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'Ex-Gays' in Trouble |
Click here to read the Ex-Gay letter
criticizing their own leader, Anthony Falzarano
THE LIST
Wired Strategies
"Gay Politics: Online & With an Edge"
August 17, 1999
EXTRA!!! 'EX-GAY' CAT FIGHT EXPLODES
Most famous ex-gay reportedly booted from ex-gay conference
Anthony Falzarano, the nation's best-known ex-gay, was "barred" from the recent
Exodus International ex-gay conference held in Wheaton, Illinois, a Parents and Friends of
Ex-Gays (P-FOX) representative told Wired Strategies today.
Falzarano, founder of Transformation Ex-gay Ministries and national director of P-FOX,
went to the July 26-31 Exodus conference in the Chicago suburbs but "wasn't allowed
to go in," according to a P-FOX employee at the organization's Washington, DC
headquarters. PFOX refused to discuss why Falzarano was "barred," but simply
said that there have been some "changes that have happened in Exodus."
Transformation was founded ten years ago and is a branch of Exodus International, the
largest "ex-gay" group. Falzarano left Transformation in 1996 to start P-FOX, in
an attempt to counter the growing respect and influence of Parents, Families and Friends
of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).
Falzarano's apparent falling out with the lead "ex-gay" group is significant for
numerous reasons.
First, Falzarano has had a longstanding high-profile in the "ex-gay" movement,
having appeared as a frequent "ex-gay" commentator on television and in the
print media for years.
Second, Transformation and Falzarano are closely linked to, and funded by, the religious
right political lobbying group the Family Research Council (FRC).
Falzarano's work has been "praised" by the Family Research Council (FRC) in a
press release on February 10, 1998. FRC's president (now on leave to pursue his
presidential ambitions) Gary Bauer also spoke at last year's P-FOX conference, where he
received a special award. In addition, People for the American Way reports that at the
most recent P-FOX conference, "The P-FOX newsletter enclosed in the conference
packets stated that the conference was being underwritten by the Family Research Council
(FRC), and that the FRC had also set up a matching fund for donations from $100-$75,000.
Also, FRC's Director of Development Programs sits on the board of P-FOX, which may have
been one of the reasons Falzarano made many glowing references to Gary Bauer, who recently
left the FRC to pursue his presidential ambitions."
Could this schism between Falzarano and Exodus indicate a larger battle between the
"ex-gays" and their allies in anti-gay political circles?
Ironically, a biography of persona-non-grata Falzarano on the P-FOX Web site
(http://www.pfox.org) concludes with a rather prescient quote: "I know what it's like
to be rejected by the men I should have been able to trust the most."
************
THE LIST
Wired Strategies
"Gay Politics: Online & With an Edge"
August 18, 1999
EX-GAYS CRITICIZE FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL
Ex-gay leader 'infuriates' religious right benefactor, announces new billboard campaign
The Family Research Council (FRC) was "infuriated" recently when an ex-gay
leader questioned the right-wing group's commitment to the ex-gay movement, according to
Wayne Besen, associate director of communications at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
In a half-hour phone call yesterday between Besen and Anthony Falzarano, national director
of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (P-FOX), Falzarano reportedly said that he had angered
FRC's Robert Knight by suggesting the ex-gay benefactor wasn't doing nearly enough
financially for P-FOX. In the past, FRC has helped the ex-gays by backing ad campaigns,
among other projects.
Falzarano also reportedly told Besen that the ex-gays are planning a new "billboard
campaign" to promote their cause.
Last summer, militant fundamentalists financed a $500,000 ex-gay newspaper ad campaign
that included former football star Reggie White. The religious right embraced White as a
spokesman after he sparked a nationwide protest for making insensitive characterizations
about blacks, Asians and whites. And this spring, right-wing fundamentalistse attempted to
broadcast a series of ex-gay TV ads to influence policymakers, though many local stations
refused to air them.
Confirming a story reported here yesterday, Besen says Falzarano admitted he was in fact
"barred" from the recent Exodus International conference in Wheaton, Illinois.
Exodus is the nation's largest ex-gay umbrella organization, somewhat notorious for two of
its male founders subsequently falling in love and marrying each other. And Falzarano is
perhaps the best-known ex-gay leader in terms of media coverage and seniority - having
founded Transformation Ex-Gay Ministries ten years ago, and now at the helm of P-FOX.
Falzarano reportedly attempted to downplay the Exodus incident to HRC, calling it a simple
disagreement over "scheduling," and saying that the rift had now been patched.
When contacted by Wired Strategies today, Falzarano would not discuss the reported fissure
with FRC. He did confirm that he "had a disagreement" with Exodus at their
recent conference and that "they tried to" turn him away.
