Shock: Mike Johnson As soon as Labored With a Conversion Remedy Group That Claimed It May Flip Homosexual Folks Straight

One other day, one other horrifying revelation about Speaker Mike Johnson and the very antigay issues he mentioned and did earlier than changing into Home Speaker—this time involving a conversion remedy group that claimed it may flip homosexual individuals straight.

CNN’s KFILE stories that previous to his political profession, Johnson gave authorized recommendation to Exodus Worldwide, a frontrunner within the “ex-gay” motion that, in its personal phrases, promoted “the message of Freedom from homosexuality by means of the facility of Jesus Christ” and supplied “help for people who need to get well from homosexuality.” As well as, Johnson reportedly partnered with the group on a wildly evil occasion—began by Alliance Protection Fund, the socially conservative authorized advocacy group he labored for—known as the “Day of Reality,” which was meant to be a counterprotest to an occasion designed to carry consciousness to the bullying LGBTQ+ are topic to.

Per KFILE:

Exodus Worldwide joined ADF’s Day of Reality occasion in 2006 and the teams labored collectively on promotional materials for the occasion, together with a standalone web site which pointed customers to Exodus’ conversion ministries. Paperwork on that web site cited the since-repudiated educational work in help of conversion remedy…. Movies put out by Exodus and ADF on their standalone Day of Reality web site featured two Exodus staffers talking about how teenagers didn’t have to “settle for” or “embrace” their homosexuality. The movies featured testimonials of a “former-homosexual” and “former lesbian.”

The web site featured a FAQ on homosexuality supplied by Exodus and offered T-shirts saying, “the Reality can’t be silenced.” One video featured Johnson, who was later quoted in a press launch on Exodus Worldwide’s web site forward of the occasion, saying, “An open, sincere dialogue permits reality to rise to the floor.”

Selling the occasion in 2008, Johnson informed a radio host, “I imply, our race, the dimensions of our ft, the colour of our eyes, these are issues we’re born with and we can not change. What these grownup advocacy teams just like the Homosexual Lesbian Straight Training Community are selling is a sort of habits. Gay habits is one thing you do, it’s not one thing that you’re.” (Additionally, in 2008, he mentioned in an interview: “Some credit score to the autumn of Rome to not solely the deprivation of the society and the lack of morals, but in addition to the rampant gay habits that was condoned by the society.”)

Wayne Besen, the chief director of Reality Wins Out, informed KFILE the “Day of Reality” occasion “straight harmed LGBTQ youth.” And of Johnson, he mentioned: “That is somebody whose core was selling antigay and ex-gay viewpoints. He wouldn’t pander to antigay advocates, he was the antigay and ex-gay advocate.” Exodus was shutdown in 2013. On the time, its founder issued a public apology for the “ache and harm” the group triggered. Medical professionals have extensively condemned conversion remedy, calling it the follow pseudoscientific and abusive. Which might be why it is banned in quite a few nations, with one UN knowledgeable saying it could quantity to torture.

Johnson’s workplace didn’t reply to CNN’s request for remark, and it’s not clear the place he stands on the matter of conversion remedy as we speak. However two not very reassuring issues to notice? In his interview with Sean Hannity final week, the brand new Home Speaker claimed to “love all individuals…no matter their life-style decisions,” indicating he believes LGBTQ+ individuals are selecting to not be straight. Additionally? In 2019, i.e., only a few years in the past, as chair of the Republican Research Committee, Johnson tried to get Amazon to reverse its ban on conversion remedy books.