Apparently all too prepared to scare the bejesus out of people this Halloween, a group of ex-gays has arrived in Washington DC to lobby against LGBTQ equality. Even scarier: the group is promoting itself with a weird picture on the steps of California’s capitol building.
Just over a dozen members of two California-based “ex-gay” groups, Changed and Church United, arrived in Washington this week to protest against the so-called Equality Act, which would add LGBTQ employment protections to the Civil Rights Act, and the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act which would classify conversion therapy as a fraud.
Studies suggest queer people face a wide variety of workplace discrimination. Virtually every major medical and psychological association in the industrialized world has classified conversion therapy as ineffective and highly damaging to patients enrolled in it. Nevertheless, spokespeople for both Church United and Changed reject the idea that LGBTQ Americans face discrimination, or that conversion therapy is a form of torture.
Related: He spent 20 years peddling “ex-gay” therapy, now he says it was all ‘a lie’
“I live in Portland and I don’t see the discrimination that LGBTQ people talk about,” Kathy Grace Duncan, a member of Changed, told NBC. Duncan claims she used to identify as a transgender man, but has been cured of her “ailment.”
“They’re asking for certain rights in this legislation, but these are rights that they already have.” She added. “The Equality Act treats sexual preference as an elevated class and would strip people of religious freedom.” Duncan also denied that conversion therapy even exists, and claims gender and sexual orientation are both choices.
Perhaps scariest of all, Changed provided a photo of ex-gay members celebrating on the steps of the California capitol building last year as a promotional image. In it, one member appears to have her face erased. We have to wonder: maybe someone caught a demon in the act?
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Very simple explanation of the coven of abhorrent noxious pukes assembled on the steps…..
They are all so disturbingly unattractive that they could not find a Gay person even remotely attracted to any one of them. Their reaction is to lash out at the Gay community for rejecting them…..
Rock-N-RollHS
Really, that’s your take?? Actually some of them are pretty hot (the green pants holding the baby–Daddy!).
But, hey, the misery and self-abnegation (and likely double lives) facing these folk have me feeling nothing but pity.
btw, Henry Cavill could turn each and every one of them–even the bulldykes.
Donston
Is coming up with insults based on appearance the best you can do? Most of the people in this picture is hardly ugly and could probably find a reasonable same-sex partner if they wanted. Folks know that the whole “ex gay pride” stuff is hardly driven by a bunch of uglies who can’t find dates. So, this just makes you look shallow. There’s probably a multitude of internal/personal issues these people have dealt with and likely are still going through. I doubt being ugly is one of the of their main problems or struggles.
wellinmysoul
you are a god-da*mn fool….. go look in the mirror. so tired of you sh*it.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
To all of you above ^ : FCUK YOU! We are being attached from multiple fronts. Our rights to employment, housing, and actual freedom are being challenged. Two sitting Justices of the SCOTUS had a picture taken with one of the most virulent homophobes in this nation whos organization’s sole mission is to eradicate Gay life from this nation. Who then tweeted “great day at the Supreme Court”. Piss off I am tired of the attacks especially from a bunch of disgusting Queens who am probably are getting BB’d in some shady parking lot…
wellinmysoul
…and fools like you and sh*it like yours are gonna change anyone’s mind? certainly not mine. I tagged a stupid azz-hole months ago and nothing you have said since has challenged that
Vince
I think he means ugly on the inside and it’s true. All I see is miserable and toxic fakes doing their best to make everyone else miserable. The very definition of ugly. Fake sexuality and fake religion. That happy picture is not all it would seem to be.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
wellmysoul: Fcuk off Rex, your other profile get banned? You were a noxious abhorrent troll then, still are
rustyiam
How on earth would you come up with such an absurd idea unless you feel that way about yourself! And to the narrow minded no I’m not defending these people I could care less how they choose to live! The hateful rhetoric of people like you is certainly not helping any cause it’s just helping to divide everyone further!
ShiningSex
they are dividing us not our laughter at their stupidity.
jjose712
What a surprise, you defending bigots
Paco
Self hating gays are the absolute worst. They wish to inflict their misery on the entire community.
Vince
I agree Paco. Another point is that there is no such thing as an “ex gay”. You’re either gay, bi, or straight. No normal person would ever identify that way. This is all marketing for the hate groups.
The happy looking people in the picture is so funny because all the ex-gays I’ve ever encountered are as you say miserable and toxic.
BtnBill
I do not think my flabber has ever been quite so gasted.
wellinmysoul
yoo-hoo….. good one!
ShiningSex
ex gays are a joke. you can stop having sex with men, but that doesn’t mean you’re no longer gay (vice versa for lesbians btw). if these idiots want to keep self loathing and hurt others in their “new/fake” lives then go for it. God will hate you for hurting others not being true to yourself.
boymikefl
The picture says it all. Just a bunch of queers in denial. Most likely living their life for someone else. Family homophobes, church homophobes, society’s homophobes. Hey, it’s a free country. Live to please everybody but yourself.
winemaker
Why is this issue being re hashed? if these so called ‘ex gays’ are happy having been ‘cured’, as my late father used to say ‘well bully for them’. if gay rights don’t affect them, why should they care. Live and let live.. Evidently these folks when they were ‘gay’, never were fired from their jobs for being gay, had jobs denied them ’cause they’re gay, never were harassed and the list goes on. BTW: these holier than thous fail to realize being gay is not a ‘lifestyle’ it’s a life. People are born either straight or gay and it’s been scientifically proven. Why would anyone choose a so called ‘lifestyle’ opening them to being discriminated against, denied housing, being fired from their jobs or being denied employment in the first place and even killed because thy’re gay? Move on, nothing important to report here.
