GLBT-welcoming churches expressed support.

Celtic Diva announced Bloggers Diversity Week, with GLBT Day on Sept. 12, the day before the ex-gay conference. Other Alaskan bloggers have signed on.

Seventy-two people voted in the “How should we respond?” survey here on Bent Alaska! Fifty nine (81%) voted to “Educate the media and community with a presentation or forum.” Twenty-eight (38%) chose to “Show films on the damage done by the ex-gay lies.” Twenty-six (36%) want to “Protest outside the church during the conference.” And nine (12%) said “Don’t bother, just ignore them.”

A sample of the comments I received from community members are posted here: Your Words.

I’ll continue to post updates on our response, on the blog and in the Alaska GLBT News email newsletter.

Your words: Comments on responding to the “ex-gays”

I got mail! Here is a sample of comments from the Anchorage GLBT community on how we should respond when the “ex-gay” circus comes to town:

Sigh. Don’t give them the time of day. We survived Phelps in town, this too will soon be forgotten. On second thought, we should protest it. So some gays who feel bad about themselves don’t get pulled into another cult… ~ Michael

I’m on the ‘educational forum with media involvement’ front. I watched the video on Celtic Diva’s site on the protestors in Orlando and that has made me think more about what a peaceful protest might bring – the opportunity for the young people and their parents who are in turmoil to see that other folks out there are just like them and they are happy, successful individuals. I was also thinking that some sort of panel discussion might be beneficial. Perhaps 4 or 5 GLBT or GLBT-friendly folks who are willing to talk about being gay or having a child who is gay. Not recruiting, but giving the facts. I don’t really know what to do, I just know that this will harm so many kids and adults, and I want to help prevent that. ~ Lori

I strongly feel that the showing of the films and the education of the media are both great ideas, however, only those who are already supportive of the LGBT community will participate. I do not feel that these methods will be most effective singularly. I feel strongly that a protest is in order to raise attention followed by a forum to educate the public. The two ideas combined together would be much more productive than one in and of itself. Thank you for your time and your continued effort to unite our community. ~ Jessica

I think it’s best not to give the Ex-Gay Movement any free press unless they get so much publicity that it becomes necessary for people within the LGBT movement to respond. So far, I haven’t seen any kind of press coverage besides announcements. And as long as it’s this quiet, I’d rather people not know they’re in town. Any big action on our part will certainly give them more attention than they deserve. ~ (name withheld)

What about some couples actually going to the conference and/or church service and holding hands, putting our arms around each other, kissing. You know, like a happy gay couple. We wouldn’t even have to say a thing. It wouldn’t even have to be actual couples–just people who could act like couples. Just an idea. I have always wanted to go to Prevo’s church with my boyfriend and kiss during the sermon! ~ Peter

I strongly recommend that we not protest outside the Abbot Loop church. I appreciated what was done several years ago when another anti-gay group chose to protest MCC. Several LGBT-welcoming church groups went from church to church to show their solidarity for MCC. I don’t believe we should protest Abbot Loop because it is a house of worship… We should be the better, stronger folk and refrain from stooping to the level of those who seek to harm our community. Organize another multi-denominational protest among the gay and lesbian friendly churches, and invite the media to follow as members travel from church service to church service in support of LGBT people, our friends, and relatives. This will steal the thunder from those who twist the words of Christ to suit their own fear-driven, money-focused, war-happy agenda. ~ Jeanette

"Balancing" Prejudice – The Fine Art of Challenging Bigotry

Educate the press about anti-gay groups, and they will use that knowledge to frame better stories.

Be respectful and family-positive if we do anything at the church on the day of the conference.

Hold outreach and media workshops during the year, not only as a reaction to specific anti-gay events.

Participate in community diversity events and build alliances with civil rights and progressive groups.

Share the truth of our lives with the wider community, and they will learn to see us as friends, neighbors and co-workers, not as sins.

Be creative – use this as another opportunity to celebrate our families, our communities and our personal freedom as openly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people.

