First Hand Report From The NEA Ex-gay Educator’s Caucus

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Melinda has become one of my favorite facebook friends.  She’s always got an encouraging word.  She recently went to the NEA Convention and she had a remarkable experience.  I asked if she would like to write a guest blog post about her experience and she graciously agreed.  Here’s Melinda in her own words (emphasis mine):

My experience manning the NEA Ex-gay Educator’s Caucus booth at the National Education Association (NEA) convention in New Orleans recently could be compared to being in a dunking booth or being fed to the lions. The Caucus was raising awareness that “ex-gays” do, in fact, exist. We informed educators that students who experience unwanted same-sex attraction are not necessarily locked into a lifetime of gay-identity. We also provided resources that further enlightened educators and school administrators about these positions. (The entire platform of the caucus can be viewed at http://nea-exgay.org/about/.)

Since the NEA typically takes a more liberal stance on issues, much discussion at the booth from NEA members was potentially volatile. My initial reaction would normally be to debate issues with someone. But my purpose for being at the NEA Convention was not to debate issues, research, or opinions. I was asked to simply share my story of how God changed me, whenever He gave me the opportunity. I prayed that seeds of hope would be planted in the hearts of the people who came by the booth because “…the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power,” (1 Corinthians 4:20).

I never knew who was going to walk up or what type of discussion would ensue. Many educators that came by the booth were first surprised, then intrigued by the idea that someone could be “ex-gay”, and wanted to know more. Others were reluctant to believe there was a possibility that someone could be “ex-gay.” Some homosexuals and their supporters were hostile in their speech and attitudes towards me and would not engage in dialogue. They either laughed out loud and walked off or totally rejected the possibility that someone was “ex-gay.” They voiced their skeptical opinions as they walked by with comments such as “You are just bi(-sexual)” or “You were just experimenting.”

Among the gays and lesbians who would converse with me, a few respectfully “agreed to disagree” with my beliefs. I had conversations about my faith with others who asked how I changed, and explained how God was instrumental in my journey out of homosexuality. I talked with one church-going gay man for a long time about God, his doubts about the Bible being the inspired Word of God, and what it said about homosexuality. By the end of our conversation he agreed that in the original languages, God’s Word was true, and I challenged him to read it. He said he would and I encouraged him to pray and ask God to help him understand it.

A young lesbian and her straight friend talked with me. I challenged them to think about how our culture is shaping what they believe and the way they are living. They asked me how I changed and I told them that my faith in God and what He says in the Bible helped me see my life more clearly and that I could trust Him to help me change. They didn’t want me to bring God into it, but they left respectful of my opinions. The next day the straight friend brought another lesbian friend to see me. Interesting.

Showing kindness and gentleness in my speech and demeanor was the most effective witness to my faith in Jesus Christ that changed my life from gay to ex-gay. I continually quoted 2 Timothy 2:24-25 to myself — “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,…”. When this was my approach, those who would talk with me left the booth respectful of my opinion, questioning their own beliefs, or agreeing with me.

It was disturbing to be an open target at the booth, where I was blatantly and loudly criticized for my beliefs and where I experienced coarse joking, snickering and loud laughter that was aimed at me. It was frustrating to walk by the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender) booth and hear them making fun of the Ex-gay Educators’ booth with statements like, “Maybe when I retire, I’ll be an ex gay-educator!”

But I had to remember that they were speaking and acting from their own life experiences and hurts. Did I expect anything different? Not really. But my heart still breaks for those who are being deceived. I hope to continue to educate and inform, but most of all, I want to be a humble servant of God, demonstrating life in Christ to an amoral and deceived culture that is spiritually dying without the unconditional love, joy, peace, contentment, and salvation from sin that only Jesus Christ can provide.

Melinda, thank you for being willing to go into a hostile environment and just be yourself … a kind, encouraging witness of God’s salvation and grace in your life. God bless you Melinda.