Former "Ex-Gay" Poster Boy John Paulk Competes On Cooking Reality Show

Last night former "ex-gay" poster boy John Paulk competed on the cooking reality show Cutthroat Kitchen. The show was promoted by Go Local PDX on Friday:

"The fast-paced energy I experienced while taping the episode last summer was exhilarating," said Paulk. "I've never had more fun in my life competing with other talented chefs." This in not Paulk's first appearance on T.V. For several years, Paulk was a regular guest on local television morning shows doing cooking demonstrations. Currently, Paulk is preparing to launch his new, weekly radio show, "Talking with our Mouths Full," on Wild Planet Radio, KPQR 99.1 FM. - Portland's new radio station aimed at the LGBT community. Paulk is the former founder and leader of the ex-gay ministry 'Love Won Out,' which promotes freedom from homosexuality through the power of Christ. He has since left the ministry and denounced gay reparative therapy. Paulk's Mezzaluna Fine Catering has serviced many politicians and leaders with close ties to Portland's gay community.

Paulk's fall from "ex-gay" grace began in 2000 when activist Wayne Besen caught him in a DC gay bar. He resigned from Love Won Out shortly after Focus On The Family head James Dobson confronted him about the incident. Paulk disavowed the "ex-gay" movement in 2013 and has since issued public apologies.

(Tipped by JMG reader Daniel)

Ho-Hum, Yet Another "Ex-Gay" Former Exodus Leader Comes Out As Gay

In what has become a fairly routine event, yet another "ex-gay" leader has decided that he was kidding himself. Today it's Randy Thomas, former Exodus International vice president and self-described "ex-gay poster boy." He writes:

Whether anyone cares, pays attention, approves, disapproves, friends or unfriends me isn’t the point. The point is that I need to stay true to how I am wired, be honest, and consistent with what I believe to be true in this regard. Writing this post is something I need to do as a part of taking personal responsibility for my past journey and being honest in my present reality. My love for Jesus and His finished work on the Cross is unwavering, and stronger than ever. I am as saved today as I was the moment I believed in, and received Him as my Lord and Savior. He rose from the dead to open the door to reconciliation with God and eternal Life. I’ve already walked through that door. He is in my heart. None of that changes regardless of my sexuality or my all-to-human musings. It doesn’t change because it’s all on Him and He never changes. He loves me, I know it. He loves you, is not angry with you, and I hope you know that truth.

Thomas says he hasn't had sex in 24 years. He notes that he published an apology to the gay community back in 2013. Former Exodus leader Alan Chambers, who has also apologized, is among those participating in the comment thread at the top link. (Tipped by JMG reader Jasun)

Nine Former "Ex-Gay" Leaders Unite In Opposition To Conversion Therapy Torture

The National Center for Lesbian Rights today posted a public letter from nine former leaders of the "ex-gay" movement in which they denounce so-called conversion therapy.

At one time, we were not only deeply involved in these “ex-gay” programs, we were the founders, the leaders, and the promoters. Together we represent more than half a century of experience, so few people are more knowledgeable about the ineffectiveness and harm of conversion therapy. We know first-hand the terrible emotional and spiritual damage it can cause, especially for LGBT youth. We once believed that there was something morally wrong and psychologically “broken” about being LGBT. We know better now. We once believed that sexual orientation or gender identity were somehow chosen or could be changed. We know better now. We once thought it was impossible to embrace our sexual orientation or sexual identity as an intrinsic, healthy part of who we are and who we were created to be. We know better now. Looking back, we were just believing (and sometimes teaching) what we had been taught—that our identity needed mending. We grew up being told that being LGBT was disordered, sick, mentally ill, sinful, and displeasing to God. We grew up being told that loving, same-sex relationships were shallow, lust-driven, deceived, disordered, and impossible.

