More than a dozen equality advocates and their families protested a religious-right ex-gay roadshow Sept. 13 in Anchorage, Alaska. Truth Wins Out was a participant in the protest. According to media reports, 200-300 people attended the ex-gay antifamily event, which sponsored by James Dobson’s Focus on the Family. Alan Chambers of Exodus International spoke at the event.

Here’s a digest of media and blog coverage:

  • KTUU-TV has video and pictures of the protest:

    Protesters like Mike Mason say the church has it wrong and that a person’s sexuality is just a part of who they are.

    “People should accept people for who they are, and they shouldn’t use bigotry concealed in the name of God’s love to pass hatred on to others and to create a culture where discrimination against someone is OK, because it’s not,” Mason said.

    “We’re not telling people that they need to reject their gay son or daughter,” Johnston said. “We’re just saying what we do is equip people to reach out and love to those struggling with same sex attractions.

    Focus deceitfully declined to acknowledge its discriminatory antigay lobbying in all 50 states, as well as the anti-family poison that it delivers to parents at its ex-gay roadshow: Namely, the myth same-sex attraction is caused by molestation and bad parenting.

  • USA Today reports:

    …[Fourteen] people held signs like “Honk if You Love Gay People” during a 12-hour vigil outside the Abbott Loop Community Church in Anchorage, where a conference promising to convert gays into heterosexuals through the power of prayer was being held.

    Palin’s place of worship, the Wasilla Bible Church, promoted the “Love Won Out” conference, sponsored by Focus on the Family.

    “Our main message is that God loves everyone the way they are,” said protester Mike Mason. “People should be accepted for who they are.”

    Attempts by The Associated Press to reach someone at the church Saturday for comment were not successful.

  • Bent Alaska has pictures and first-hand accounts:

    Kirt and Roger stand together near the church parking lot. They were married in Canada, the first gay couple from Alaska to be legally wed.

    “I’m here for people like Stuart Matis,” said Roger, “a young gay man in California who thought it better to put a bullet in his head rather than live with the shame that these people in the church create.”

    “I grew up in a very religious background,” said Kirt. “I know about these types of programs that profess that you can change and that it’s some kind of choice to be gay. It absolutely isn’t. I’m proud to be a gay man, and proud to be married to my husband, and I’ll be proud to die that way.”

    and…

    Sean and Ted arrive with Ted’s mother. “We found out about Focus on the Family through watching the documentary For The Bible Tells Me So,” said Sean, a social work student at UAA.

    “‘Reparative therapies’ and ‘conversion therapies’ are not only ineffective but harmful. These programs are misleading the public, misleading people who are struggling with their sexual orientation, causing emotional harm and in some cases it’s devastating. I can’t sit idly by and allow the general public to accept this ignorance.”

    “What they are teaching in that church is not about acceptance, it’s not about love,” said Mary, “it’s about self-loathing and fear.” Her signs say, “True Love is Unconditional” and “God Loves You Just As You Are.”

  • While Focus on the Family calls its deceit “love,” ex-gay activist Joe Dallas remains impenitent in his adultery and his disobedience of the Bible. Emproph explains.

More news to come….