Ever since our successful petition to have Exodus International’s iPhone app deleted from the app store, untold numbers have had a chance to learn about the insidious “ex-gay” industry and what it actually does to people. So Peterson and some of the other “ex-gay” survivors have started a hash tag on Twitter — #exgaysurvivor — to share their stories with each other and the world. Here’s some of what they have so far:
Whenever I make a mistake, I still fight the voice in my head that tells me it’s because I’m evil and possessed by a demon – @cylestnichole
After my gay-related exorcism, the only thing that went away was my love for myself – @vcervantes
My family was deeply wounded by Exodus International staff – @p2son
Has barely begun to scratch the surface of the ways they have been harmed by their ex-gay past… it is all too painful… – @never_again4
In ex-gay ministry, I was told if I wasn’t changing to str8t then I wasn’t trying hard enough – @gaysexpert
The twisted Emotionally Dependent Relationship teaching is an invasive species that digs into the brain. Awful – @MJaneB65
The thing is, the silent or implied messages were often more insidious than the direct and explicit ones. – @JarredH
I became depressed and suicidal after ex gay therapy. – @jeraskew1
Never would I have considered that there was a problem with the system. I was made to believe I WAS the problem – @gaysexpert
Being told not to form Emotionally Dependent Relationships kept me in fear of love. http://t.co/97hetHL – @MJaneB65
It was awful because so often ex-gay leaders blamed ME for not trying hard enough or trusting Jesus – @p2son
The only time I’ve ever felt separated from God was during my ex-gay experience – @cylestnichole
I was told that if I was gay, God would utterly reject me – @gaysexpert
God is not the author of confusion, but of love. My time in reparative therapy produced nothing but confusion and hate – @never_again4
They told me that I had gay demons. Then that abuse made me gay. Then my parents failed. #exgay ministers misled me -@p2son
They told me my “boy” was too much and my “girl” was not enough. I became nothing. @MJaneB65
college sent me to ex-gay therapy & all I got was a hospital bill after trying to kill myself bc they told me I was sick&sinful – @never_again4
After 10 years of reparative therapy I was hospitalized because I was suicidal – @MJaneB65
Actual Suicide note: “God would rather have me die now than to live with another gay thought.” – @gaysexpert
‘Love Won Out’ came to my college. After that, I attempted suicide 3 times within one year. I never told any of my friends – @cylestnichole
My counselors didn’t believe I existed. And, like Tinkerbell, poison and disbelief almost killed me. I do believe in fairies! – @connoley
If you have a story to tell, or genuinely want to learn more about the horrific lies perpetuated by the “ex-gay” industry, get thee to the Twitters and join in, and keep up with Peterson’s blog in the meantime. AND speaking of Twitter, since I haven’t mentioned it on the blog in a while, you should also follow me and Truth Wins Out, if you want, and you should want to, because come on.