We grew up with the repetitive message that LGBT people were not enough — not straight enough, not Christian enough, not manly or womanly enough, not faithful enough, not praying enough. Never, ever enough. “Toxic” probably sums it up best. That message is poison to the soul. Especially a child’s soul. It can take a lifetime to get rid of that old programming and replace it with healthy, non-toxic views of yourself. Recovery from conversion therapy is difficult at best. Some remain forever scarred, emotionally and spiritually.Conversion therapy reinforces internalized homophobia, anxiety, guilt and depression. It leads to self-loathing and emotional and psychological harm when change doesn’t happen. Regrettably, too many will choose suicide as a result of their sense of failure. In light of this, we now stand united in our conviction that conversion therapy is not “therapy,” but is instead both ineffective and harmful. We align ourselves with every major mainstream professional medical and mental health organization in denouncing attempts to change sexual orientation or gender identity. We admonish parents to love and accept your LGBT children as they are. We beseech the church to accept, embrace, and affirm LGBT persons with full equality and inclusion.

The letter is signed by the co-founder of Exodus International and the former leaders of several other "ex-gay" groups.

HomoQuotable - John Paulk

"It’s funny, for those of us that worked in it, behind closed doors, we knew we hadn't really changed. Our situations had changed - we had gotten married, and some of us had children, so our roles had changed. I was a husband and father; that was my identity. And the homosexuality had been tamped down. But you can only push it down for so long, and it would eke its way out every so often. I went to a gay bar - not looking for sex, which is what people thought - but because I was missing my community. I was looking to sit in a place with people I felt comfortable with, and that was other gay people.

"I would be in hotel rooms, and I would be on my face sobbing and crying on the bed. I felt like a liar and a hypocrite. Having to go out and give hope to these people. I was in despair knowing that what I was telling them was not entirely honest. I couldn’t do it anymore. For 25 years I felt guilty and filled with self-loathing, trying to reject this part about myself. I’m culpable - I spread the message that my sexuality had changed, and I used my marriage as proof of that." - Former "ex-gay" poster boy John Paulk, quoted in a Newsweek article about the movement he once led.

RECOMMENDED: Read the full story.

"Ex-Gay" Demands Apology From Exodus

As you probably know, earlier this summer the most infamous "ex-gay" group, Exodus International, shut down after declaring that "ex-gay" therapy is a crock of harmful bullshit that doesn't work.  "Ex-gay" activist Christopher Doyle now says Exodus owes people like him an apology and has even written the apology letter that he feels Exodus should issue. From the letter:

Dear Ex-Gay Community: We are sorry that the leadership of Exodus International didn’t seek out professional psychotherapy to understand the roots of our homosexual feelings. Instead, we merely repressed our urges and hoped that God would take them away if we prayed hard enough. We also deeply regret that we didn’t pursue advanced degrees in counseling or psychology so we could truly help others who were struggling with unwanted SSA resolve their issues and experience real change. How foolish of us to believe that our member ministries would stand aside and allow us to destroy their work and reputations. We are sorry that our bad leadership has fragmented the ex-gay community and caused over half of our member ministries to leave and form the Restored Hope Network. We also regret that this has created a great financial difficulty for our organization and caused many of us unemployment. Yours truly, Exodus International Board of Directors. PS: Please forgive Alan Chambers for leaking confidential e-mails of our former colleagues to a homosexual activist website who used it against them. That was really bad!

You see how Doyle just accused Exodus of trying to pray the gay away? Oh, my sides. (Via Right Wing Watch)

RELATED: Here's the kind of therapy that you get with Doyle's "advanced degrees in counseling or psychology," courtesy of Richard Cohen, the co-founder of Doyle's new group.

Former Exodus President Alan Chambers Denounces "Ex-Gay" Therapy For Minors

"What I believe is that when it comes to promising or assuring someone, or causing someone to expect that they’re gong to completely eradicate a set of feelings or temptations or desires, I think that sets someone up for tremendous damage, which can cause them shame and guilt. I certainly believe we should never be offering [conversion therapy] for minors. For adults, they can decide based on all the facts presented." - Former Exodus International president Alan Chambers, speaking on Michelangelo Signorile's SiriusXM show.  Chambers went on to to acknowledge that while he's been in a happy opposite marriage for 16 years, he is still attracted to men.

