Monday, January 07, 2008

The Ex-Gay Program

This is the second video segment of my four part Survivor series telling my story of growing up gay, becoming Christian, struggling with same sex attractions, and reconciling the conflict between my faith and my sexuality. Daniel Gonzales of Box Turtle Bulletin (and in partnership with Beyond Ex-Gay) recorded, created and edited the video (creative commons license).

To supplement this video, also read my "Ex-Gay Survivor Story".

Have you missed previous segments? Be sure to check out:

Part 1: Suicide and the Porcelain Punisher.
Part 3: Isolation and Exclusion.
Part 4: Side X Culture.

And now watch, Part 2: The Ex-Gay Program:

4 comments:

Carol said...

Your honesty and courage show in every word. Thanks for being candid and for sharing.

Vincent Cervantes said...

hey! kamusta? your story is amazingly shared and it really is courageous of you!

Anonymous said...

Both of us being raised in the church - realize the struggles that you have in your "two worlds".

Steve is Catholic and I was raised in the pentecostal "Assemblies of God" protestant denomination.

Thank you for sharing your story via You Tube - but more so, thank you for the courage of being able to share your Christian faith and the fact that you are gay.

Sadly the church today continues to persecute "gay Christians" but reality is God's love prevails. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

As for us, we are in the group that "whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" for that we are thankful - daily.

Thanks for being so open, so loving and sharing your faith with us.

Yard[D]og said...

As you know I have become familiar with the Gay Christian Network recently. I keep bumping up against a mindset that I do (did) not understand. Tonight I saw your YouTube "ex-gay program." It helped me understand what that "bump" is.

You are going through a journey but you are not alone.

Looking back, I see elements of my own, while realizing that my background and my own faith supported me along my way.

It seems so sad to me that some cultural and religious paradigms continue to support systems that destroy the human soul instead of validating it.

Perhaps that is why I have always been drawn to those people and institutions that seek to change those systems.

Thanks for sharing your story. It is a story that needs to be told.