University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Exodus: ex-gay ministries

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Exodus: ex-gay ministries

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Content

“EXODUS”

EX-GAY MINISTRIES

by

Carlos Saucedo

A Professional Project Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(BROADCAST JOURNALISM)

August 2010

Copyright 2010 Carlos Saucedo

ii
Table of Contents

Abstract iii
Main Body 1

iii
Abstract

Conservative Christian organizations like Exodus International spread the message that
"freedom from homosexuality" is possible through the power of Christ. But their belief
that gay people can change their sexual orientation is highly controversial and has been
denounced by many groups, including medical organizations. This project takes a closer
look into the on going debate about religion and homosexuality.
1

VIDEO

AUDIO
OPENING SEQUENCE

Crowds of people walking and sitting at
convention floor.

“Feet pounding.”

SOT RANDY THOMAS
2:32:11 - 2:32:45 - Audio

CG: RANDY THOMAS
EXECUTIVE VP OF EXODUS

Close-up shots of crowds of people
walking and getting seats at convention
floor.
Our main audience consists of everyone
from pastors to parents to people who
struggle themselves and it‟s a basic
overview of what we believe homosexuality
stems from and what we can do about that
as Christians.

VO NARRATION

LOCATOR: San Diego, CA

Close-up of people taking their seats,
cutaway of Skyline Church sign.
Zoom-in shot of Christian cross.
MORE THAN SIX-HUNDRED
CHRISTIANS HAVE GATHERED AT
SKYLINE CHURCH IN SAN DIEGO,
CALIFORNIA TO TALK ABOUT A
SUBJECT MANY CONSIDER TO BE
TABOO - THE BIBLE AND
HOMOSEXUALITY.

NAT SOT MELISSA FRYREAR

Shot of Melissa speaking at podium

CG: MELISSA FRYREAR
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY
As Christians who hold to a biblical
worldview, we do not believe that people
are born gay …

2
VO NARRATION

Close-up shots of Melissa lecturing.

MELISSA FRYREAR IS A GENDER
ISSUES ANALYST FOR FOCUS ON THE
FAMILY – A CONSERVATIVE
CHRISTIAN GROUP. SHE SAYS GAY
PEOPLE CAN CHANGE THEIR
SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

SOT MELISSA FRYREAR
2:25:19 – 2:25:31 - Audio

CG: MELISSA FRYREAR
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY

Tight shot of Melissa‟s face.
We don‟t believe people are born gay and
so part of the good news for us that this is a
struggle that one could pursue overcoming
if that‟s something they want to do in their
life.

SOT MELISSA FRYREAR
2:22:29 - 2:22:40 – Audio

Picture of Melissa as a young child.
The issue is personally relevant to me
because as a young person I struggled with
my sexuality. And at 16 and my early 20s,
later identifying as lesbian and lived
homosexually for about a decade.

3
VO NARRATION

Shot of Melissa emotionally lecturing at
podium.
FRYREAR IS PART OF THE EX-GAY
COMMUNITY – A GROUP OF
CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALISTS
WHO ONCE CONSIDERED
THEMSELVES TO BE GAY, LESBIAN,
OR BISEXUAL.

NAT POP
Close-up of Fryrear lecturing.

“My faith was so new that I had trouble
yielding to God’s truth.”

VO NARRATION

Shot of crowd listening to her; cutaway of
individual.
SHE ROUTINELY GIVES HER
TESTIMONY OF OVERCOMING SAME-
SEX ATTRACTIONS AT
CONFERENCES.

SOT MELISSA FRYREAR
2:25:31 - 2:25:46 – Audio

Tight shot of Melissa‟s face.
Twenty years ago, this was something that I
felt incompatible with my life as a Christian
and it‟s something that I wanted to try
overcome.
4
VO NARRATION

Shots of her lecturing from different
angles.
AND SHE RECOUNTS IT WAS
SOMETHING SHE PRAYED AND
STRUGGLED WITH FOR MANY
YEARS.

