Ex Gay group shutting down

[Racket_Man]

An ex-gay Christian group (one who believed that through prayer and bible study that homosexuality could be "cured") is shutting down and aplogises for all of the pain and suffering they caused.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...and-hurt?lite=

[lordlundar]

Well, it turns out bigots can learn civility. Who knew?

[Nekojin]

They haven't learned civility. They've learned that their message is viewed as toxic, and they're spending too much time dealing with the backlash from it. They still view homosexuality as sinful and something to be stamped out; I'm sure that some of the leadership still believes that they can "pray the gay away." But they were dragged into the spotlight, and it burned... so they're retreating to the shadows once more.

[Panacea]

The leader of their group, a "reformed" gay has finally figured out he is still . . . wait for it . . . gay.

[Racket_Man]

The leader of their group, a "reformed" gay has finally figured out he is still . . . wait for it . . . gay.

and this surprised sonyone?????

[Jaden]

They haven't learned civility. They've learned that their message is viewed as toxic, and they're spending too much time dealing with the backlash from it. They still view homosexuality as sinful and something to be stamped out; I'm sure that some of the leadership still believes that they can "pray the gay away." But they were dragged into the spotlight, and it burned... so they're retreating to the shadows once more.

I'm choosing not to be cynical about this. The fact of the matter is, there is still a disturbing amount of a demographic for this type of..."service." And there are still a disturbing amount of people who think that this type of thing works. But not only did their apology seem very genuine, but the leader of the group even came out to say that he was still gay and that he was struggling with the opposition between what he said and who he was for decades.

They're bowing out with grace - not an easy thing to do after literally almost 4 decades of running a reparation therapy group founded exclusively on bigotry. And to admit that you were wrong for four decades...well, that takes stones, my friend. I'll give them this one. It's a good step in the right direction.

[Panacea]

Well, the big problem is this group was just a clearinghouse for all the smaller organizations that do the real "work." And those are still in business. Another umbrella organization will rise to replace Exodus International.

[HYHYBT]

And it has; I think it's called Restored Hope Network. The thing is, since it sprang up as a reaction to Exodus's softening, from what I can tell it's more abrasively hardline even than Exodus used to be. And that only works to their advantage within a shrinking slice of their former market.