Exodus Global Alliance Australia continues to crumble

Recent mainstream media reports about the closing down of world's leading 'gay cure' organisation, Exodus International, and its impact on Australia have been misleading claims Anthony Venn-Brown.

The Sydney Morning Herald's headline, which went out to hundreds of Fairfax outlets, read 'Gay cure' therapy will continue is lacking two more words says Venn-Brown "it should have read 'Gay cure' therapy will continue ....to disappear"

Anthony Venn-Brown, the founder and director of Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International has been monitoring ex-gay organisations activities in Australia for over thirteen years. Venn-Brown has just returned from attending the final Exodus conference in Orange County CA, He was invited by Exodus International's president, Alan Chambers to hear the historic announcement "it's over".

According to Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International research released this time last year, two thirds of organisations offering help to people with "unwanted same sex attraction" in Australia and New Zealand no longer exist.

"Since that research there have been further ground breaking developments and even more organisations have shut up shop" Venn-Brown said. 

Australian and New Zealand "ex-gay" organisations have been a part of the Exodus Global Alliance which is a loose affiliation of ministries outside North America who believe that homosexuality is a sin, a choice and can be changed.

"Even though the Sydney Morning Herald article stated that these groups will continue the work it failed to mention what little there is left of the crumbling Alliance" Venn-Brown commented.

"Mosaic Ministries website has been taken down after the tragic suicide of one of its participants and the only worker at Liberty Christian Ministries, Haydn Sennitt, just resigned. Last year, Haydn admitted that he had only seen less than a dozen people.  Ministry One is another organisation that has gone from the Asia Pacific Global Alliance website as the founder and director, Simon Tinkler, came out as gay and been living with his male partner since 2009.  I released his story and apology last week after the Exodus conference", Venn-Brown added.

Not only did Tinkler apologise for leading others astray he said "Above all I encourage gay people not to get married for the sake of the precious other person involved and to avoid ex-gay ministries like the plague".

One of the few remaining members of the Global Alliance is Living Waters and the director, Ron Brookman vows to continue his work to see homosexuals change.

Venn-Brown says this ministry will also disappear as he has also released a statement from a former straight Living Waters leader, Alan Le May. In the statement and apology Le May says he was "well meaning but misguided" and added "After approximately 3 years facilitation and subsequently many more years observation of other similar programs I have seen these hopes dashed rather than fulfilled and the consequence being a range of social, emotional and psychological problems for those whom we were compelled to help".

"The vast majority of Australians don't see being gay as an issue and an increasing number of Christian churches are welcoming and affirming. The struggling Australian ex-gay organisations are swimming upstream against a tsunami. Considering the tragedies I've seen these organisations create in lives, the end can't come soon enough". Venn-Brown concluded.

Media inquires

Anthony Venn-Brown

M: +61 (0)416 015 231

E: anthony@gayambassador.com

W: Ambassadors &  Bridge Builders International

Blog: http://gayambassador.blogspot.com.au

Twitter: @gayambassador

Is an new ex-gay group coming to Australia

Some of us received a disturbing newsletter from the LGBT activist group AllOut yesterday saying.

They're coming to Australia. This week, an extremist religious group is holding workshops for gays and lesbians on how to hate themselves for who they are. These type of "therapy sessions" collect cash for one purpose only: to sell the idea that people who are not straight should stifle it.

On Sunday it's happening in Sydney. But we can shut it down. Already almost 50,000 people around the world have taken a stand against these harmful and unnecessary treatments - and All Out members successfully called governments to action in France and Argentina. 

We're setting off a global domino effect to shut down these sessions and ban "gay cures" for good. Will you call on the Australian government, and the governments at every tour-stop, to stand against "gay cures"?

Immediately I began getting emails and messages from people distressed and angry about this news. 

This was disturbing to many of us because:

1. Those of us who have been monitoring ex-gay activities in Australia for many years knew nothing about this.
2. The newsletter gave the impression there was a new push in this country when clearly ex-gay ministries are in decline here. Two thirds gone in the last decade.

All my inquiries and research within Australia came up with nothing.

I was eventually able to speak a representative at AllOut in New York. AllOut's initiatives globally have been and are important projects worth supporting. One of their projects is to follow Desert Streams seminars around the world and do activism in those countries by engaging with the governments and making them aware of the dangers of associated with ex-gay programs.

Unfortunately the information in the AllOut newsletter sent to Australian's wasn't entirely correct.

