Ex-gay group PFOX has filed a lawsuit
against the Washington DC Office of Human Rights (OHR). The lawsuit
alleges that the OHR failed to protect former gays under its sexual
orientation anti-discrimination law. Ex-gay watchdog group Truth
Wins Outs quickly dismissed the suit, calling it “frivolous” and
“loony.”
The PFOX lawsuit asks the DC Superior
Court to direct the OHR to add former gays to the list of classes
protected under the sexual orientation law; currently gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender people are included.
“The ex-gay community is the most
bullied and maligned group in America, yet they are not protected by
sexual orientation non-discrimination laws,” said Regina Griggs,
executive director of PFOX. “Shouldn't ex-gays enjoy the same
legal protections that gays enjoy?”
The group said they were moved to act
because of the exclusion of ex-gays in the current Employment
Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which presidential candidate Senator
Barack Obama has pledged to sign into law.
“This far-reaching law which Obama
plans to pass as president will grant rights to homosexuals,
transgenders and cross-dressers, but what about ex-gays?” asked
Griggs.
“Loony,” fired back Truth Wins Out
President Wayne Besen.
“If so-called 'ex-gays' are now
heterosexual, they are covered under the basis of sexual
orientation,” said Besen. “This nonsensical lawsuit is frivolous
and a desperate, grandstanding attempt for free media attention.
PFOX should apologize for clogging up the court system with a loony
lawsuit that will ultimately be dismissed.”
The group also disputed the notion that
ex-gays suffer discrimination, saying “PFOX has never offered any
evidence and has long invented or greatly exaggerated potential
cases.”
The PFOX website says the group
“supports the right of homosexuals to choose change.”
“Former homosexuals should have the
right to be out, open and safe in society,” Griggs said. “On his
website, Senator Obama says he supports gay and transgender rights
because he supports civil rights for all persons, but does that
include ex-gays? Americans need to know where Obama stands on the
issue of ex-gay inclusion because his pledge to pass homosexual and
transgender legislation as president will affect all of us.”