Rock-N-RollHS
some people are also bi, by the way, or on a spectrum, so wouldn’t be as hard for them to deny that aspect of themselves, if that is indeed the case with any of these pitifuls.
hansniemeijer
cured? fake news!
david_warner
No doubt they’ll be hooking up with each other back in their hotel rooms. No such thing as an “ex gay”.
djmcgamester
I wonder how many were pressured into this or truly felt it was the right path? No one bitches about people changing gender. Why the uproar about changing sexuality? If you’re an adult, no as you will. If there are consequences to be suffered (and I believe there likely will be) then that’s how it goes.
I don’t know the specific cause as to by I’m gay. I know I didn’t make a decision at any point. Didn’t have an overbearing mother or distant father. I ONCE tried on a dress and lipstick (on my own). Didn’t appeal to me. So… no one made me gay. I just am.
JaredMacBride
They’re available on Grinder
Rock-N-RollHS
Lol
Donston
The whole “ex-gay pride” stuff is often driven by a mix of things like self-hatred/internalized homophobia (obviously), mental health issues, traumas, dependence on religion to give you a sense of hope and completeness, not understanding how to deal with different degrees of fluidity or confusions, self-misandry, self-misogyny, being technically homosexual but never being particularly “gay” aka not really having romantic passions/emotional connections/affections/relationship contentment towards your sex. Live your life as you will. No matter where you are on the general spectrum, you need to be driven by personal contentment and maintaining your sanity above all else. It’s when you start promoting hate, pushing to take away people’s rights, and pushing to invalidate people that you become a terrible person.
JaredNorthcutt30
Please dear Donston, enlighten us. Tell everyone how to process the degrees of fluidity with your degree in Psychology.
Donston
As an “ex gay” who has apparently dealt with a handful of the things I mentioned you would know better than myself.
Vince
I’d say religion is at the heart of it though. You ever wonder why you’ll never see an athiest ex-gay? It’s a great example of the relationship of shame, mental illness to religion. You’re just not going to find a normal one between them. I find it hysterically funny that they’ve really convinced these baffoons jesus won’t love them because of where they put their pee pees and va jay jays. Logic be damned as usual with these types.
Also, these loons sound the exact same way as the hate group loons that have always been there fighting against equality? I’d love to do an expose on some of them. I’ll bet many aren’t who they say they are.
JaredNorthcutt30
Here’s the thing. Your words carry a sense of self-importance. If you’re so certain about handling the degrees of fluidity, I’d be curious as to the psychological processes involved. Curiously enough, that line sounds similar to ex-gay therapists.
Donston
Um, don’t you constantly pull out the “I was raped and it turned me into an asexual trans woman” card? You fit perfectly into the trauma meets self-misandry sphere. I speak the way I do because I’m tired of people merely pushing agenda and/or identities. I like to talk about and dive into everything that’s going on out here. And I do my research. Yes, people’s attractions, desires, sexual enjoyment, emotional connections, romantic passions, relationship contentment can evolve over time. But the whole “ex gay” hype is usually coupled with religion, a desperation to appease or fit into society/family, and/or extreme internalized homophobia.
wellinmysoul
jared….re dumbston… “no fool like an old fool” or maybe “the dog that only barks and never bites should stay on the porch”
Donston
Yes, pulling out a couple of random, vague cliches and name-calling is always the best way to criticize someone. Like, do you (or even Jared if you’re not the same person) have an actual opinion on anything? It seems you guys only pop up to spew hate, bitterness and criticize other posters. Furthermore, I’m 31, and I don’t bark unless I’m being purposely agitated.
radiooutmike
I am, or try to be, a live-and-let-live person.
Frankly, it’s hard with these people. On the one hand, you can deny all you want and go backed to the gospels; if that makes you happy I’m for it. But there’s always the catch. They don’t want anyone to have those protections.
Their ex-gayness is based on shame, when it’s nothing to be ashamed about. I don’t know their backgrounds, but it has to be something unusual.
Donston
These are the type of people who even when they were “out and proud” they were full of resentment, internalized phobia and narcissism. These types are often sociopaths who are never content and now resent “queers” for “ruining” their lives. There are many people who do experience some form of fluidity in the gender, romantic, sexual, affection, relationship aspects of themselves. But even if you’ve experienced a genuine 180 on the spectrum, assuming that reflects everyone else just shows how self-absorbed and selfish you are and likely always has been. Their hyper dependence on the “queer community” (and likely sex) and now their dependence on the “religious community” just highlights never having any individuality, never being able to stand on your own and just always being a wayward person constantly looking to belong somewhere. This is one of the reasons I somewhat resent the constant “no one has a choice when it comes to any of this” pleas. Because if you are presented with just a lil bit of choice or you experience just a bit of fluidity does that mean you’d become a homophobic “ex gay” who promotes hetero dominance and internalized homophobia? While more than likely none of these people are currently anywhere near conventionally, inherently hetero. They’re just grasping on to something that makes them feel good about themselves and feel superior.
piriblue
No matter how hard you try after a couple of glasses of wine it all comes back to you.
Old habits are hard to break. They are just waiting for the right person to come
along. I don’t even believe in the word straight. Men are dogs, yes they are.