Peterson Toscano's A Musing

Another Ex-Gay Survivor Goes Public

In what has become a national trend, another person who spent years in subjection to ex-gay conversion therapy, has come forward to tell his story. Jonmarc Ross of Portland, Oregon shared his narrative in response to the recent Love Won Out anti-gay event that took place in his city. He then sat down with Julie Sabatier of Just Out Newspaper.

Jonmarc Ross knows firsthand how harmful the “ex-gay” ministries can be. His experience with the movement almost cost him his life. Ross, 39, lives in Portland, where he works as a painter for Resurrection Properties. He relocated to P-town 12 years ago from Orange County, Calif., while he was still in the throes of fruitless efforts to “cure” his homosexuality. He gave Just Out a window into that experience.

Sabatier goes on to ask Jonmarc various questions about his experience.

JS: What kinds of methods did you undergo to try to “cure” yourself?

JR: While I was in therapy, I was to keep a journal of any time I was attracted to another man. Lots of studying what [I] call “clobber passages” in Scripture—the passages in Scripture that the ex-gay groups interpret to back their story up…basically using the Bible to clobber people over the heads and beat them into submission. When it wasn’t working with [the therapist] he told me I should talk to my pastor. That resulted in my being basically yanked from my position as worship leader and then pulled into the pastor’s office for a 20th century version of the Spanish Inquisition with all 13 elders of the church. This was all before I had been with another man.

You can read more here. Jonmarc is currently working on a narrative to submit to bXg.

To see video of two other ex-gay survivors from Portland, OR who came forward during the recent Ex-Gay Survivor Conference, click here.

Labels: bXg, ex-gay, ex-gay survivor, media

posted by Peterson Toscano @ 5:00 AM