Alan Chambers Is Ready To Start Over

Posted yesterday by CBN Online:

Right now only a remnant remain at the old Exodus offices in Orlando, but its leaders hope that the so-called death of this organization will result in the birth of a movement that starts a fresh conversation on faith and sexuality. "It's a brand-new organization at this point," Chambers admitted, "with no support, no funding and yet, I'm more excited than I am anything."

In the meantime, a new umbrella group, Restored Hope Network, is seeking to serve the original mission of Exodus by focusing on change for those who want it. It has 19 ministry affiliates, all formerly associated with Exodus, around the country. For many in the Church, this summer is a time to recover after a tumultuous last several months.

Between the Boy Scout's recent decision to include gay Scouts, the closing of Exodus, and the Supreme Court rulings on DOMA and Proposition 8, many who support traditional marriage have felt overwhelmed. But for Chambers, despite an empty building and a dream that has died, it's the perfect time to start over and engage a country that's perhaps more divided than ever on this issue.

(Tipped by JMG reader Chris)

Alan Chambers On His New Group

"It's just in the dreaming and infancy stage of all of that. We don't have a name. We do have a website that we just quickly put up that is called ReduceFear.org. It's not going to be the name of the organization, but it is one part of a mission statement that we have come up with about what we want to do. We believe that the majority of people, especially people within the church, react out of fear. The majority of our opinions and positions and discussions and debates and arguments are based out of fear, and what we want to do is reduce that fear. We want to help people come to the table and bring people to the table to have intelligent, thoughtful discussions that will focus on building common good." - Alan Chambers, speaking to the Christian Post.

Christian TV On Exodus Shutdown

Exodus Gives Scott Lively The Sadz

"In anticipation of this sad day many former Exodus member organizations broke away months ago and formed a new organization, the Restored Hope Network. RHN will carry on the important work of the church in helping homosexuals to recover from same-sex attraction disorder. I applaud the courage of these men and women to remain true to Scripture in the face of intense hostility and persecution from the 'gay' movement and its many powerful allies. Their ministry will not be made any easier by the triumphal gloating and attacks of their now greatly emboldened detractors. It was this same relentless grinding hostility that undoubtedly contributed to the fall of Alan Chambers (few can bear it for long, just ask the Boy Scouts), but in addition to this 'stick' there was also a 'carrot' that led him astray: an insidious form of 'gay' theology that misrepresents God’s grace as a license to sin, or at least a license to embrace a personal identity defined by a desire to indulge in homosexual sin." - Hate group leader Scott Lively, writing on his blog.

Quote Of The Day - Rev. Nancy Wilson

"For decades, Exodus International has been synonymous with the idea that people need to be ‘cured’ or ‘healed’ of homosexuality. This week’s historic apology from Exodus leader, Alan Chambers, for the harm done to LGBT people by Exodus is encouraging. Sadly, nothing will bring back the lives lost to suicide based on pseudo-psychology and corrupt theology. Any apology for past suicides, lost years and damage to families is only as good as real actions to counter the lies spread throughout the world by past Exodus action.

"What is needed is true repentance and a conversion to truth telling. The theology of condemnation must be replaced with a theology of grace in the service of God’s good creation—including LGBT people. The trail of emotional, psychological and spiritual damage must be mitigated by evangelistic outreach around the world where the lives of LGBT people hang in the balance at the hands of religious and political leaders who would shed their blood, rape their bodies, and crucify their spirits for their own careers." Rev. Nancy Wilson, moderator of the Metropolitan Community Churches, via email.

Exodus International Head Alan Chambers Apologizes To Ex-Gay Survivors

From last night's Oprah Winfrey Network special, which was taped before yesterday's announcement that Exodus would be shutting down.

