Exodus activist Tom Cole has long been fond of publicity and never shied away from a television camera. I most remember him for his cowardice.
In 1998, 15 religious right organizations embarked on a million dollar advertising campaign to say that people could “pray away the gay”. In several conversations, Cole claimed that he disagreed with the over-politicized message of these anti-gay groups. He said he wanted to speak out against their hatred, but in the end, he never found the moral courage to do so.
Sadly, Cole reached a new low this week. He exploited his teenage daughter, Elisabeth, and had her film a video promoting the “ex-gay” myth. She seems like a sweet kid — though thoroughly misinformed on the issue of homosexuality. Like any child, Elisabeth has limited experience in the real world and is trying to please her parents.
But what kind of father uses his teenage daughter to do his dirty work? Instead of protecting his child, Cole is using her to promote his anti-gay agenda. This kind of reminds me of the parents who force their children to hold up pictures of bloody fetuses in front of abortion clinics. (although not quite as bad)
Exodus talks a good game on family values, but seem to have no problem with such naked exploitation. I can almost hear Tom Cole saying:
“Hey, our ‘ex-gays’ aren’t convincing anyone, let’s trot out our cute kids and cynically use them as props to gain publicity.”
What next? An “ex-gay” Balloon Boy to garner media? This is absolutely pathetic and an example of poor parenting.
