[1]COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BP)–My friend Mike is a former homosexual. Gay activists will tell you that people like Mike don’t exist. They’ve even shouted “You don’t exist!” in his face.
But Mike does exist. I’ve been to his house, celebrated birthdays with him, and discussed the exploits of the Amazing Spider-Man with his 4-year-old son. Mike’s been married to a charming woman for eight years, has two adorable little boys and is one of the best dads I know.
The recent Supreme Court ruling affirming homosexual sodomy troubles Mike. Thousands of other ex-gays are equally concerned. These men and women have “been there, done that” and swear they will never go back. Many describe former lives filled with anxiety, depression and loneliness. Some recall hundreds of hollow sexual encounters with strangers, drug and alcohol abuse, and a desperate longing for self-acceptance. They admit that change hasn’t been easy, and that many who have tried to leave homosexuality have failed. But they point to encouraging new psychological research that confirms permanent change is possible.
Mike and other ex-gays say what distresses them most about the Supreme Court ruling is that, as dissenting Justice Antonin Scalia stated, “… the Court has signed on to the so-called homosexual agenda.” They warn that this agenda is meticulously mapped out by the nation’s gay activist organizations. Groups such as the Human Rights Campaign, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network are lavishly funded, politically connected and have plenty of pals in the media. According to those in the ex-gay movement, these organizations are deliberately deceiving the American public.
For example, gay activist groups regularly promulgate the myth that homosexuality is genetic. Appearing on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign, declared, “Well-grounded, credible studies have shown … that it is likely, highly likely, that sexual orientation is actually grounded in biology.”
But the truth is there is absolutely no scientific evidence that homosexuality is grounded in biology. Even gay researchers don’t dispute this. Dr. Simon LeVay, the neuroscientist who studied the hypothalamus in gay men, told Discover magazine, “I did not prove that homosexuality is genetic, or find a genetic cause for being gay. I didn’t show that gay men are born that way, the most common mistake people make in interpreting my work.”
[2]Gay organizations also are prone to “inflating the numbers.” For years they have claimed that “one in 10” Americans is homosexual. Lesbian educator Virginia Uribe argued for her “Project 10” outreach program in the Los Angeles city schools using those statistics. But according to the University of Chicago’s Social Organization of Sexuality — the most comprehensive study of sexual behavior to date — approximately 1-3 percent of the population is homosexual. Other research indicates the percentage may be even lower.
Gay leaders know the 10 percent figure is a myth, but it’s a useful one. In the video “Gay Rights/Special Rights,” lesbian activist Jill Harris admits, “The thing about the one-in-ten … I think people probably always did know it was inflated but it was a nice number that you could point to, that you could say, ‘one-in-ten,’ and it’s a really good way to get people to visualize that we are here.”
Ex-gays also are troubled by gay activists’ claims that homosexuals live “normal, healthy lives.” They note that gay men are 1,000 times more likely to contract AIDS than the general population and that their life expectancy is cut by up to 20 years. They also cite a 2001 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association that indicates gays and lesbians have extremely high rates of psychiatric illness, drug and alcohol abuse and suicide. Gay groups argue that these problems are caused by our “homophobic society.” But the research reported in the AMA journal was conducted in the Netherlands, which is arguably one of the most gay-friendly countries on earth. In fact, the authors of the study state “the Dutch social climate toward homosexuality has long been and remains considerably more tolerant” than other countries.
Mental illness and substance abuse aren’t the only problems plaguing the homosexual community. It is common knowledge that male homosexual relationships are inherently unstable, but sadly, many of these relationships are violent as well. The American Journal of Public Health reports that one out of five gay men report being beaten by a sex partner and 5 percent acknowledge being raped. Mike and other former homosexuals know we’ll never hear these facts reported by the mainstream media.
As a father, Mike’s biggest concern is that gay activists are making major inroads into America’s public schools. Some states may soon require that pro-gay curriculum be taught to kids as young as kindergarten. Also, the ACLU’s Lesbian and Gay Rights Project has begun suing school districts across the country, forcing them to allow “Gay-Straight Alliance Clubs” that encourage kids to “explore” alternative forms of sexual expression.
Mike worries that thousands of confused, impressionable teens are being told they were “born gay” and encouraged to experiment with homosexual behavior. That’s what happened to him when he was 16. Looking back, he wishes somebody had given him the facts. Hopefully, he and others who are committed to the truth about homosexuality can pass along what they know to the next generation — before it’s too late.
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Dr. Bill Maier is a licensed child and family psychologist who serves as vice president and psychologist in residence for Focus on the Family. The article initially was seen on www.family.org, a website of Focus on the Family. Copyright (c) 2003, Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. Used by permission.