Ex-Gay Activist Begins 10-Day Trip to Washington Against 'Homo-Fascism'
An ex-gay activist began on Sunday a 10-day road trip to Washington, D.C., starting in Dallas, Texas, in response to recent security threats against former homosexuals that led to the postponement of a first-ever "Ex-Gay Pride Month" event scheduled for July 31 until September.
"How dare they try to disrupt our event on July 31, intimidate, and threaten us! I'm not going to take it anymore!" said Dr. Douglas McIntyre, co-founder of Homosexuals Anonymous, as he announced the trip in a statement issued by Voice of the Voiceless (VoV), which defends the rights of former homosexuals.
McIntyre is calling his tour, "Grandpa Goes to Washington," as he is a grandfather. The trip comes days after the first-ever Ex-Gay Pride Month reception, scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C. on July 31, was postponed until September following multiple security threats directed toward members of the ex-gay community and the Family Research Council, the venue of the planned event.
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McIntyre, whose organization helps individuals with unwanted same-sex attraction leave homosexuality, will stop in 10 cities along the way to hold rallies and draw attention to the "homo-fascism" in the United States, which he defines as "the bullying from gay activists who say only one viewpoint on homosexuality can be tolerated."
"I'm also doing this for the next generation of young people, including my four grandchildren, who are now being inundated by 'kids cartoons' such as SheZow , the new cartoon that is being promoted by the activists who say that being Transgender is cool, but counseling to overcome same-sex attractions and/or changing sexual orientations is harmful. This nonsense has got to stop!" he said.
The trip will culminate in Washington, D.C., on July 31, the day McIntyre plans to lobby Congress.
McIntyre hopes former homosexuals, individuals with unwanted same-sex attractions, and their families and friends will join him in Washington "to demand tolerance and protection from the threats and harassment that is being waged against former homosexuals."
The plan is to meet in front of the U.S. Supreme Court "and let Justice Kennedy know that Gays and Lesbians are not the only sexual orientation class that has had to face animus in this country."
McIntyre referred to Justice Kennedy's opinion in his decision on the Defense of Marriage Act case last month. "Ex-gays routinely face harassment, bullying, threats, and intimidation from anti-ex-gay extremists, and are frequently marginalized and discriminated in the media, who portrays only stereotypes and characterizes us as repressed, ticking time-bombs, such was shown in CBS' recent show 'Criminal Minds' that was aired in February 2013," McIntyre said.
Christopher Doyle, the co-founder of VoV, told The Christian Post last week his group and Equality and Justice for All had decided to continue to hold some Ex-Gay Pride events in Washington, D.C. at the end of the month, but the reception at the FRC building had been postponed and moved to an undisclosed location to ensure the safety of speakers and guests at the event.
"When we announced that this event was going to happen at FRC about two weeks ago, we received – as did FRC – a lot of attention, which was good, but we also received a lot of negative attention," Doyle said. "Some liberal news organizations, like the Huffington Post, started saying things about this event that weren't true, like it was being sponsored and run by FRC just because FRC was the venue. And that wasn't true at all."
Doyle said he and other organizers were concerned about a repeat of the violence in Seattle, Wash., where Christians were recently attacked for opposing homosexuality. He said they were also concerned about the safety and security at the FRC, which was a "target of hate in August 2012 by Floyd Corkins, the gunman who shot a security guard" at the conservative non-profit organization.
Members of the ex-gay community have asked President Obama to issue a proclamation to recognize their rights and commemorate their month, just as the president has done for the LGBT community with "Gay Pride Month" in June.
Doyle said the efforts are to bring awareness to this segment of the population that he believes are mischaracterized by the media and pro-gay activists.
Doyle also told CP that Washington, D.C. is the only jurisdiction in the United States that recognizes former homosexuals as a legally protected class.
"There are six states that have introduced legislation to try to take away the rights of people to pursue therapy, and we're actively fighting against that. We're tired of being on the defense, and so we're going on the offense and we're claiming our rights. We're going to get our voices heard without anti-ex-gay activists coming around with bullhorns and screaming obscenities at us, and telling us that we're liars and fakes."
