Due to some anti-ex-gay extremism that has occurred since we first announced Ex-Gay Pride 2013, the July 31 Lobbying Day on Capitol Hill and Evening Dinner/Reception at the Family Research Council has had to be moved and postponed to an undisclosed location in September. The harassment has caused several security threats which has forced us to change plans, and that is unfortunate. However, we are committed to holding an alternate event in late July as well as supporting some other initiatives that our allies and fellow ex-gays are planning for July. These events are still in development and will not be announced until late next week. For all of our supporters that have made travel plans to attend the July 31 event, we sincerely apologize for having to change plans, but we thought it was in the best interest to ensure the safety and security of all participants and speakers.
On the bright side, this harassment and anti-ex-gay extremism has reminded us just how intolerant some individuals and organizations are about the existence of ex-gays and former homosexuals. So much so, that we believe it is necessary not only to hold events in July for Ex-Gay Pride, but also to declare September as the First Annual Ex-Gay Awareness Month. Ex-Gay Awareness Month in September will be a time to reflect on the discrimination and marginalization that former homosexuals and ex-gays experience in the public at large. It will also provide some much needed exposure to students in secondary schools and colleges across the country to learn about the plights, challenges, and tribulations facing ex-gays in our culture.
For years, LGBT activists have made in-roads into the mainstream educational, psychological, and medical communities by instituting awareness months, seminars, and curriculum that highlights the need to protect sexual minorities from discrimination. Unfortunately, they have refused to include ex-gays within those sexual minorities, and organizations such as Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX) have had to sue private trade associations like the National Education Association (NEA) in order to achieve legal recognition for former homosexuals in the public at large.
Due to legal actions such as the 2009 Superior Court Ruling in Washington, D.C. (that has now given discrimination protection to ex-gays in Washington, D.C.) the road to legal protection and recognition of ex-gays has been paved. Now it’s just a matter of us claiming our rights and demanding to be heard. This is precisely how the LGBT lobby has achieved so much over the last forty years – tirelessly chipping away at the legal system and patiently working within powerful educational, psychological, and medical communities, thereby creating allies and support. So must ex-gays do the same. We have long realized that LGBT organizations will not be our allies. We are routinely marginalized by organizations such as the American Psychological Association (APA) who routinely shut us out of the debate and refuse to give us a seat at the table.
That being said, it’s time that former homosexuals, individuals with unwanted SSA, and their families and allies stand up and demand to be heard. July’s First Annual Ex-Gay Pride Month is only the beginning. September’s Ex-Gay Awareness Month in schools across the country is only a start. Our voices will be heard. We will no longer be shut out. We will no longer hide in the shadows.
We hope you enjoy this Ex-Gay Pride and Ex-Gay Awareness Video! To view Ex-Gay Pride 2013, click here.
Special thanks to Trace McNutt, who gave us permission to use segments of his video. We applaud Trace for his courage to speak out and share his amazing story of transformation from death and destruction to new life! We would also like to thank the band, ReNew, for allowing us to use their song “Redeemed” that is featured at the end of this video.
For more information on “Redeemed” go to:
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/music/artist/ReNew?id=A2n4jew7acmfgzcxu3tqvrzzcji
and/or iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/re-new/id509141234
For more information on the First Annual Ex-Gay Pride Month in July and the First Annual Ex-Gay Awareness Month in September, visit: www.VoiceoftheVoiceless.info and www.EqualityandJusticeforAll.org. To schedule an interview with Christopher Doyle, Co-Founder and President of Voice of the Voiceless, call 571-379-4546 or e-mail [email protected].