The Depraved Actions of Griggs Are Sickening And Unconscionable, Says Truth Wins Out’ Executive Director Wayne Besen
LOS ANGELES — Truth Wins Out called on PFOX Executive Director Regina Griggs to resign today for faking a hate crime incident at a the Arlington County Fair in Virginia. Griggs claimed that a gay activist at the PFOX booth physically attacked an “ex-gay” volunteer. She said that police intervened and ejected the assailant from the event. Ex-Gay Watch editor David Roberts investigated her claims and found that Griggs’ story appears to be a complete fabrication.
“Once we started checking with people who would know, the evidence was overwhelming that it could not have happened the way they claimed,” said David Roberts, Editor of Ex-Gay Watch. “Fair officials, the police, eyewitnesses — they all report that no physical attack took place, police were not involved, and no one was escorted off the property. PFOX claimed all those things, and Focus on the Family and other Christian media repeated the claims.”
“Regina Griggs has lost all credibility and must resign in shame for her dishonest behavior,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “What PFOX did was warped, twisted and an insult to real hate crime victims.”
On Aug. 28, PFOX sent out a press release with the headline, “Gays Assault Ex-Gays At County Fair.” According to the release:
“As happens every year, gay activists disrupted our booth activities. They screamed obscenities, threw our materials from the exhibit table to the ground, insisted we recognize their same-sex “spouses,’ demanded that PFOX leave, and hit a PFOX volunteer because he is ex-gay.”
The Ex-Gay Watch investigation revealed that a slight disagreement occurred between a woman and a male PFOX representative. However, Roberts contacted Jackie Abrams, Vice Chair of the Arlington County Fair. Abrams said that no physical altercation occurred, police were never called and no one was ejected from the fairgrounds. According to Roberts, “she was emphatic and certain.”
“I was in radio contact with the other board members during the Fair, and definitely would have known if the police had been summoned. It did not happen,” Abrams told Roberts.
Following Griggs’ bogus account of the supposed hate crime, PFOX implored its members to give money.
“…our brochures and flyers cost money to print. We also have to pay for exhibit fees and travel. If you would like to help with costs, please make a tax deductible donation.”
“The entire notion of ex-gay is a big lie, so I can imagine it is not a difficult leap to take it to the next level and completely manufacture a fraudulent story for political and financial gain,” added Besen. “The police, Arlington County Fair officials and eyewitnesses refute Griggs’ story. She has a lot of explaining to do if she wants to save her reputation and keep her job.”
Truth Wins OUT is a non-profit organization that counters right wing propaganda, exposes the “ex-gay” myth and educates America about gay life. For more information, visit www.TruthWinsOut.org.
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