Did you know October is “Ex-Gay Awareness Month?” I know, right? Neither did anyone else, anywhere, ever.
But start shopping now, because it’s a gala, too, apparently.
The 2nd Annual Ex-Gay Awareness Month Gala is returning to Washington, D.C., this fall.
The headliner is Alan Keyes, whom the picture below boasts as “ambassador and former presidential candidate” (not to mention misspells his last name). So, it’s not just the gays that are kidding themselves here.
Yesterday, this olympics of self-denial released the schedule for the event. Check it out here. I’ve included some snippets for you. Like this little gem you certainly won’t want to miss:
“Friday, October 3rd: 5:00pm – 6:00pm – Dinner (on your own).”
Exciting. I’m guessing “on your own” is how most of these people dine most of time.
The next day, the schedule calls for three “breakout sessions” with topics to be announced later. Well, I’ve come up with a few the organizers may want to consider:
“Feel Like Brunch? A Man’s Guide to Powering Through to Lunch.”
“The Protracted Hug: A One-Way Ticket to Hell”
“Your Friend the Full-Calorie Soda”
“Vodka’s for Communists: Embracing Beer”
“Pleats: Learning to Love”
The whole event is being run by right-wing nut job Sandy Rios of the American Family Radio Talk. One look at her hair, and you know she doesn’t know any real gays. Here’s her last year at the Values Voter Summit asking the crowd gathered there if they knew any ex-gays. Well, watch for that, you can practically hear an American flag pin drop.
She tells the crowd that ex-gays are just “fabulous.” Sandy, honey, maybe you guys should steer clear of that word.
I’m sure this year’s gala (another word they maybe should steer clear of) will provide another crop of clips for us. But according the registration form, cameras and other recording devices are not allowed. I can’t even tell you where the conference is. You have to pay and register, and then they’ll tell you where the secret gathering is. My, how the tables have turned. The event touts the benefits of conversion therapy, which every reputable medical group has denounced as pseudo-science and something that is, in fact, potentially dangerous. Recently, the ultra-conservative Family Research Council played on the suicide of Robin Williams of all things as proof that conversion therapy can be beneficial.
How successful will this event be? Well, here’s a clip from last year’s event, which, as you can see, drew five or six people to the steps of the United States Supreme Court. Try to watch long enough for the “Hip Hip Hurray for Ex-Gays!” moments. It’s, well, fabulous.
Here’s a picture from the rally. The camera didn’t pan out, maybe because they did not want you to see that less than 10 people showed up. That one guy with his hand on his hip is not exactly helping out the cause.
Brock Thompson is a contributing journalist for TheBlot Magazine.
