Community Standing Strong:
Countering Exodus On-Site
ASHEVILLE, NC - Exodus International hosted its annual Freedom Conference near Asheville July 15 through July 20, 2008. In response, a group of concerned citizens – led by Lindsay Reed of Asheville – protested peacefully at Ridgecrest Conference Center, the site of the Exodus conference.
From July 16 through July 20, concerned members of the community gathered each morning as conference attendees poured through the entrance to Ridgecrest, to “show these people that God will love them no matter what and that there is such a thing as a healthy and happy homosexual,” Reed said. “I feel like it gets really confusing for them being told over and over again that they’re living the ‘gay lifestyle.’ We were there to show them a better way of dealing with their feelings, and that they could be a Christian, be happy, and know that God loves them no matter what,” she continued.
Reed said she chose to gather in the mornings because the conference held its daily registration during that same time, and a lot of people coming to the conference would see the group’s presence. “I was so proud of my community,” she said. “People showed up every single morning.” The group was able to talk to a lot of people throughout the week, and Reed said, “I feel like we made a huge impact.”
Reed wanted to do something in response to the Exodus conference because she was raised in the evangelical Christian movement and she says she understands completely what these people are going through. In fact, she had forgotten all about the conference happening until “a family member called me asking if I felt like I actually needed to attend the conference,” she said. “So after I got off the phone, I immediately started preparing for the conference and coming up with ideas. I didn’t know who all was going to be involved or who would even support me,” she continued.
While the group was not confrontational, they did hold signs. Among them was a large banner that read “Happy to be gay” and “come talk to us.” Some of the other signs said things like “You were created in God’s image!” “It’s not sexual addiction to be in love!” and “We support our queer community!”
Of the group’s signage, Reed said, “We wanted people to know that we weren’t going to bite and that us being there was an invitation for them to come have a conversation with us and ask questions.”
Reed thinks the group made a difference by engaging in respectful conversations with conference attendees. According to Reed, all of the people there wanted the group to feel welcome – as long as they did not go through the front gate. “I personally think we made a difference. I quoted Bible verses and really gave them a few things to think about. Some of these people felt like they were created by God to carry the burden of same sex attraction to prove their faith. They needed to know that being gay was not a cross to bear as a sin,” she said.
But Reed found some of the conversation with the Exodus attendees disturbing. “Some of the things I heard while being there just made me sick to my stomach,” Reed said.
For example, while speaking to some conference attendees, Reed and the rest of the group learned another aspect of the conference was sexual addiction and that a couple of people who identified themselves as pedophiles were attending the same workshops as people with same-sex attraction. Reed asked if they saw this as a problem and was told that the core sin is the same; that homosexuality is a sexual addiction and should be considered and treated as a sickness or disorder, just like pedophilia.
Reed said she thinks ex-gay groups are harmful to people because “it makes the burden even heavier for them.” She cites her own experience hiding her sexual identity from her mother until this past November. Since then, she feels much freer – and hopes to help spread her message of self-love in the future.