TV show ridicules former homosexuals Religion Today Wednesday, August 23, 2000 A controversy over a television show that ridicules "ex-gay" ministries has turned personal. An episode of the NBC comedy Will & Grace, first aired May 5, portrays ex-gays as hypocrites who attend meetings to find homosexual dates. The show refers to homosexuals who use Christian therapy to become heterosexuals as "self-loathing closet cases," "morally wrong," "freaks," and members of "cults." Mike Haley, a former homosexual, of Focus on the Family wrote Jon Kinnally, executive story editor of Will & Grace, in June. He told Kinnally that he felt the show "grossly misrepresented thousands of individuals struggling to come out of homosexuality." Haley said Kinnally "may vehemently disagree with this position," but asked for a meeting to talk about it. "In response to your request for a meeting, well, I think I can read between the lines," Kinnally wrote back, treating Haley's letter as a request for a date. "I'm 6'1" brown hair, green eyes and I'm into rollerblading, baking cookies, and cleaning up afterwards. My dislikes include game-playing, negative attitudes, and condoms," Kinnally wrote in his letter, a copy of which was released by Focus on the Family. A Focus on the Family reporter quoted Kinnally as saying that "our intention was only to make them [ex-gays] look like idiots." Kinnally told Focus that "What you people are doing is reprehensible, wrong, and fear-based." Focus on the Family will continue to offer homosexuals counseling, resources, and seminars, according to the ministry.

Respond to this article

Home · News · PLC Publications · The Presbyterian Layman Online Reviews · Archives · History of the Lay Committee · Feedback · Links