I just heard about a documentary set to air on Global TV on Saturday, April 12 at 7pm. Cure For Love is a new film about the "ex-gay" religious movement. The film profiles two couples: one couple has “renounced” their sexuality and is apparently happily married and another couple has ceased questioning their gayness and accepted it.
Cure For Love was co-produced by Earth to Sky Pictures Inc. and the National Film Board of Canada. For more info, check out an interview with filmmaker Christina Willings on the NFB website.
Personally, I don't believe that it's possible to turn gay people straight, or vice versa. Our sexual orientation is inborn and, I believe, part of God's design for humanity (and the sooner mainstream religions accept this reality, the better). Based on my research over the years, it seems that the only homosexuals who claim they have been "cured" are those also still employed by such ex-gay ministries or churches. Nevertheless, Cure should make for interesting viewing.
Another excellent documentary worth checking out is 'For the Bible Tells Me So' by director Daniel G. Karslake. I posted about it earlier this year. It's now available on DVD.
6 comments:
"Based on my research over the years, it seems that the only homosexuals who claim they have been "cured" are those also still employed by such ex-gay ministries or churches. Nevertheless, Cure should make for interesting viewing."
What is your research? Can you describe that? Because I would be interested in knowing what that is. I know many people who once would say they were gay but are no longer, who do not work for any ex gay ministries or churches.
Also the Documentary is not about the ex gay religious movement, rather it is a documentary about two couples who decided to walk out their faith differently from each other, but who have remained great friends with each other.
You are a freelance writer, so please get facts straight.
Thanks,
Matt
The previous post that I posted, may have sounded harsh...I apologize, I recently talked with one of the 4 people that this documentary followed, and their understanding of Christina, was way (WAY) different than that of the interview that you have posted. I read that and was actually quite shocked at her comments. Not at all how she represented herself to those involved. Now did she miss represent herself or was she miss quoted in the interview?
I once did some preliminary work on a possible documentary into the ex-gay movement and this was what I found. We didn't make the documentary as films like this one beat us to it. I actually think one of her subjects in the documentary might indeed be one of the ex-gays we interviewed in our prep work, so I'll watch it tomorrow night with interest.
What most so-called ex-gays, not on the church payroll, tend to say is they merely suppress their natural inclinations in order to try to live a straight life. But in reality, they still have "same sex attraction", they admit. So these programs don't cure anybody. The only people who falsely claim that homosexuality can indeed be removed from a person and replaced with heterosexuality are those typically associated with these churches. They do this to back up their prejudice that homosexuality is somehow not natural or part of God's design.
I also consider the American Psychiatric Association to be pretty reliable in this discussion. I quote a recent Jonathan Kay column on the subject: "Notwithstanding church programs that promise to de-program gay kids, the APA has declared that sexual orientation is "not changeable." According to the United States Surgeon General, "there is no valid scientific evidence that sexual orientation can be changed." Not surprisingly, the "ex-gay" men who find Christ and declare themselves "cured" of homosexuality usually wind up not so "ex" in the long run..."
Kenny, I met Christina this past summer when the film crew came to the US to attend and cover the Ex-Gay Survivor Conference held in Irvine, CA. I found her to be genuine and sensitive. In order to promote the film, it seems the news' article referenced only posts some of Christina's words without capturing the essence of her work and attitude. I imagine the piece will be compassionately presented. We shall know that soon enough.
Peterson
Hello people,
I read all of you, and as a man who is attracted to other males but who doesn't suscribe at all with mainstream gay theory and community, and who tried for many years to overcome his homosexuality mainly out of making my family happy (I am not a religious guy and I am not Christian at all!) I can tell you something: I never have had better friendships and true honest friendships than with my fellow ex-gay friends and also with my heterosexual friends. We do have to be DEEPLY on denial about what's going on in the so-called "gay community (?)" if we want to do some progress. Even do I eventually left the reparative therapy and came back to date guys, I did made huge strides in therapy and I will surely never be the same. It was totally shocking for me to find the gay culture so destructive, careless, and the facts talk... I see a bunch of gay men who are always in "victim-mode" because what happened to them 20 years ago, or just because they want to find and excuse to bitch, or have careless sex, or go to a bathouse, etc. I feel that the level of denial in the gay community is totally out of control, and that due to that so many people are so unhappy. I see all these amazing men, so intelligent and smart, who send their amazing lives looking for a hook up.... just one more, this is for sure my man... It is very understandable what the ex-gay movement says and claims and is about time to get it: they don't claim to cure homosexuality as if you cure a flu. Homosexuality in the first place is not a disease...so there's no cure, it is, according to the ex-gay movement supporters, a problem of the soul, such as drug addiction and alcoholism. I quite smoking almost 10 years ago, I was a 3 pack a day smoker for 10 years or so, ad it was though but I quit, I never went back or even crave one cigarette, but if I'll touch one I'm pretty sure I'll be back smoking my 3 packs withing 2 weeks of re-starting; on the ocntrary, my old roomate, he quit smokes 20 years ago, and he craves smokes every single day of his life, is he addicted to cigarettes after 20 years of non-smoking? I see what goes n inside the gay community and truly guys I do understand and support people who want to take any means to escape it. Is appalling and sad. Interestingly, after 30 years od AIDS we are still like... 30 years ago... And our excuse is: straight people are the same way but they are repressed... Anyhow... Time to stop blaming the World for our misfortunes, time to start looking within, and see what WE are doing wrong...the lying to each other, the "everything goes" sexually, the "I was born like that" (were we born just "gay" or "homosexual" or we were born with out-of-control urges t go to have sex in dark parks and public washrooms with strangers, to have multiple partners and incapable of closeness and fidelity? What about our innate desire to go to bathhouses? No one is guilty of our self-inflicted pain but us... Just some scattered thoughts here, with some level of frustration, upsetting and anger... Love you all, and if I write this is because I truly care deeply for each one of you guys...
What most so-called ex-gays, not on the church payroll, tend to say is they merely suppress their natural inclinations in order to try to live a straight life. But in reality, they still have "same sex attraction", they admit. So these programs don't cure anybody. The only people who falsely claim that homosexuality can indeed be removed from a person and replaced with heterosexuality are those typically associated with these churches. They do this to back up their prejudice that homosexuality is somehow not natural or part of God's design.
I wonder...do we all need to accept the same view regarding homosexuality? If we do not agree that homosexuality is somehow not natural and not part of God's design, does that make us hold a prejudice view point or right away deemed a homophobe?
For myself, I hold that view, but have many gay and lesbian friends. I do not think any less of them, but my spiritual view point is different than theirs. They don't view me as a homophobe? They love me just as I love them. I am not ramming down my theological view on them nor are they ramming down their views on me.
Why are we so afraid of people who want to seek out something different because of their spirituality or faith? Why is that so bad? For the most part, it is their lives they need to live, not ours to impose on them something different. We are hypocrites if we judge those wanting to change?
I think in terms of what Arie said is true. I find his post interesting and thought provoking. As a recent viewer of the gay pride parade in our city, I was appalled by "sexually" driven floats and the lewd behavior. Is that Pride? Why do the parades just promote "sex"? Is that all there is in terms of the culture? We don't see heterosexuals having a pride parade, dancing around in their underwear?
I think we need to come to a place of respect and honor. One that isn't just instilling a view to society that we are just about sex. Why don't we as a community seek to shut down bathhouses, sex in parks and look at a movement that is truly one of self respect and honor. We don't do that when we are just fueling sexual addiction and self destructive behavior.
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