NAT SOT MELISSA FRYREAR

Close-up of Melissa giving her testimony;
cutaway to a tearful listener.
I never chose the feelings god. I don‟t know
where they‟ve come from, I don‟t know
how not to have them, how to get rid of
them, it feels so normal, it feels natural, it
feels like I was born this way. I don‟t know
how not to be attractive to women, I don‟t
know how possibly to be attractive to men
instead but I know this, I know that you‟re
real, I know your word is true and I need
your help!

SOT MELISSA FRYREAR
2:22:40 - 2:23:02 – Audio

Tight shot of Melissa.
I became a Christian and then a journey of
overcoming homosexuality and eventually
some doors opened where I could begin to
help other people.

5
VO NARRATION

Pan shot of Exodus International website
FRYREAR SAYS SHE PARTNERS WITH
EX-GAY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE
EXODUS INTERNATIONAL TO
SPREAD THE MESSAGE OF FREEDOM
FROM HOMOSEXUALITY THROUGH
THE POWER OF CHRIST.

SOT RANDY THOMAS
2:30:04 - 2:30:10 – Audio

CG: RANDY THOMAS
EXODUS EXECUTIVE VP
Our faith, being conservative Christians,
believe that homosexual behavior is not an
option.

VO NARRATION

Shot of Randy talking to conference
guests; cutaway to Exodus logo and close-
ups of website.
RANDY THOMAS SERVES AS THE
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF
EXODUS INTERNATIONAL - AN
INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHRISTIAN
ORGANIZATION FOUNDED IN 19-76 .
ITS MISSION IS TO HELP PEOPLE
STUGGLING WITH SAME-SEX
ATTRACTIONS LIVE HETEROSEXUAL
LIVES BY ADHEREING TO BIBLICAL
STANDARDS.

6
SOT RANDY THOMAS
2:30:10 - 2:30:37 – Audio

Tight shot of Randy.
Exodus exists to help people understand
from a redemptive Christian perspective
how to live out our faith in pursuing Christ
with these same sex attractions.

VO NARRATION

Shot of Exodus banner; wide-shot of
conference attendees.
EXODUS HAS GROWN TO INCLUDE
MORE THAN TWO-HUNDRED THIRTY
MINISTRIES IN NORTH AMERICA
AND HOLDS CONFERENCES LIKE
THIS ONE TO OUTREACH TO OTHERS.

NAT POP
Zoom-in shot of crowd clapping.

“Claps”

SOT RANDY THOMAS
2:25:43 - 2:26:21 – Audio

Shot of Randy talking to guests.
Wide-shot of people walking down Santa
Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood.
Close-up of alcoholic drink.
I was an out and proud gay man up until I
was 24 years old. I had thought I was gay at
the age of 10. I had my first experience
when I was 16 years old. I was in the gay
bar scene … Until I was 24, up until that
point, I had really got involved in partying
and drugs and things like that.

VO NARRATION

Shot of Randy talking to booksellers.
THOMAS SAYS ALL THAT CHANGED
WHEN HE TURNED TO
CHRISTIANITY.
7
SOT RANDY THOMAS
2:37:53 - 2:38:17 – Audio

Tight shot of Randy‟s face.
17 years ago, I was 100% homosexual and I
was fine with that but as time progressed I
noticed that my attractions were shifting
and I would say predominately today my
attractions would be heterosexual.

