Truth Wins Out Denounces Ignite Student Outreach “Ex-Gay” Camp
Wayne Besen (WayneBesen.com) is the author of Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth and the founder of Truth Wins Out (TWO). Yesterday, he announced TWO’s condemnation of Ignite Student Outreach, which “utilizes camps, conferences, and retreats to act as a catalyst in spurring on students to a deeper walk with Christ.”
Ignite Student Outreach’s affiliate organization, Exodus Youth, “affirms that reorientation of same sex attraction is possible.”
Ex-Gay Watch, with assistance from Peterson Toscano, recently created “Does Exodus Sanction Forcing People Into ‘Ex-gay’ Programs?”:
Matt Hill Comer got an invite to attend Ignite Student Outreach’s camp and posted it here.
ETA: Exodus’ Randy Thomas responds to the above YouTube video here.
You can find Maria on MySpace here and read her current call for essays on femme identity here. Pick up Queer Shorts, her new anthology, at MergePress.com.
Hi Maria, Thanks for the link. Here is my latest post.
Also… Alan Chambers from Exodus, Int.’l has responded on Wayne Besen’s blog, saying that this camp has nothing to do about homosexuality.
Other commenters have weighed in to poke holes right through that claim. If the camp has nothing to do with homosexuality, why then does his speaker profile state: “He offers unique insight into how homosexuality personally affects individuals and the broader culture. Alan will share advice and training with youth workers at camp to teach them how to address this epidemic issue.”
One commenter noted that this camp seems more like a program to better train and equip youth leaders with the ex-gay Exodus dogma than it does with actually “turning” kids straight. There may be some truth in that, as the camp invitations like the one I receive put a focus on training for youth leaders.
Important FYI…. Ignite Student Outreach has edited its website section on “Affiliates.”
Ignite Student Outreach re-writes the past