Yet Falzarano's staff told Wired Strategies yesterday that the Exodus incident was far
more serious, and that the P-FOX head was in fact "barred" from the conference
and that he "wasn't allowed to go in." Falzarano nonethless tried to minimize
the apparent discord during today's phone call, attributing it to "growing
pains" between the two ex-gay organizations.
But HRC's Besen, a long-time observer of the ex-gay movement, believes the situation is
much graver than Falzarano is letting on.
"Falzarano being barred from Exodus is like Clinton getting banned from the
Democratic Convention," said Besen this morning, "there's more to this story
than the ex-gays would have us know."
Besen also believes the spat between FRC and Falzarano is indicative of a wider falling
out between the fringe-right and ex-gays.
"The religious right created an ex-gay Frankenstein, and now that it's alive, they're
not sure what to do," said Besen. "They know they're pumping money into
something that doesn't work, but they have no choice," he said. "By taking the
money away, they'd be admitting publicy that the ex-gays, and they, have failed. They're
basically stuck with a pink elephant," he added.
From the ex-gay persepctive, Besen sees an equal amount of frustration. "The
religious right seems far more willing to put money in to political ads than into the
ex-gay groups themselves. They're more interested in promoting the ex-gay theory than in
actually helping gay people change, were it even possible," he added.
Besen thinks that the religious right's focus on public relations instead of substance
casts doubt on their motives. "This not only calls into question their sincerity
about 'helping' gay people, but it makes one wonder whether they even believe gays can
change at all," Besen concluded.
********
THE LIST
Wired Strategies
"Gay Politics: Online & With an Edge"
September 1, 1999
<><><><><><><><><>
John's note: If it can be confirmed that $4 million was in fact raised in the ex-gay ad
campaign last year, and didn't go to the ex-gay groups as advertised, then would the
fundraising campaign be deceptive and/or fraudulent and would it violate any laws? Any
fundraising legal experts out there?
<><><><><><><><><>
EX-GAYS CRITICIZE CHRISTIAN COALITION
Ex-gay Movement Financially Troubled, P-Fox Director Asks Where $4 Million Went
Family values groups are "hypocritical" for not sufficiently helping the ex-gay
movement, and ex-gay organizations have at most one to two years left before they're in
"big trouble." This, according to a press conference at the National Press Club
this morning by Anthony Falzarano, founder of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (P-FOX).
You'll recall that Falzarano was profiled by Wired Strategies two weeks ago after he was
barred from the recent ex-gay Exodus International conference in Chicago, and after he had
reportedly criticized ex-gay benefactor the Family Research Council for not providing
enough financial support to the ex-gay movement. You can read our previous ex-gay stories
at http://www.wiredstrategies.com/exgay.htm
If previous reports suggested a schism between the ex-gays and their fringe-right friends
in the anti-gay "family values" crowd, today's National Press Club interview
erased any doubt.
Falzarano, appearing as the founder of P-FOX, criticized the family values organizations,
saying that while "they want to fight the gay agenda...they need to be supporting the
ex-gay movement." Falzarano singled out the Christian Coalition and D. James
Kennedy's Center for Reclaiming America (in Florida) for some of the harshest criticism.
Referring to the ex-gay newspaper ad campaign launched last year, Falzarano said:
"[We] did that very successful newspaper campaign last year...the Christian Coalition
did not send us a dime...DJ Kennedy did not send us a dime." He continued:
"All's we were asking for is possibly some money to pay for postage stamps...that's
quite disturbing."
The Center for Reclaiming America is widely given credit for organizing the ex-gay ads.
Falzarano explained that the ex-gay movement saw very little if any of the rumored large
quantity of money that was raised by the ad campaign. "All the phone calls went down
to DJ Kennedy's group...and guess what...all the donations went [there] to."
Falzarano continued: "I had heard over four million dollars were raised....do you
think they called up Exodus?"
Referring to the disposition of the funds raised, the P-FOX founder said the situation was
"outrageous," and that "this is hypocritical behavior, this graves the
Lord, this must change."
Falzarano also revealed that the ex-gay movement is suffering serious financial problems.
"We have lost fifteen ministries in the last years, we are not growing,"
Falzarano revealed at the press conference. "I can't tell you how many of my
colleagues...have had to close the doors." He continued: "I believe if something
doesn't happen in the next year or two...Exodus is in big trouble."
Finally, in another indication of the trouble within the movement, Falzarano said that one
of the lead "doctors" of the ex-gay movement, Elizabeth Moberly, is currently
fighting with Exodus International, and that "she won't even do any speaking
engagements for the Exodus movement."
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