Former Gay Christian Educator Fights Homosexuality Issues at Schools

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Source: http://www.christianpost.com/articl..._fights_homosexuality_issues_at_schools/1.htm

Former Gay Christian Educator Fights Homosexuality Issues at Schools

A former homosexual, who is Christian, has taken a step further to address the sensitive issue over homosexuality by writing a booklet that provides information about homosexuality. The 20-page booklet called “The Homophobia Stops Here: Addressing the Ex-Gay Perspective in Public Schools” has its main focus on addressing ex-gay issues, discrimination against homosexuals, and the potential that all people have to change from homosexual to heterosexual. It is currently the only ex-gay resource available for public schools.

The booklet is written by Chad Thompson, founder of “Inqueery,” an organization which facilitates the development of tangible solutions to the problems faced by lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgendered, and ex-gay students on high school and college campuses, while presenting the possibility of change for those who desire this path.

Thompson said it is more common for Christians to address homosexuality as sin and only emphasize repentance instead of deeply looking into the actual struggles that gay and lesbian youth are facing and reaching out to help change their sexual orientation.

Thompson said, “We speak about the importance of ‘Repent or die’ and that kind of thing,” but he said even though Christian community opposes the homosexual lifestyle, it is time for the church to acknowledge and combat the “legitimate struggles being faced by gay and lesbian youth.”

According to Thompson, the booklet, which is the first publication from Inqueery, offers an unbiased look at research on finding “gay gene” and examines a number of theories about the development of sexual orientation. The booklet also discuses the potential of change for homosexual students who wish to change and at the same time it encourages treating homosexuals and ex-homosexuals with respect.

"The resource provides information about individuals who have overcome homosexuality," Thompson said, "and as far as I know it is the only ex-gay resource available for public schools right now. All of the other resources that have been created to address the issue of homosexuality in public schools are gay-affirming."

Thompson explained of the mixed reactions the curriculum has recieved from the homosexual community. "I think they're actually bewildered that I speak so much about the importance of treating gay and lesbian people with respect, and I speak against bullying, and I speak against homophobia. That's something they're not used to hearing from the Christian community," he said.

So far there are 5,000 copies of the booklet available in print and Thompson is planning to pass out the booklets to school teachers at the National Education Association’s upcoming annual convention in Washington, DC to encourage teachers to add the resource into their school curriculum.

Vivian S. Park
vivian@christianpost.com Copyright © 2004 The Christian Post.
 
Not what you see everyday in the paper, and a perspective that's rare, and often doubted. However, I do think this guy has a good cause, and fact is that gay students do feel unwelcome in public schools, and in society in general.
 
i think she's suggesting is that homosexuality is not something to be "overcome." these ex-gay things -- though this one seems well intentioned -- are generally a crock, and pretty much don't work. they may enable people to live lives of celibacy, but they don't take the jungle out of the tiger, so to speak. however, they are absolutely crucial to the Religious Right's discriminatory agenda because it hinges upon the debunked idea that homosexuality is learned, is not innate, and can be changed.

my question: using the same principles and techniques, could we start an ex-straight movement? what if there are straight guys out there who desperately want to be gay? can we change their sexuality as well?
 
I find it ironic that homosexuals getting married will destroy the sanctity of marriage, yet the right don't see the potential harm they are doing by telling them they need to convert. So you'll turn a few into "ex-gays" they'll get married and then one day they'll realize they're living a facade. But I guess as long as it was a hetero marriage all is well.:|
 
It makes me wonder if someone like Gov McGreevey ever tried one of those "conversion" programs

I'm not being flippant, I do wonder

I think the best way Christians can help gay teens is to love them and accept them, and try to help them love and accept themselves if that is an issue for them.
 
Irvine511 said:
what if there are straight guys out there who desperately want to be gay? can we change their sexuality as well?

According to a couple of gay men I know who are having sex with "straight" married men with wives and kids, um, yeah... :wink:

So-called ex-gay means one of three things: genuinely bisexual choosing to have relations only with members of the opposite sex; never gay to begin with, just open and experimenting; and, most likely, back in the closet.
 
BonoVoxSupastar said:
I find it ironic that homosexuals getting married will destroy the sanctity of marriage, yet the right don't see the potential harm they are doing by telling them they need to convert. So you'll turn a few into "ex-gays" they'll get married and then one day they'll realize they're living a facade. But I guess as long as it was a hetero marriage all is well.:|

No kidding. And I am curious about this whole thing of changing straight people, too. If gays can "just change", I'd assume straight people would be able to "just change", too, right?

Also...

Originally posted by Mrs Springsteen
I think the best way Christians can help gay teens is to love them and accept them, and try to help them love and accept themselves if that is an issue for them.

:yes:. Agree wholeheartedly.

Angela
 
The thing is, I don't even know this guy's political stance, I do know that he's trying to do something to bring people together. I don't really care to know his political stance, because I doubt that he has a political agenda. I think it's more of a unity agenda.
 