They're coming to Australia. ....They is referring to Desert Stream.......but they are not coming here. Desert Stream is branded Living Waters here. It is not a Desert Stream organisation as such but uses Andy Comisky's Living Waters programs and are affiliated.

On Sunday it's happening in Sydney. An error has been made here. AllOut got this information from this page assuming this was a Desert Stream initiative as they are doing in other parts of the world (Europe, USA & Asia). As I pointed out to the AllOut representative, these programs have actually been running regularly for the last 20 years in Australia (and appears to gettiing less and less attending).......so this is nothing new or a US/Desert Stream initiative as expressed in the newsletter.

I will continue to keep you informed about progress here in Australia. 

We will be contiue to determine ways we can effectively overcome misinformation and ignorance about sexuality and gender diversity here in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Your support to make this happen will be greatly appreciated. 

Anthony Venn-Brown

Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International

E: info@gayambassador.com

Twitter: @gayambassador

ABOUT ANTHONY VENN-BROWN

Anthony Venn-Brown is a founder of Freedom 2 b[e], Australia’s largest network of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people from Christian backgrounds and is currently director of Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International. He is an educator, consultant and commentator on LGBT/faith issues and been committed to deconstructing the ‘ex-gay’ myth in Australia. Anthony’s journey from married, high profile preacher in Australia’s mega-churches to living as an openly gay man is detailed in his autobiography 'A Life of Unlearning'. Anthony has been twice voted ‘One of the 25 Most Influential Gay and Lesbian Australians’ (2007 & 2009) and was one of four finalists for the 2011 ACON Community Hero Award.

'Former' Homosexual Ron Brookman Misleads National Senate Inquiry

'Former' Homosexual Ron Brookman Misleads National Senate Marriage Equality Inquiry

Sydney 28 May 2012 – The Senate Same-Sex Marriage Inquiry called the National Marriage Coalition last week to speak to their submission against marriage equality. Joining Christian Activist Bill Muehlenberg, was Reverend Ron Brookman, whose ministry, Living Waters, works with people who have 'unwanted' same-sex-attraction. Rev. Brookman told the committee 'For over 30 years I was homosexual' and that he had experienced a 'transformation of my sexuality to heterosexuality'. Others challenge the truth of that statement.

Anthony Venn-Brown, a former married, Assemblies of God minister and now gay community leader says that Brookman has not been completely honest to the inquiry and that his heterosexual marriage is not an indication of a change in his sexual orientation.

'Ron and I were filmed for a Bible college presentation presenting both sides of the debate on homosexuality. Ron freely admitted, more than once, that he got sexually aroused reading my autobiography. Whenever pressed whether he still experiences homosexual thoughts or feelings Ron admits it still happens but he doesn't act on them. This happened when Ron was interviewed for the recent documentary The Cure. Telling the Senate Inquiry that he is now heterosexual and also encourages others into heterosexual marriage is not only dishonest and misleading it is irresponsible' said Venn-Brown.

Brookman also told the inquiry 'In the last six months I have celebrated the weddings of two ex-gay men who have married beautiful wives and two couples who have given birth to babies who would never have been born had they not transitioned from homosexuality'.

Venn-Brown works with gay men in heterosexual marriages and says he is very aware of implications of taking the path Brookman is suggesting and the disastrous results this can lead to.

'There are often enormous religious, cultural or family pressures upon these men to conform and they enter the marriage believing it will solve their 'problem'. But over time these types of marriages become unstainable as the gay man feels fragmented and deep down inside knows he is living a lie'. For many men it begins to fall about around midlife. But I have also worked with men who are coming out in their 50's and even 60's, Venn-Brown said.

'The devastation when reality is faced can be horrific to all concerned. People often say to me, well at least you have your children but I always tell them that whilst I’m grateful for the years of married life and my lovely daughters, I also have to live with the knowledge that I have been the source of the greatest trauma, pain and shame in the lives of the people I cared most about'. Venn-Brown added.

Ron Brookman may have a harmonious loving relationship with his wife and overcome his sexual addiction but turned from gay to straight; I don’t think so. This is nothing more than what I have termed 'situational heterosexuality'; a level of heterosexual functionality not a change in orientation. Christian groups like the National Marriage Coalition wheeling Ron out to demonstrate homosexuality is a choice and that anyone can change have only undermined their own credibility, Venn-Brown concluded.

A five minute interview Ron Brookman gave after the inquiry is on the Australian Christian Lobby website.

Media inquires

Anthony Venn-Brown

M: +61 (0)416 015 231

E: anthony@gayambassador.com

W: Ambassadors &  Bridge Builders International

Twitter: @gayambassador