On the ABC news magazine 20/20, Steve Lee, a Mormon, discussed how he eventually came out to his wife. The two decided that he should try “ex-gay” therapy to see if it could save their marriage. This is how he described it:
“I would definitely call it brainwashing,” he said. “It was an exercise in humiliation.”
This is an interesting description, because a recent study on ex-gays by Pat Robertson University researchers said that people were unlikely to be harmed by such programs. However, not only did Lee find it harmful, but it led to a divorce after 16 years of marriage.
His ex-wife, Jennifer Lee, says, in retrospect, one of her biggest regrets in life was to believe that her husband’s sexuality could be changed by conversion therapy. She wishes churches would embrace anyone and everyone, but doubts that will ever be a reality.
“In a utopian world, the churches would open their arms and accept everybody in the world for who they are,” she said, “but I don’t believe that’s going to happen.”
Thanks to so-called “ex-gay” ministries, it will be quite a while before people are accepted just as they are and we can also expect more unnecessary divorces. I’m just curious if Exodus, Evergreen, NARTH or Dr. Warren Throckmorton plan on creating funds to compensate couples who end up divorced because they were mislead into believing that they could change?
