French Website Starring IHF’s Chris Doyle Promotes The ‘Ex-Gay’ Myth

As we have been warning for the past year, the “ex-gay” myth is largely looking to move its industry offshore.  This is because they are discredited in the United States and have failed miserably in their attempts to show that people can be cured of their homosexuality. Always crafty, this industry is eying new lands that may be unaware of their tattered reputation at home and may not be fully informed of their many setbacks. Many of the countries these diabolical organizations are targeting have citizens who are not well educated on psychology or science. This makes it easy to mislead the public and present a distorted view of homosexuality, by furthering outdated stereotypes or promoting debunked theories.

We have detailed how American and Canadian “ex-gay” organizations are infiltrating Russia and other vulnerable countries, translating their propaganda into foreign languages to confuse populations with little exposure to the LGBT community. Cynically, these “ex-gay” charlatans and larger anti-gay organizations are attracted to foreign markets because they often lack the free speech protections of the United States. Once there, they can spread outright lies with little protest or opposition, because the LGBT community is largely in the closet. This appears to be a potent strategy, because the only way the “ex-gay” myth can succeed long-term is if they can bully their opponents into submission, and present their verifiable fiction as fact.

While back home, people such as Christopher Doyle, Richard Cohen, Pat Lawrence, Scott Lively, Porno Pete LaBarbera are considered quacks, when they speak in homophobic nations like Jamaica, they are often treated like conquering heroes. Instead of extremists, they suddenly become “experts” on homosexuality. Clearly, the future lies abroad, as they have exhausted their tired schtick at home.

The latest example of American “ex-gay” interference abroad comes from what appears to be a French “ex-gay” website, ta Vie Choix, which includes a video from Voice of the Voiceless founder Christopher Doyle. I don’t read a word of French, but here is a paragraph from their website for those who do.

Plusieurs hommes et femmes ayant ressenti des attraits envers le même sexe, témoignent qu’ils ont réussi à en être libérés. Leurs histoires sont à la fois fascinentes, uniques et témoignent d’un ardent désir de faire la vérité sur ce qui se cache derrière ces attraits.

Dans cette section, TVTC t’offre la possibilité de visionner, d’écouter et de lire quelques témoignages que notre équipe a recueillis à la suite de nos rencontres avec ceux que nous appelons affectueusement les ”ex-gais”.

Nous remercions du fond du cœur tous ceux et celles qui nous ont gracieusement permis de découvrir leur histoire intime et ainsi de mieux comprendre comment un être humain en arrive à ressentir des attraits envers le même sexe et à croire qu’il est peut-être né ainsi.

The “ex-gay” activists may see an opening in France, as well as other nations in western Europe, with their stalled economies and high youth unemployment. This has led to an upswing in far right nationalist groups. Last week, for example, there was a large anti-gay rally in France that included neo-Nazis. While these extremists do not represent the mainstream of France, they do offer fertile territory for the snake oil salesmen that represent the “ex-gay” myth.

Here are a few photos from the rally:

Where most Americans look at these fascist images and recoil, “ex-gay” activists see this bubbling cauldron of hatred as a fresh opportunity to be exploited. We must remain committed and vigilant, so we can expose these frauds abroad, much like we did at home.

We must remember that the “ex-gay” myth has long looked to capturing foreign markets. According to Exodus Global Alliance, here is a snapshot of its efforts abroad:

1978 — Peter Lane starts a ministry to homosexuals in Australia. The ministry is called Liberty Ministry. That year, Peter was given the book The Third Sex? by Frank Worthen. He writes to Frank and receives encouragement and guidance regarding his ministry work. From 1978 – 1986, a grass roots coalition of ministries to homosexuals in Australia develops.

1981 — Johan van de Sluis comes to the Exodus North America 1981 conference. After returning from the conference, he led the launch of a European coalition of ex-gay ministries. He wrote letters to many Christian organizations in Europe, and the response was so positive that Johan plans an European Exodus conference for 1982.

