10 Wacky Ex-Gay Ideas

In media appearances, ex-gay leaders and reparative therapists try to come across as mainstream. Upon closer examination, however, one can find outdated theories and bizarre techniques, making it clear why their work is rejected by every respected medical and mental health organization in America. The following are 10 strange and wacky ideas that originate from well known ex-gay or reparative therapy leaders. While these techniques are laughable, they are not funny because they are used to harm vulnerable people who are desperate to become heterosexual because of religious or social pressures. It is important to note that these strange ideas are really just the tip of the iceberg. In Anything But Straight, the odd, eccentric techniques of the ex-gay ministries are explored in greater detail.

Defeat Will Make Some Straight Men Crave Gay Sex
“Non-homosexual men who experience defeat and failure may also experience homosexual fantasies or dreams.” (Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality)

The Rubber Band Technique
“Every time you catch yourself watching someone erotically or engaging in fantasy, snap the band. This will cause a moderate stinging pain, which serves as a shocking reminder of what you are doing. This should help you interrupt the spell.” (Bill Consiglio, Author, "Homosexual No More")

Playing Sports Will Make You Hetero
"I recently counseled a fifty-year old man who carried a heavy burden since he was twelve. He thought that he had no eye-hand coordination, could not throw a ball, and therefore was less than the other boys and less than a man. I paired him up with a friend of mine who was willing to play ball with him. Within a few days, a new man was born. He could throw a ball. He just needed some practice and a sympathetic man to show him the ropes." (Richard Cohen, President, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays)

Prozac Can Cure Homosexuality
“When we consider that there is no objective distinction between homosexuality and the other perversions, we can easily see how the development of the homosexual ‘habit’ fits into this framework (of cures through medication). Some [homosexuals]…are being successfully treated with Prozac. Here too, sexual reorientation is reported to have occurred incidentally.” (Dr. Jeffrey Satinover , M.D., Author)

Prayer and Faith Cures AIDS
“Today, with God’s abundant grace, and His miraculous power to heal, I walk totally free from the AIDS virus.” (Michael Lumberger, Exodus)

"Matthew was delivered from homosexuality in 1989 and miraculously healed from HIV/AIDS in 1994." (Mathew C. Manning's web-site http://www.matthewcmanning.com/)

** Note: Exodus Executive Director Alan Chamber's also believes that AIDS can be cured through prayer. When asked about Manning's supposed healing he told me, "God is bigger than science.

Trouble in Mom's Womb Can Make You Gay
“If a mother was experiencing difficulty in her relationship with her husband while carrying a child or if she felt rejected, unloved or unwanted by him or she experienced any other painful experiences during pregnancy, the unborn child within may have experienced these thoughts and feelings as though they were directed at him or her.” (Richard Cohen, President, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays)

Hypnosis Can Make You Hetero
“At the count of three, your subconscious mind will make you aware of the cause of your homosexual behavior…You need to form in your mind the event you have been looking for whether it was created in this or a previous lifetime…Your soul records are available to you on this issue. You learn from the past and move on!”(Potentials Unlimited, “Gay and Unhappy”, A Self-Hypnotic Tape)

Focusing on a Tree Will Help Make You Hetero
“I would start to experience a sexual response… So I would look out my car window and say something like, ‘Gosh, Lord, there’s a tree out there! That tree is green, and has leaves on it. It’s got brown bark.’ I would fix my mind on anything to distract myself…Over time, that made me mentally disciplined enough to displace all lesbian thoughts, period.”(Anne Paulk, Co-Author, "Love Won Out")

Many of the Best Christians Are Mentally Ill
“Many of these persons – having suffered breakdowns and hospitalizations in the past – end up being the strongest and most effective Christians because, having been under such bondage to the voices of the past and present, they gladly listen for the life-giving Word in order to survive as persons.” (LeAnne Payne, Author, "The Broken Image")

Gaining Weight Will Help Make You Hetero
“My weight started to increase, and I found little desire to keep on a strict diet and stay fashionably slim. My very appearance was changing. I was looking less and less gay. And I was perfectly happy about it.”(John Paulk, Spokesperson, Focus on the Family)

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