The man whose image is used in a
controversial billboard in Richmond, Virginia which claims that
“nobody is born gay” happens to be gay.
The billboard on Interstate 95 includes
an image of identical male twins under the caption: “Identical
Twins: One Gay. One Not. Nobody is born gay.” The billboard was
erected by the ex-gay group Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays
(PFOX), which promotes the message that gay people can – and should
– change their sexuality.
Except South African Kyle Roux, whose
image appears in the ad, says he's an “out and proud” gay man and
not a twin.
The photos used were part of a stock
photo shoot Roux did nearly a decade ago.
“It just seems like there's no place
in today's world for an organization that is promoting this as being
some kind of deviant or distasteful lifestyle, because I've lived my
life openly gay and happy for my entire life,” Roux told NBC
12 News via Skype. “It's actually quite a big thing that there
is this kind of discrimination and borderline hate speech going on,
you know.”
Christopher Doyle, president of the
“ex-gay” group Voice of the Voiceless and a former board member
of PFOX, said the “actual science,” not the image used, is the
issue.
“PFOX supports the rights of everyone
who wants to pursue that [altering their sexuality] for themselves,”
Doyle said.