Alan Chambers, the former president of the now defunct “ex-gay”
ministry Exodus International, opposes conversion therapy for minors.
Last year, Chambers began leading Exodus away from supporting
therapies aimed at “curing” gay men and lesbians of their sexual
orientation. Chambers, who at one point starred in ads for the
ministry touting “change is possible,” reversed course, saying
such therapies do not work and revealing that his attractions to
other men have not faded.
Last month, Chambers apologized for promoting such therapies and
announced the shuttering of Exodus, which billed itself as the
world's oldest and largest “ex-gay” ministry.
In an interview on SiriusXM Progress, Chambers told host
Michaelangelo Signorile that he opposes attempts to alter the
sexuality of young people.
“What I believe is that when it comes to promising or assuring
someone, or causing someone to expect that they're going to
completely eradicate a set of feelings or temptations or desires, I
think that sets someone up for tremendous damage, which can cause
them shame and guilt,” Chambers
said. “I certainly believe we should never be offering
[conversion therapy] for minors. For adults, they can decide based
on all the facts presented.”
“Ex-gay” activists have criticized efforts in at least three
states to outlaw such therapies for minors and a lawsuit against a
New Jersey-based Jewish “ex-gay” group filed by the Southern
Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The activists have called such efforts
“discriminatory.”
“They're literally trying to take away the choice to come out of
homosexuality and pursue heterosexuality [for young people],” Voice
of the Voiceless President Christopher Doyle said during a recent
appearance on the Christian
Broadcasting Network (CBN).
(Related: After
backing “ex-gay” group, Maggie Gallagher feigns innocence.)