by Will O’Bryan

Anthony Falzarano denounced the Christian community for not adequately funding the "ex-Gay" movement and criticized the Gay community for not respecting "ex-Gay" people. (by Clint Steib)

The "ex-Gay" movement has fallen on peculiar times. At a small Wednesday, Sept. 1, press conference televised on C-SPAN, Anthony Falzarano, founding director of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays, addressed, at times tearfully, a broad range of issues. The precise focus of the news gathering remained unclear; he denounced the Christian community for failing to adequately fund the "ex-Gay" movement, criticized the Gay community for not respecting people who call themselves "ex-Gay," and announced that the P-FOX board of directors was moving to dismiss him.

A letter to P-FOX supporters dated Aug. 17, however, states that Falzarano’s dismissal was effective Aug. 7. The letter, penned by Jerry A. Brown, president of P-FOX’s board of directors, offers no reason for Falzarano’s dismissal, simply stating, "We are heartbroken over this decision, but it was necessary."

At his press conference, Falzarano said he was being pushed out of the organization for pointing out hypocrisy.

"Many of us in the ex-Gay movement feel we’re being used," said Falzarano, insisting that right-wing Christian organizations offer the movement kind words but not much else.

"[The Christian community] isn’t even coming close to responding to the needs of homosexuals," he said. "… They’ve got to put their money where their mouth is."

In a letter dated Aug. 20, Falzarano wrote to his supporters that P-FOX responded two years ago to an offer for financial support from an organization called the Maclellan Foundation, which is based in Chattanooga, Tenn. The foundation, Falzarano wrote, offered to fund P-FOX, using the Family Research Council, a conservative right-wing group, as a conduit. The letter further claims that a consultant supplied by the foundation is largely responsible for his ouster.

David Smith, director of communications for the Human Rights Campaign observed that "when your enemy is imploding, you don't get in the way." (by Clint Steib)

The Maclellan Foundation did not respond to telephone inquiries from the Blade by deadline.

In the wake of the shake-up, Falzarano is now the executive director of his newly christened Parents and Friends Ministries. This organization’s letterhead claims the same Washington, D.C., 12^th Street, NW, physical address as P-FOX, although the organizations have separate Post Office boxes.

Via telephone Sept. 2, Falzarano insisted, "The two are still one. … I have not resigned my position at P-FOX. We’re in the process of trying to decide who owns the name legally."

Each organization’s letter, however, warns supporters not to donate to the other. Falzarano’s letter, for example, implores: "Firstly, I ask that you pray that the Lord God Almighty will protect this ministry. I then ask that you do not send any support checks made out to P-FOX or Transformation [Christian Ministries]."

The P-FOX letter, in turn, contains a sentence in eye-catching bold, capital letters, that reads: "Anthony Falzarano is not authorized to solicit funds for P-FOX or TCM."

Telephone calls to the P-FOX office attempting to clarify the groups’ overlapping addresses and to seek additional comment on Falzarano’s dismissal were not returned by Blade deadline.

Kirsten Kingdon, national executive director of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays admitted to a certain satisfaction about the chaos and hostility between the anti-Gay groups, especially considering, she said, that P-FOX was founded as a counter to P-FLAG. She added that she’s not surprised by current events.

"When you try to build something on a foundation of fear and ignorance, I don’t believe it’s going to be lasting," she said of "ex-Gay" ministries.

Kirsten Kingdon of PFLAG: "When you try to build something on a foundation of fear and ignorance, I don't believe it's going to be lasting." (by Clint Steib)

David Smith, director of communications for the Human Rights Campaign, has observed the brouhaha from afar as well as on C-SPAN and said he believes the "ex-Gay" camp is in disarray.

"I think the whole idea of ex-Gay ministries was morally bankrupt from the beginning and is in the process of imploding," Smith said. Regardless of the movement’s moral standing, Smith said anti-Gay right-wing groups like the Family Research Council have reaped substantial financial benefit by using the "ex-Gay" platform as a rallying cry.

"And they’ve shown no willingness to share it with Anthony [Falzarano]," Smith added, based upon statements Falzarano made at the Sept. 1 press conference. During the conference Falzarano complained of not receiving an honorarium to speak at a Concerned Women for America Conference; of Focus on the Family not offering to pay his expenses to appear on the conservative Christian group’s radio show in Colorado; and other instances where he said he was treated poorly.

"He’s just acting out because they refused to fund his activities," Smith concluded.

But without substantially more funding, said Falzarano, "this [ex-Gay] movement will fail."

"We are not growing," said Falzarano. "We should not be losing chapters right now." Falzarano pointed to Exodus International, a network of "ex-Gay" ministries. The network, Falzarano estimated, has lost 15 chapters, bringing the network down to a total of 105.

While Falzarano insisted Sept. 2 that some "ex-Gay" networks are growing, he estimated that "ex-Gay" networks like Seattle-based Exodus International can survive only a year or two more at current funding rates. Falzarano estimated that the national "ex-Gay" movement receives about $2 million annually.

Smith said he will continue to watch from afar.

"When your enemy is imploding," he reasoned, "you don’t get in the way."

This article appeared in the issue of:
September 10, 1999