I alway heard you could turn gay just by hanging around a bunch of gay people...that isn't true? :confused: :p
 
Exgay Chad Thompson seeks moderate course on marriage

Source: http://www.exgaywatch.com/xgw/2004/09/exgay_charts_a_.html

Exgay youth advocate Chad W. Thompson wrote a Sept. 1 article for Christianity Today, declaring "Banning Gay Marriage Is Not The Answer." Thompson is founder of Inqueery, previously discussed here at XGW. In the CT article, adapted from his upcoming book, Thompson attempts to steer a more moderate course than many affiliated with the religious right:

Today many churches have created an emotional Catch-22 for LGBT people by opposing their right to marry but neglecting to provide them a safe place to heal. From the gay person's perspective, it seems that Christians are demanding that they simply disappear.

While he does not concede that there are more than one Christian viewpoint on gay marriage, Thompson does recognize that conservative Christians and gay-marriage proponents tend to talk past one another:

Knowing how to show love begins with knowing how to communicate, and it's important to understand how people think before trying to communicate with them

Thompson greatly weakens his claim as a moderate by casting only slight skepticism upon propaganda by Dr. Paul Cameron, referring to it as an example of "current research on the health hazards of homosexuality." But he comes back with an effective statement on the irrelevance of religious-right pseudo-science:

For the purposes of this article, I don't want to take the time to dissect the research methods that were used to draw these conclusions. I will only say that, while some of the findings in such studies are true, throwing these numbers around while talking to someone who is homosexual will only reinforce, in their minds, the fact that you have stereotyped them. Can you imagine telling your son or daughter that that heterosexual activity is intrinsically wrong because America has a divorce rate estimated at 43 percent, or because three of every ten women killed in the United States die at the hands of a husband or boyfriend?

Promiscuity is more prevalent among gays, but there are many LGBT people in relationships consisting of genuine love. But for many Christians, the only thing that comes to mind when they hear the word homosexual is the militant gay activist marching in a parade and shouting, "We're here, we're queer, and we're coming after your children!"

If we are to be effective purveyors of God's love, we must commit ourselves to viewing all lesbian or gay people we meet as an individual, rather than making assumptions about who they are or where they've been.

While offering tips for antigay Christians to get to know gay people, he nevertheless encourages them to continue battling gay people at the ballot box — without stating what exactly is being voted on: Antidiscrimination laws? Hate crimes laws? Family benefits?

Thompson's conclusion is similar to that of the antigay jet passenger in a recent commentary by gay columnist Michael Alvear. After a long flight, a Jewish operative for the Christian Coalition comes to realize that her gay columnist seatmate does not fit her stereotypes. But instead of readjusting her stereotypes, the woman pretends Alvear is someone separate from, and unaffected, by her stereotypes and discriminatory agenda.

XGW has ordered Thompson's new book Loving Homosexuals as Jesus Would: A Fresh Christian Approach and we will review it when it is released.
 
MrsSpringsteen said:


You're supposed to pick a GUY-what about Johnny Damon?


johnny and I are both hairy guys......immagine the wookies we would produce.:ohmy:
 
I kept silent on this for a while. I had a friend who was a religion major in college. He claimed to be a reformed homosexual......

Sadly, he wound up dead of a drug overdose.

I am not sure he was handling his being reformed very well.:(

He was a good person.

This thread makes me sick.
 
Dreadsox said:
I kept silent on this for a while. I had a friend who was a religion major in college. He claimed to be a reformed homosexual......

Sadly, he wound up dead of a drug overdose.

I am not sure he was handling his being reformed very well.:(

He was a good person.

This thread makes me sick.

I'm so sorry dread. What a horrible thing to go through but not uncommon I'm afraid. Shame, self loathing and trying to be something you're not is no way live your life.

This thread makes me sick too, which is why up until now, my sole contribution was a joke.

The idea of convincing someone that "reforming" his/her sexuality will lead to a happy life is incredibly disgusting to me.
 
I'd like to believe that this guy is honestly trying to do what he feels is right (and of course he has a vested interest in being "reformed" as well), but I think he is at best misguided. I don't think they truly understand the damage they do (the cynic in me thinks they don't give a rats ass about the damage).
 
joyfulgirl said:
So-called ex-gay means one of three things: genuinely bisexual choosing to have relations only with members of the opposite sex; never gay to begin with, just open and experimenting; and, most likely, back in the closet.
Let's see some sources that support this. How can you be so absolute of this?
 
Dreadsox said:
I kept silent on this for a while. I had a friend who was a religion major in college. He claimed to be a reformed homosexual......

Sadly, he wound up dead of a drug overdose.

I am not sure he was handling his being reformed very well.:(

He was a good person.

This thread makes me sick.
Didn't mean to make anyone barf, basically wanted a few opinions of this guy's main cause - to bring solutions to how homosexuals are treated in schools, from the perspective of someone who's struggled with these kinds of feelings. Somehow, all this ex-gay talk got so political. Yuck.
 
paxetaurora said:
I love this demand for academic rigor in FYM lately. :up:
Well I've been getting a lot of it, so I'm assuming it's only fair that I ask the same in return.
 
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