Apr 18, 2003   | COMMENTS     

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- John Paulk, the "ex-gay" who led a campaign by conservative religious group Focus on the Family to convince gays to renounce their homosexuality, is leaving the group. Paulk said he will leave his post as manager of the group's Homosexuality & Gender Department on May 6 to move to the Pacific Northwest to be closer to his extended family. "My time at Focus on the Family has been the most rewarding professional and ministry experience of my life. I will always have a heart for men and women struggling with homosexuality, but after working 16 years on this contentious issue, it's time for me to pursue other endeavors," Paulk said. Dobson, the group's founder and chair, said he is sad to see Paulk leave. "Anyone who has heard John's story knows the miracles the Lord has accomplished in his life,'" said Dobson, who also announced that he will turn over some of his duties to a new president. An August 1998 Newsweek cover featured Paulk and his ex-gay work. In September 2000, Paulk was spotted in Mr. P's, a well-known gay bar in Washington, D.C., and later lost his post as board chair of Exodus North America, at the time the nation's most prominent ex-gay organization.

Religious protesters target Maine conference for students

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) -- Protesting what they call a "homosexual indoctrination for 13-year-olds," a Christian group distributed leaflets to students entering a civil rights conference on April 15. The Christian Civic League of Maine, which wants public funding discontinued for the conference, said its members would also attend some sessions at the Maine Civil Rights Team Conference. Two of the conference's 30 planned workshops discuss discrimination against gays. Students attending the conference obtained parental permission. Tom Harnett, a lawyer in the state attorney general's office, which organizes the annual event, noted that one-third of the state's victims of bias are gay. "The purpose of this project is to make sure schools are safe for all students and decrease incidents of bias-related violence," Harnett said. "It would be disingenuous and misleading for us to not cover all categories covered by the Maine Civil Rights Act."

Gays in Ontario object to church video series

LONDON, Ontario -- Gay civil rights activists are protesting a church's advertisements for "Bringing Up Boys," a video series based on the book by James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, according to the London Free Press. The videos were shown April 6 at Grace Bible Church as part of an ongoing series. Mike Odrovcik, president of a Chatham gay organization, pointed to a local newspaper ad highlighting one of the tips on the tape, "How to recognize and prevent pre-homosexual behavior." "I'll respect the church's beliefs to a point, but when they start putting it out in public and advertising it, a line has to be drawn," Odrovcik told the newspaper. Rev. Don McMillan said his church wants to examine sexual orientation from its own perspective. "If you believe homosexuality is genetically based and is a predetermined lifestyle, then you would object to someone who says it's a choice someone makes," McMillan told the newspaper.

Calif. event explores approach of black churches to gays

BERKELEY, Calif. -- A congregation here launched a series of conferences to delve into ethnic and spiritual issues related to the gay African-Americans, according to the Berkeley Voice. "The welcome table belongs to God," Johari Jabir, organizer of Souls a'Fire told the newspaper. "According to the Bible, it's not your church, but God's. And you're not the church police." Fire is sponsored by the Center for Lesbian & Gay Studies in Religion & Ministry, part of the Pacific School of Religion. Topics included the religious response to AIDS, being an openly gay minister and sexual ethics of the black church. A goal of the conference was to shake off the stereotype that African-American congregations are homophobic, organizers said. "I think that stereotype is absolutely wrong," said Mary Tolbert, the center's executive director.

Gay protests mark Robertson speech in Mass. synagogue

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (AP) -- Gays were part of a small group of protesters who dogged religious broadcaster Pat Robertson during an April 13 speech at a synagogue. Robertson expressed his unwavering support for Israel, though some protesters warned Jews to be wary of aligning themselves with Christian conservatives. "The Christian right's idea of family values, women's rights and treatment of homosexuals are all views that the mainstream Jewish community have historically opposed," said Marty Federman, one of about a dozen protesters. Robertson, 71, founded the Christian Coalition of America in 1989, after his presidential campaign failed. He resigned last month, but remained as the host of "The 700 Club."

From staff and wire reports.