Hate Groups Cheer End Of Exodus

Alan Chambers Apologizes

"Please know that I am deeply sorry. I am sorry for the pain and hurt many of you have experienced. I am sorry that some of you spent years working through the shame and guilt you felt when your attractions didn’t change. I am sorry we promoted sexual orientation change efforts and reparative theories about sexual orientation that stigmatized parents. I am sorry that there were times I didn’t stand up to people publicly 'on my side' who called you names like sodomite—or worse. I am sorry that I, knowing some of you so well, failed to share publicly that the gay and lesbian people I know were every bit as capable of being amazing parents as the straight people that I know. I am sorry that when I celebrated a person coming to Christ and surrendering their sexuality to Him that I callously celebrated the end of relationships that broke your heart. I am sorry that I have communicated that you and your families are less than me and mine." - Exodus International head and "ex-gay" crusader Alan Chambers, in a lengthy apology published shortly before announcing the closure of his organization.

RELATED: Tonight the Oprah Winfrey Network will air their special on Exodus at 10pm.

BREAKING: "Ex-Gay" Group Exodus International Announces It Will Shut Down

Following a lengthy apology from its head Alan Chambers, tonight the world's largest "ex-gay" organization, Exodus International, announced that it will shut down. Founded in 1976, at its peak Exodus had over 100 chapters in the United States and over 150 affiliates worldwide. From the group's website:

“Exodus is an institution in the conservative Christian world, but we’ve ceased to be a living, breathing organism,” said Alan Chambers, President of Exodus. “For quite some time we’ve been imprisoned in a worldview that’s neither honoring toward our fellow human beings, nor biblical.”

Chambers continued: “From a Judeo-Christian perspective, gay, straight or otherwise, we’re all prodigal sons and daughters. Exodus International is the prodigal’s older brother, trying to impose its will on God’s promises, and make judgments on who’s worthy of His Kingdom. God is calling us to be the Father – to welcome everyone, to love unhindered.”

For these reasons, the Board of Directors unanimously voted to close Exodus International and begin a separate ministry. “This is a new season of ministry, to a new generation,” said Chambers. “Our goals are to reduce fear (reducefear.org), and come alongside churches to become safe, welcoming, and mutually transforming communities.”

Truth Wins Out reacts:

Alan stated in his talk tonight that he doesn’t want to see another “ex-gay” organization fill the void left by Exodus’s closing, but called on the Church to actually become a safe place for gays and lesbians. Of course, the Restored Hope Network is having their conference in Oklahoma City, featuring the biggest quacks in the “ex-gay” industry, so they’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure that Alan’s vision of the Church being a loving place will never come to pass. Thus, our work must continue. Exodus was a large pillar in the “ex-gay” world, but this fight is far from over. We wish Alan Chambers all our best and look forward to a day when we can truly consider him an ally.

You can expect celebratory messages from anti-gay groups as Exodus has become one of their most hated enemies ever since Chambers began making conciliatory gestures towards the LBGT community that he so horribly hurt. It remains to be seen what this new "Reduce Fear" group is going to really be about.

Oprah Network Special: Ex-Gay Survivors Confront Exodus International

The show airs on Thursday.   

In a special episode, Lisa Ling is joined by a group of survivors of the condemned and damaging practice of "reparative therapy" as they confront Alan Chambers. Chambers recently asked Ling to help orchestrate an opportunity in which he could formally apologize to those who felt deceived and defrauded by Exodus' practices and to announce that the organization will cease to be an "ex gay" organization. Tune in Thursday, June 20th at 10/9c for a special presentation of this powerful report.

"Ex-Gay" Leader Formally Apologizes

"For the better part of ten years, I was an advocate and spokesman for what’s known as the 'ex-gay movement,' where we declared that sexual orientation could be changed through a close-knit relationship with God, intensive therapy and strong determination. At the time, I truly believed that it would happen. And while many things in my life did change as a Christian, my sexual orientation did not.

