This man will be leading the de-gaying dinner. Seriously. (via Washington Post)
After the disastrous turn-out for the first annual “ex-gay” pride month in June, Christopher Doyle announced that June wasn’t really the big event, but that the actual “ex-gay” awareness month would be September, culminating in a dinner at an undisclosed location, which is appropriate for people who are unwilling to disclose their sexual orientation. Now, via press release, we learn that the keynote speaker for this secret party will be the anti-gay Bishop Harry Jackson:
Washington, D.C. — Voice of the Voiceless (VoV) is excited to announce that Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr. will deliver the keynote address as a part of the First Annual Ex-Gay Awareness Dinner and Reception in Washington, D.C. on September 30, 2013. The event is being hosted by Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX), a national non-profit organization that advocates for former homosexuals and their families.
Bishop Jackson is the Senior Pastor of Hope Christian Church, a 3,000-member congregation in the nation’s Capital. Having earned an MBA from Harvard University, he approaches ministry from a unique perspective and has been recognized as a leader of leaders, ministering to audiences both nationally and internationally. He has recently formed the International Communion of Evangelical Churches, a network of networks that oversees 1200+ churches around the world.
“It is my great honor and privilege to address this historic celebration, and I know that I and many others will be encouraged to hear the amazing testimonies of the men and women who have left homosexuality when they share their stories on September 30,” commented Jackson, who is also the founder and president of High Impact Leadership Coalition, which exists to protect the moral compass of America and be an agent of healing to our nation by educating and empowering churches, community, and political leaders. “At a time when our nation’s moral fabric is decaying, this night promises to be an inspiration to us all!”
Bishop Jackson’s address will focus on defending religious freedom and how the church can stand up for the ex-gay community, whose rights are being trampled upon and existence marginalized. A prime example is Grammy Award winning gospel singer Donnie McClurklin, who just last month was uninvited from headlining a 50th Anniversary Celebration of the March on Washington because of his views on homosexuality and the fact that he is ex-gay.
“Bishop Jackson has been a beacon of hope, a leader in the faith community, and an example for all of us to follow. We are truly blessed to have such a powerful man of God address the First Annual Ex-Gay Dinner and Reception on September 30, ” commented Christopher Doyle, Co-Founder and President of Voice of the Voiceless. “At a time when others in the faith community have faltered on the issue of homosexuality, Bishop Jackson has remained steadfast with a message of truth and love.”
Harry Jackson was one of the leading opponents of marriage equality in Washington DC, though it was completely unclear at the time whether he even lived in the District. (Those petitioning to overturn DC’s equal marriage law and put it to a popular vote were required to live in DC.) He has a history of making bizarre, off-the-wall statements against LGBT people — for instance, once he went on Bradlee Dean’s radio show to explain that marriage equality was Satan’s plot to “destroy the seed” of God-fearing straight Americans. He also is very, very angry with the gay community for stealing the rainbow from him. LGBT citizens, of course, weren’t aware that the Maryland-based pastor held the deed to the rainbow. Perhaps he keeps it in the safe deposit box with his proof of DC residency.
If you are interested in attending “Ex-Gay” Kiki: 2013, it is only fifty dollars, and they will, like the wanna-be cult they are, tell you the location of the dinner and the hotel and, presumably, the afterparty, entry into which will require a secret handshake that we are quite sure isn’t gay, at all.
