Wayne Besen - Author, Activist, Columnist, Public Speaker

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

(Scott Davis - Alan Chambers Right Hand Man)

(Weekly Column)

I am frequently asked if the big screen comedy depicting a wacky ex-gay camp, "But I'm a Cheerleader," accurately reflects these conversion groups. People are surprised to learn that the hilarity and hijinx portrayed in the movie, starring drag diva RuPaul, is not farfetched from reality. Sometimes it is hard to tell if the zany movie is art imitating life or the other way around.

For example, this week we have learned that Exodus International, the largest ex-gay organization, has partnered with a Christian group, Ignite Student Outreach, to produce the campiest ex-gay camp America has ever seen. The featured speaker at the summer retreat is Justin Lookadoo, a peroxide blond who looks like punk rocker Billy Idol on crack.

If you click on Lookadoo's webpage, he poses bent over while grabbing his tush. He lists among his favorite singers "Ricky Martin, when he was still Latino and Michael Jackson, when he was still black."

Lookadoo and other "wholesome" figures will lead four summer camps this summer in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Ostensibly, they cater to all Christian youth, but if you delve below the surface, it appears to be a thinly-veiled front for ex-gay recruitment and the indoctrination of young Christian leaders.

What is particularly disturbing about Ignite Student Outreach is that it does not explicitly claim to be ex-gay and focuses on "close encounters" with God. However, even a cursory look at their webpage reveals that it is laced with a dangerous ex-gay message, lists Exodus Youth as its only affiliate (at least until my blog publicly revealed the camp this week) and features ex-gay speakers.

Indeed, Alan Chambers, the president of Exodus International, is scheduled to speak at the camp, as is his hunky Exodus Youth deputy, Scott Davis.

This camp appears to be a stealth strategy for Exodus to get a foothold into summer camps and mold impressionable minds. The way they are trying to accomplish this is by appearing "cool," utilizing trendy graphics, innovative CDs and featuring hokey hipsters such as Lookadoo. The camp is also actively recruiting gay youths at colleges in the south through targeted e-mail campaigns. (UNC Greensboro student/activist Matt Hill Comer first reported on the camp)

While Ignite Student Outreach has lavished resources on seeming hip, has it focused the same attention on keeping out hypocrites? What measures has the camp put in place to ensure that youths are safe from predators?

Even Exodus claims no more than a 1/3-success rate and compares the transition to homosexuality as a constant "struggle." In a candid moment, Chambers told me in an interview for my book, Anything But Straight, "I don't think [change is] going from gay to straight. Just saying that doesn't sound like an accurate representation of what Exodus facilitates or proclaims."

Given the admitted failure rate, the inability to achieve complete transformation and the constant battle against "sins" of the flesh, it seems that it is exceedingly unhealthy for Exodus to be in the youth business.

We know from dealing with Catholic priests that men who try to suppress their sexuality often fail and look for easy targets to satisfy their urges - like youths in a summer camp. Given this parallel, why would a "struggling" ex-gay be admitted to lead a summer camp?

Indeed, Exodus has already encountered problems with leaders preying on vulnerable children. According to the Los Angeles Times, in 1998, one family sued Desert Stream, arguably Exodus's premier ministry, alleging that a minister had sexually abused a teenager while the youth was undergoing therapy to turn him straight. According to the article, the family settled its lawsuit for an undisclosed sum.

I'm sorry, but this is totally unacceptable behavior for an organization that is working to get into pup tents with youth in the woods. If Exodus wants to expand into camps, they must come clean on what really happened in California and explain what actions were taken against the alleged molester. They must also reveal all other such episodes that may have occurred since this incident.

There is the additional concern that Exodus will admit teens into these camps against their will. Just last week, I spoke to a distraught father whose daughter was taken from him by his ex-wife and placed in a desert bootcamp in the Southwest where she was forbidden from bathing. The father rescued her, but said he wanted to "burn her clothes" because they were so fetid.

While ex-gay groups promote theories that belong in comedies like "But I'm a Cheerleader" the damage and mental abuse perpetrated by their leaders is nothing to cheer.

