The multi-colored banner filled up the sky in front of Iowa's state capitol. Floats occupied by homosexuals, transvestites, and sadomasochists were lined up in sequence, engines running as they waited for their cue. It was the third time I had attended the event, bringing with me a table, a cooler, some bottled water, and about a half dozen friends with a desire to bring some balance to this contentious issue.

As attendees of that year's gay pride celebration walked by our table, we offered them a bottle of water, some friendly conversation, and a 4x5 inch note card with a web site address and phone number of an ex-gay man who had walked away from homosexuality many years ago. For the most part, the people at the celebration treated us with respect, even after reading the card. One man in particular, after engaging us in a friendly discussion about his background, walked off in haste upon finding out why we were there. He refused to take our water or our literature.       

What about our culture makes it politically correct to celebrate the lives of those who identify themselves as homosexual, yet, like the man at the parade, turn our backs in shame even at the idea that someone might choose to find happiness outside the gay life?

Why can't I be proud?

A few years ago Dr. Robert Spitzer, the psychiatrist who led the charge to take homosexuality out of the American Psychiatric Association’s list of mental disorders (DSM-IV) in 1973, issued a statement that he felt he may have been wrong to some degree. 

He said after completing a study of former homosexuals:

"Like most psychiatrists, I thought that homosexual behavior could be resisted--but that no one could really change their sexual orientation. I now believe that's untrue--some people can and do change."

Much of secular psychiatry shunned him and gay psychiatry flat-out lambasted him. The most prevalent accusation was that his study was invalid because he got almost all his subjects from religious organizations and those people are only seeking help because “the bible tells them to” (see 1 Cor. 6-9-11), not because they genuinely desire to be heterosexual. Many people who were prominent voices in the media at that time blew off Dr. Spitzer's "conversion," and they did so publicly. (The real reason those seeking help for their homosexuality seek it from the church is that most secular psychologists have turned their backs on them.)    

This is just one example of the media's blatant refusal, even in the face of such powerful evidence, to acknowledge or substantiate the lives of those who have embraced what Spitzer calls our "heterosexual potential.” The media's efforts at demonizing ex-gay people have contributed significantly to the silence exhibited by those of us who have walked away from homosexuality.    

This, coupled with the fear of rejection from friends and family, keeps many of us in our own closets.

Whether you are gay or ex-gay, the subject of homosexuality is still somewhat taboo in today’s culture. But the science of human psychology, personal experience, and even the Bible tell us that personal transparency is a central element of mental health. No one wants teenagers who are confused about their sexuality to keep it a secret. 

Schools should be a safe place for all people, regardless of sexual orientation.

Last Updated 4-4-06

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