The dramatic story of the “ex-gay” industry’s implosion
The following is an excerpt from Lies with a Straight Face: Exposing the Cranks and Cons Inside the ‘Ex-Gay’ Industry by Wayne R.
Besen out October 11, 2023. All proceeds from book sales will go to Truth Wins Out, to help efforts to fight the “ex-gay” industry.A post shared by Truth Wins Out (@truthwinsout_org)Twenty-four-year-old Matt Ashcroft traveled from a small town in Ontario, Canada to the woods of New Hope, Pennsylvania to attend Journey into Manhood’s (JiM) weekend retreat.
It was a 48-hour “ex-gay” camp experience, that was supposed to put him on the path to heterosexuality. Not long after he provided his John Hancock for a non-sexual experience, Matt heard the words he’ll never forget. “Don’t mind me if I have a boner,” a 50-year old man who Matt says “smelled like cat pee” intoned.
The older gentleman was assigned to be Matt’s cuddle partner. The idea was to serve as a surrogate father, offering love and affection through touch that dad supposedly withheld.