1981 — Esly Carvalho, a Brazilian psychologist in private practice, reads an article in Christianity Today that included an interview with Frank Worthen. This article completely changed her mind on the subject of homosexuality. She asked for permission to translate it into Portuguese and distribute it. Soon afterward people began turning up on her doorstep looking for help.

1982 — Johan van de Sluis leads the founding of Exodus Europe as an independent organization working in coalition with Exodus North America. Exodus Europe holds their first annual conference in the Netherlands. They will continue to hold annual conferences, each year in a different country.

1982 — Esly Carvalho organizes a conference in Brazil called I Christian Encounter on Homosexuality.

1983 — Peter Lane attends the Exodus Europe 1983 conference and visits Frank Worthen’s ministry, then called Love in Action, in California. He returns to Australia to spend more time helping develop ex-gay ministries throughout Australia and New Zealand.

1984  The grass roots coalition of Australian Christian ministries meets together for the first time.

1985  The coalition of ministries in Australia forms Restoration Ministries with groups in Australia in Melbourne, Adelaide, Murray Bridge, Sydney, Brisbane plus a group in New Zealand. They held their first conference – inviting Sy Rogers as speaker from Exodus North America. And they begin publishing a newsletter.

1985  A young Filipino man is praying for a ministry to homosexuals to start in his country. At the same, God starts to prepare Frank Worthen in the USA to go abroad in ministry development.

1986  Esly Carvalho organizes a second conference in Brazil called II Christian Encounter on Homosexuality.

1986  Peter Lane becomes the director of Restoration Ministries, the coalition of ministries in Australia and New Zealand.

1987  Restoration Ministries changes their name to Exodus South Pacific as they join the international coalition of Exodus ministries. Sy Rogers, from Exodus North America, speaks at their conference. Sy returns in 1988, 1991 and 1995.

1988  Several ministries to homosexuals start in Brazil independently of each other. Esly Carvalho edits a book called Homosexuality: Christian Approaches as a compendium of articles on homosexuality. It was the first and only book in Portuguese on the subject for many years.

1989  Frank Worthen and Sy Rogers go on a fact-finding trip to the Philippines and Singapore and conclude God has prepared these places for new ministry and they are called to go and develop ministries in these places.

1990  Frank Worthen goes to the Philippines and Sy Rogers goes to Singapore as missionaries from Exodus North America. Frank Worthen founds a ministry called Bagong Pag-Asa. Sy Rogers founds a ministry called Choices. While Sy was in Singapore, he travelled extensively throughout Australia, New Zealand and many countries in South America, building a vision for a world-wide ministry.

1991  Esly Carvalho attends the Exodus North America conference in Canada.

1994  Esly Carvalho asks Exodus North America to give her permission to form Exodus Latin America. They agree. Later that year, Esly Carvalho, Pat Lawrence and Sy Rogers organize a mission to Ecuador, where they speak in several churches, conduct seminars and officially launch Exodus Latin America. Esly sets up the Exodus Latin America office in Colorado Springs, USA.

1995  Stories of ex-gay ministries from around the world are coming to Exodus North America on a regular basis. Out of this came a realization that it was time to bring the Exodus movements together; to unify, expand and equip Exodus as a world-wide ministry. Up to this time each Exodus region was operating on their own, anyone could call themselves Exodus. Pat Lawrence, on the board of Exodus North America at that time, encouraged the Exodus leadership to begin becoming a truly international ministry. And so Exodus North America sponsored an International Summit in June 1995 in San Diego USA. At that summit, the ministry leaders from around the world decide they want to work together in a new way to enable ministries to homosexuals to become a more cohesive and effective work internationally. They form the Exodus International Advisory Council to begin the work of building an international organization out of the different Exodus ministries around the world.