38 Comments:

It is no secret that fundamentalists recruit children, and the younger the better. Studies show that 80% of all fundamentalists were brainwashed into it as a child. Those few who do accept it as adults are usually drug addicts or alcoholics. Thankfully, we live in a free society. Alan Chambers and his self-loathing crowd can have their camp; as for me, living an authentic life gives more rewards than they will ever know. It's no surprise that so many of these "ex-gays" are quite young. With age comes wisdom, and I do hope that they find it.
posted by Chris L., at 11/29/2006 8:28 AM

"Justin Lookadoo, a peroxide blond who looks like punk rocker Billy Idol on crack."

A suicide blonde--dyed by his own hand! Nyuk! Nyuk!
posted by billy idyll, at 11/29/2006 10:07 AM

I saw the documentary.."Jesus Camp".

The indoctrination that goes on would scare the shit out of anyone.
Or should.

Similar places aimed at gay folks...even scarier.
posted by Regan, at 11/29/2006 10:46 AM

These places are no different than islamic madrasas that brainwash young boys into hating jews christians and anything western.
posted by Anonymous, at 11/29/2006 11:33 AM

I've met drag queens who are less gay than Lookadoo is. The man couldn't be gayer if he was wearing Liberace's rings. Do they honestly think anyone, young or old, is fooled by this? I mean, I know the average American is relatively slow on the uptake, but come on.

--Johnny in Minneapolis
posted by Anonymous, at 11/29/2006 2:09 PM

Well, it is a private enterprise and if they do not believe that living a homosexual lifestyle is a christian value then they have every right to say so. They also believe in celibacy before marriage. You do not have to send your children there.
posted by Anonymous, at 11/29/2006 8:33 PM

Geez, who cares?? They are not even trying to make kids "ex gay" just teach about some of their views on sexuality. They do that in christian schools ALL THE TIME!!!! What is the difference - because they have a strange looking guy?? Why aren't you protesting against private schools?
posted by Anonymous, at 11/29/2006 8:45 PM

Anonymous, we care. We do not accept the brainwashing and abuse of children. That is for born-again bigots.

You are human scum, if you are human at all
posted by Anonymous, at 11/29/2006 11:15 PM

Children get brainwashed no matter what culture or family they are born into. My question was - why do you not protest at private schools? Which is where there is a greater population of children being indoctrinated. Why stop at these little camps??

Oh - and don't call me scum. I have never referred to gay people in that manner.
posted by Anonymous, at 11/29/2006 11:51 PM

A private school that is mainstream is NOT the same as a 'little camp' that abuses children psychologically and teaches them to hate either themselves or others. And being gay is NOT a lifestyle, it's what we ARE and bigotry and discrimination are NOT Christian virtues. Christ was all about compassion and INCLUSION!!! He broke bread and hung out with the outcasts and those marginalized by society and all the other victims of a domination culture. If He had a choice between breaking bread with a bunch of hyppocritical megachurchers who are only good for waving their hands in the air and a bunch of flaming drag queens, He'd pick the drag queens! At least He would have more fun and the bread and wine would be infinately better.
Read New Testament scholar Marcus Borg's books and become a REAL Christian if that's your chosen spiritual path.
posted by Anonymous, at 11/30/2006 2:52 PM

Private religious schools.
posted by Anonymous, at 11/30/2006 7:17 PM

That Scott sure is hot.

Hot Scott...tee hee hee. I'm sure that stud is well behaved when he is alone.
posted by Anonymous, at 11/30/2006 8:43 PM

Scott Davis is hot. I'm sure that he would do a lot of good for kids trying not to be gay. (Sarcasm for those of you that don't get it.)
posted by jekelhyde, at 11/30/2006 8:47 PM

When Scott comes out, I want to sodomize him. He looks like a god bottom. I bet all the "ex-gay" kids sign up for his class. Heck, I'd go to ex-gay camp to pitch a tent, er, share a tent with Scotty boy.

DELICIOUS!!!!!!

Mark in Maine
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