In an interview with Canada's Daily
Xtra, Wendy Gritter denounces the ex-gay ministry she once
headed.
Gritter, the executive director of the
Toronto-based New Direction, in 2008 pulled the plug on the group's
affiliation with Exodus International, a group which promoted
therapies that promised to turn gay men and lesbians straight.
(While Exodus closed in 2013, many member ministries continue to
operate.)
“It was kind of a mind-fuck to
realize that the thing I was leading had traumatized people to the
point of suicidal ideation,” she said.
On its website, New Direction describes
its mission as “nurturing safe and spacious places for sexual
minority persons to explore and grow in faith in Jesus Christ.”
When asked why the group didn't simply
disband, Gritter answered: “Part of not disappearing is to say that
this matters, and repentance matters.”
Gritter recently presided over the
wedding of a male gay couple.