Summit attendees

Peter Lane, Debbie Hirsch representing Exodus South Pacific:
Johan van de Sluis, Jeremy Marks representing Exodus Europe:
Esly Carvalho, Affonso Zuin representing Exodus Latin America
Bob Davies, Frank Worthen, Pat (Allan) Lawrence representing Exodus North America
Sy Rogers representing Exodus World-wide
Samuel Lee, Rene Gomez representing ex-gay ministries in Asia

Original Exodus International Advisory Council members:

Frank Worthen – a key Exodus leader
Sy Rogers – a key Exodus leader
Bob Davies and Pat (Allan) Lawrence – representing Exodus North America
Peter Lane – representing Exodus South Pacific
Jeremy Marks – representing Exodus Europe
Esly Carvalho – representing Exodus Latin America

Pat Lawrence was selected to be the International Coordinator

1996  Melvin Wong begins to work on extending the work of Exodus that had been started in the Far East. A conference is held in Hong Kong and led by Melvin Wong, Sy Rogers, Pat Lawrence and Joe Dallas.

1998  Exodus Latin America moves its office to Quito, Ecuador.

1999  Exodus South Pacific changes their name to Exodus Asia Pacific as they expand to include the member ministries in Singapore and the Philippines that were started by Frank Worthen and Sy Rogers. They hold a conference in Brisbane, Australia.

1999  Exodus International is set up as a charitable organization and the International Office is established in Canada.

2000  The first Exodus Latin America conference is held in Quito Ecuador.

2002  Exodus Brazil is formed as a separate region from Exodus Latin America with Willy Torresin de Oliveira as the director. Willy had been a homosexual who unknowingly agreed to translate for Sy Rogers who was speaking at an Exodus Latin America conference in Brazil in 1989. The first words Sy spoke, and Willy had to translate, were “I once was a homosexual. But I am not anymore.” For Willy, this was the beginning of hope. The subsequent transformation in his life ultimately led Willy into ministry, training at the International Office and being chosen to be the first director of Exodus Brazil.

2002  The second Exodus Latin America conference is held in Quito, Ecuador.

2002  Oscar Galindo becomes the new Executive Director for Exodus Latin America. The Exodus Latin America Regional Office moves from Quito, Ecuador to Cuernavaca, Mexico.

2003  Exodus International directs resources under the leadership of Melvin Wong to develop new ministries in the Far East. An ex-gay ministry in Taiwan joins Exodus Asia Pacific. A second conference is held in Hong Kong. New ministries are started in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia. Developments also occur in India and Sri Lanka under the leadership of Peter Lane.

2004  Exodus International changed its name to Exodus Global Alliance.

2005  Exodus Latin America holds its third regional conference, selecting Mexico as the host country.

2005  Exodus Brazil holds a regional conference.

2005  Exodus Europe holds its annual conference, selecting Ireland as the host country.

2005  Exodus Global Alliance begins reaching into Eastern Europe. Pat Lawrence and Melvin Wong speak at a conference in the Czech Republic.

2005  In the Far East, Exodus grows in Malaysia and Hong Kong.

2005  Exodus Global Alliance brings 50 ministry directors from around the world together for the first time to a Leadership Summit. They work together to plan the future development of Exodus Global Alliance as a world-wide ministry. After the Summit, Exodus Global Alliance holds an International Conference where the international ministry leaders speak about what is happening as homosexuality and sexual freedom is promoted around the world in places like Africa, Asia, China, Europe, India and Latin America.

2006  Exodus Global Alliance begins working with people in Barbados, Jamaica and other Caribbean countries to develop new ministries in the Caribbean.

2006  Exodus Latin America holds its annual conference in Mexico. They see an increase in the number of people coming to their conference.  New ministries are being started in Chile, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Venezuela.

2006  Exodus Brasil holds its annual conference in Brazil, also seeing new development and growth.

2007  Exodus Global Alliance launches the Exodus Global Alliance Student website.

2008  Exodus East Asia is formed as a new region.

2008  Exodus Global Alliance holds another International LeadershipSummit, bringing ministry directors from around the world together for training and working together to plan the future development of Exodus Global Alliance as a world-wide ministry. In conjunction with the Summit, Exodus Global Alliance holds an International Conference where the international ministry leaders speak about what is happening as homosexuality and sexual freedom is promoted around the world in places like Africa, Asia, China, Europe, India and Latin America.Working together, change around the world is possible…