Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth

by Wayne R. Besen

 

Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth

Wayne R. Besen

Haworth Press

 

Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the

Ex-Gay Myth is a direct confrontation by author Wayne R. Besen on the “ex-gay” movement.

Besen, a former Human Rights Campaign public relations manager, didn’t hold anything back in this 311-page softcover, published by Haworth Press, in regard to the phenomenon of ministries and programs dedicated to making gay people straight, or at least look that way.

Nationally-recognized activist Besen spent four years examining the phenomenon of “ex-gay” ministries and reparative therapies - interviewing leaders, attending conferences and visiting ministries undercover as he accumulated hundreds of hours of research. The book presents a historical perspective on the dispute, examining “ex-gay” groups such as Love In Action, Exodus International, Homosexuals Anonymous and profiling a cast of characters, including Pat Robertson, Rev. Jerry Falwell, “ex-gay” poster boy John Paulk, National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality activist Richard Cohen and psychiatrist Dr. Robert Spitzer.

“Through my extensive experience, I have learned that the extraordinary claims made by the ‘ex-gay’ groups are without merit and the efficacy of their programs is dubious at best and harmful at worst,” Besen said. “With ‘ex-gays’ added to their arsenal, the (Religious) Right could disingenuously claim to love gay people and offer them ‘hope for change,’ while simultaneously fighting for punitive legislation. Their insidious message: Since gays and lesbians can change, there is no need for laws that protect them against arbitrary prejudice.”

For more information, go online to www.HaworthPress.com.

(as published in Family & Friends Magazine, September 2004)