The Gay Deacon

This is what I did last Saturday.In then group photo left I am in the middle row with the black shirt and grey/silver hair & beard, Dan is in back in the yellow cap holding the sign and Rebecca a very special person is front row right, she is my mentor, friend, teacher, and a wonderful person.

This was the counter to an ex-gay conference held at Vista Ridge Baptist Church in nearby Carrollton. Details of the event are in the previous psot.

This was my first time at an event of this nature. I detest these groups, because of what they preach and what they put people through.
They say that you cannot be gay and have a relationship with God. This absolutely untrue. They also claim that you can "heal yourself" through prayer. You can't fix what isn't broken!
God did not make gays so He would have someone to hate. He does not work that way. He does not hate anyone. He loves all his children, just the way He made them.

The American Physchiatric Associattion say that being gay is not an illnes. It is just another natural way to be.

Ws stood around the driveway entrance as the cars pulled in for the confrence. The entrance had several signs saying that God made gay the way they are. and its ok.

We waved to the cars pulling in and some of the people waved back. Others scowled at us and tried to pretend that they did not see us.
Some of the cars actually stopped and discussed the topic with us. A few people walked back out from the church entrance to talk to us. One man in particular came out and mentioned his wife to us. He was flaming! He did thank us for not creating a big scene.

Some of the cars had young people in the back seat. It was intresting to watch their behaviour. Some looked at us very intently and I wondered if they were thinking"Could I actually be one of them? " I believe that some of them wanted to join us.
I also think that some of them really thought that they are sick and perverted. They hope that they could be "healed" so that they might win their parents love. These were probably the ones who tried to pretend that they didn't see us. They were afraid that we would "rub off"on them.
No wonder the suicide rate is so high in young gay teens!

I felt very sorry for them. It really broke my heart to think of the heartaches they have ahead of them.

As for the success rate of these groups, Exodus International is the largest and s"parent"group of the Ex-Gay groups. one of the funniest happenings was in 1979 when co founders Gary Cooper and Michael Bussee left the group. They eventually had a "gay wedding"!
Another of their leaders was photograped in a "crusing"in a New york gay bar.

One of the people at the protest was at one time in one of these groups. He eventually left and is noe the Lay leader of another Metroplex MCC Church.

My first inclination when I heard of thsi event was to sleep in. However I could not do that and be true to myself.
I am glad I went. If there is even a chance that we may have reached some of these people then it was worth standing in the hot Texas sun for a while.

Deacon Harry