"So in 2003, I left the public ministry and gave up my role as a spokesman for the 'ex-gay movement.' I began a new journey. In the decade since, my beliefs have changed. Today, I do not consider myself 'ex-gay' and I no longer support or promote the movement. Please allow me to be clear: I do not believe that reparative therapy changes sexual orientation; in fact, it does great harm to many people. I know that countless people were harmed by things I said and did in the past.

"Parents, families, and their loved ones were negatively impacted by the notion of reparative therapy and the message of change. I am truly, truly sorry for the pain I have caused. From the bottom of my heart I wish I could take back my words and actions that caused anger, depression, guilt and hopelessness. In their place I want to extend love, hope, tenderness, joy and the truth that gay people are loved by God." - John Paulk, in a statement released to GLAAD.

RELATED: Last week's statement by Paulk, in which he claimed his "ex-gay" message had been "misconstrued," was not very well received.  Hit that link for much more about his back story and role in creating the "ex-gay movement."

Ex-Gay Poster Boy John Paulk Apologizes: I No Longer Support Ex-Gay Movement

John Paulk, the man many "credit" with launching the "ex-gay" movement in the United States, has apologized for his past and denounced the "ex-gay" industry.  From an interview with Portland's PQ Monthly:

"Until recently, I have struggled all my life in feeling unloved and unaccepted,” Paulk said. “I have been on a journey during the last few years in trying to understand God, myself, and how I can best relate to others. During this journey I have made many mistakes and I have hurt many people including people who are close to me. I have also found a large number of people who accept me for who I am regardless of my past, any labels, or what I do.”

Paulk continued, “I no longer support the ex-gay movement or efforts to attempt to change individuals — especially teens who already feel insecure and alienated. I feel great sorrow over the pain that has been caused when my words were misconstrued. I have worked at giving generously to the gay community in Portland where I work and live. I am working hard to be authentic and genuine in all of my relationships.”

Truth Wins Out provides some background on Paulk:

John Paulk was at one time the most well known and influential person in the “ex-gay” industry, appearing on the cover of Newsweek with his wife Anne in 1998 under the headline, “Gay For Life?” He was instrumental in forming the Love Won Out “ex-gay” roadshow, which subjected countless LGBT youth and their families to misinformation, indoctrination and lies, and which destroyed many families in the process. In 2000, Wayne Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out, photographed John Paulk coming out of a Washington, DC, gay bar, and the lies began to unravel. Though John resigned from the board of Exodus International following this incident, the Religious Right continued to use the Paulks’ story as evidence that the “ex-gay” life was a fairy tale rather than a nightmare, and many LGBT people and their families have been damaged or destroyed over the years as a result.

Truth Wins Out founder Wayne Besen says "not good enough."

"It is not enough to simply send an e-mail that says, ‘I’m sorry.’ John Paulk must work to atone for the damage he has done to LGBT families by taking a public role in renouncing and working against the harmful ‘ex-gay’ industry by embarking on a speaking tour to show that he truly has changed. Further, he should advocate for a bill in Oregon that would ban so-called ‘reparative therapy’ for minors. Only then can he start to repair the damage he has done to countless LGBT people and their families.”

RELATED: Last April I posted a report that Paulk's Facebook page was "littered with Glamor Shots-style images of Paulk and attractive men" and that his profile stated that he is "interested in women and men."

"Ex-Gay" Blooper Reel

Is this supposed to make them lovable?

(Via Good As You)

Alan Chambers: I Have To Be Honest, I'm Still Digging Hot Sexy Men

Alan Chambers: "I have to be honest and say, 'Of course I have temptations. Of course I have attractions related to the same sex.' But for over 15 years since I've been in a relationship with Leslie, my attraction is for her." He adds, "Am I heterosexual? I don't know. I'm not gay." Since Chambers announced the end of his support for "reparative therapy," Exodus International has been scorned and denounced by their former colleagues in brainwashing. Chambers now glumly calls for a lifetime of untouched, unloved celibacy for those who can't fake it with the opposite sex.