Comments
by Java Mann
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Mr.
In the past I’ve written
about hypocrisy. I’ve also written about those organizations that allegedly
"reverse" homosexuality. Today I get to tackle both. John Paulk, chairperson
of the notorious Exodus International, was seen on the cover of
Newsweek a few years back, smiling with his new wife. |
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Both she and John have "recovered"
from their homosexuality, and they were acting as the poster children for
E.I., living proof that their program works. Apparently, John has suffered
a relapse.
"My wife and I, and thousands
of others, serve as living proof that change is possible, By taking a bold
stand against the lies that say biological and unchangeable, we hope to
encourage others desperate to escape homosexuality" - John Paulk
This then begs the question,
what was Mr. Paulk doing in Mr. P’s, a notorious Washington DC gay bar,
situated near an equally notorious cruising spot. According to Mr. Paulk,
he had just stopped in to use the restroom. I won’t argue this, but choose
to point out that George Michaels was also "just using the restroom"….
But I digress.
Another question: How long
does it take you to use the restroom Mr. Paulk? Forty minutes seems a bit
extreme to me. Actually, that’s both rude and misleading. He didn’t spend
forty minutes in the restroom. The majority of his time at Mr. P’s was
spent sitting at the bar, chatting up a stranger and buying him a drink.
Unfortunately Mr. Paulk’s
stay at the bar was cut short. Members of the Human Rights Campaign, an
organization that holds a decidedly low opinion of Exodus International,
recognized him. They asked him his name and he lied. When another member
of the HRC showed up with a camera, Mr. Paulk fled.
Since then, the photos have
been published, press releases have been issued and E.I.’s spin machine
whirled into action. Mr. Paulk’s story is; He didn’t know it was a gay
bar. He only stopped in to use the restroom, and upon discovering that
it was a gay bar he decided to stay and see if things had "changed" since
he’d last been out. (Translation: looking for fresh meat)
Exodus International stated
that there is nothing in their charter prohibiting a member from patronizing
a gay bar, but they have asked Mr. Paulk to resign, as his behavior might
reflect poorly on their organization.
The truth is this: John Paulk
has been living a lie. He has denied who he is because religious, political
and social pressures, along with his own low self image, made it easier
than accepting who he really is. This is sad. The fact that Mr. Paulk allowed
himself to be used as the posterchild/mouthpiece of an organization bent
on exploiting the weakness of others is reprehensible. Through his actions
he has hurt others by reinforcing the misguided, bigoted ideas that drove
him to this group in the first place, and may have served to drive others
there as well.
Even while living the lie,
the façade wore thin for Mr. Paulk. In his own words (my) "straight
orientation was not as intense as that of the average man on the street".
This begs the question: which street? If he’s referring to Christopher
St. in San Francisco, he might be wrong.
One can hope that Mr. Paulk
actually use his experience for some good. Having lived the lie, and inadvertently
revealed it, he is in the unique position to become a spokesman for the
truth. Gay deprogramming organizations do work, but their goals are
not what they claim. They don’t want to "heal" or "cure" anyone. Their
goal is to repress homosexuals, using fear and shame, back into the closet.
They cannot be allowed to succeed.
JM
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