One in Three Same-Sex Couples in Alaska Have Children?

"Bloggers Diversity Week" and Other Good Ideas

"Pirates of the Carrots & Beans" – PFLAG at the Tanana Valley Fair

This Week in GLBT Alaska: 8/8-8/14

How Many Happy Meals Does It Take to Change a Homophobe?

“Hatred has no place in our culture,” said McDonald’s USA spokesman Bill Whitman. “That includes McDonald’s, and we stand by and support our people to live and work in a society free of discrimination and harassment.”

“McDonald’s is associated with countless local and national affinity groups. . . . We have a well-established and proud heritage of associating with individuals and organizations that share the belief that every person has the right to live and work in a community free of discrimination.”

Challenging the “ex-gay” lies: How will we respond?

The controversial evangelical groups Focus on the Family and Exodus International are targeting Anchorage for their next “Ex-Gay” Conference on September 13. Their “ministry” is teaching gays and lesbians how to ‘pray away the gay.’ They use harmful and ineffective therapies on young adults struggling with same-sex attractions, and convince religious parents that their gay kids can become heterosexual and be saved.

The conference is also designed to show religious conservatives how to oppose LGBT civil rights without sounding like haters, and to swamp the local media with fake science and outright lies that support a homophobic political agenda. Read more about the conference sessions and goals.

So, how will Alaska’s LGBT communities and allies respond: ignore them? protest? hold counter-events?

Here is a list of recent actions taken by other communities, ideas from organizations that challenge the “ex-gay” myths, and suggestions for connecting our actions with larger events that are happening at the same time:

• PFLAG Florida held a silent protest at the Love Won Out “Ex-Gay” Conference in Orlando on June 7. Watch the moving PFLAG video of the parents sharing their reasons for joining the protest.
• Equality Asheville and a coalition of state and local organizations held a week of events with the theme “You’re Fine Just the Way You Are” to counteract the Exodus International conference in North Carolina, July 15-20. Two Unitarian Universalist Churches and the public library showed the films “For the Bible Tells Me So” and “Fish Can’t Fly” followed by discussions led by pastors. On Saturday, PFLAG hosted a Real-Families Picnic.
• The kickoff event in Asheville was a presentation on Challenging the “Ex-Gay” Theory by Wayne Besen, Director of Truth Wins Out and author of “Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth.” Besen, a nationally known expert exposing “the Big Lie” of ex-gay programs, has been on every program from CNN to the Daily Show and has agreed to bring his presentation to Anchorage.
• Besen can also help organize an educational forum or press conference with experts on the ex-gay myth, affirming pastors who talk about homosexuality and the Bible, parents who unconditionally accept their GLBT children, and former “ex-gays” who were damaged by their experiences in these groups.
• The September 13 de-gaying conference falls during the Mayor’s Diversity Month, when the diverse local communities in Anchorage are encouraged “to host events that combat bias and promote a respect for diversity.” Our educational events will fit that description and can be connected to the Diversity Month program.
• That weekend is also the beginning of Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights ’08, coordinated by Atticus Circle and Soulforce, “a national event that provides straight Americans with opportunities to do justice, and motivates new allies to stand up and be counted for equality. Seven Straight Nights consists of nighttime vigils led by straight allies during the week of September 14-20. The vigils are led by families, individuals, or groups, and focus on their personal decision to speak out on behalf of LGBT equality.” This is another opportunity to challenge the ex-gay lies and connect our actions to a larger event.

What should we do? With all these options, and experienced leaders willing to help, should we ignore the “ex-gay” conference and allow their lies to go unchallenged? Vote in the poll (in the right-hand column), post a comment with your suggestions, and help organize our response as a community!

“Ex-gay” roadshow targets Anchorage

As if the gloomy weather wasn’t bad enough, the “ex-gays” are coming to town. The anti-gay groups Focus on the Family and Exodus International are bringing their de-gaying conference to Anchorage’s Abbott Loop Community Church on September 13, 2008.