SOT MELISSA FRYREAR
2:26:00 - 2:26:31 – Audio

Zoom-in shot of open Bible.
Shot of wedding picture of married couple.
Biblically, Orthodox Christians, Evangelical
Christians realize how significant sexuality
is in scripture in the Bible and the amazing
thing about God‟s word; it only affirms
heterosexual behavior throughout scripture
in both testaments throughout millennia.
The only sexual behavior affirmed in
scripture is that between a man and woman
within marriage.
VO NARRATION

Wide-shot of people walking in West
Hollywood.
Group of gay men talking.
Close-up of Holy Bible; shot of open
bible.
FOR MANY CHRISTIANS AROUND
THE WORLD, HOMOSEXUALITY IS
CONSIDERED IMMORAL.
FUNDAMENTALISTS REFERENCE
SEVERAL VERSES IN THE BIBLE
THAT CONDEMN GAY ACTIVITY.
ONE SUCH PHRASE IS IN THE BOOK
OF LEVITICUS WITHIN THE OLD
TESTAMENT. IT READS, “YOU SHALL
NOT LIE WITH A MALE AS WITH A
WOMAN; IT IS AN ABOMINATION.”
8
SOT RANDY THOMAS
2:33:54 - 2:34:36 – Audio

Tight shot of Randy.
Homosexual behavior itself it‟s pretty clear
in the bible, that‟s not condoned. But what
we do believe is that it‟s a spiritual
condition, it can be. And it‟s something that
we as Christians don‟t have to be defined
by.

VO NARRATION

Shots of Melissa preparing for her
testimony.
AND THOSE LIKE FRYREAR
SAY IT TAKES TIME AND A LOT OF
PRAYER TO OVERCOME SAME-SEX
ATTRACTIONS.
SOT MELISSA FRYREAR
2:27:59 - 2:28:32 – Audio

Shot of Melissa; cutaway to books and
other resource manual.
Shot of people looking at books.
For a lot of people there are major
components. It might be Christian
counseling, active involvement in their
church, reading books, talking to other
people who have overcome this struggle, so
a lot of things they might incorporate that
are major helps to them and it‟s individual
too as far as what each person chooses to
help him or her.

VO NARRATION

LOCATOR: West Hollywood

Shot of gay couple holding hands while
walking down a street in West Hollywood.
Shot of random people walking.
A 2010 CBS POLL INDICATES
SOCIETAL ATTITUDES TOWARDS
GAYS AND LESBIANS, ARE
9
Wide-shot and close-up of rainbow flag.
Shot of people at outdoor gay bar.
CHANGING. THE POLL SHOWS THAT
MORE THAN HALF OF AMERICANS
BELIEVE PEOPLE ARE BORN GAY.
BUT FRYREAR SAYS THAT IS NOT
TRUE. SHE POINTS TO
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT
INFLUENCE HOMOSEXUAL DESIRES.

SOT MELISSA FRYREAR
2:26:55 - 2:27:33 – Audio

Tight frame shot of Melissa
For example, sexual abuse was a major
piece of the puzzle for me as to why I
struggled with same sex attraction so as I
worked through that issue as well as many
others, very difficult, very painful journey
but as I worked through those, there was a
resolution if you will of my homosexual
desires.

VO NARRATION

Shot of exodus protesters with signs and
flags, walking down a hill.
THE TYPE OF COUNSELING THAT
EXODUS AND OTHER EX-GAY
GROUPS PREACH IS HIGHLY
CONTROVERSIAL.
NAT POP

Shots of protesters chanting with signs.
“Hey, hey, ho, ho, homophobia has got to
go!”
10
VO NARRATION

Sequence of protesters marching.
IT HAS BEEN DENOUNCED BY MANY
GROUPS WHO SAY THEY‟RE
TEACHING SELF-HATRED. BUT ITS
LEADERS STICK TO THEIR CLAIM
THAT SEXUAL REORIENTATION
WORKS.

SOT MELISSA FRYREAR
2:27:59 – 2:28:10 – Audio

Tight frame of Melissa.
Zoom-in shot of participants at Exodus
conference.
There are thousands and thousands of men
and women not just in the U.S. but around
the world who have overcome
homosexuality.

11
VO NARRATION

Shot of Exodus banner listing sponsors.
Shot of American Psychological website.
Zoom-in shot of gay couple holding walks
as they walk to hug Rev. Thomas.
Shot of gay people walking in West
Hollywood.
BUT ITS METHODS DON‟T WORK FOR
EVERYONE AND HAVE BEEN
CALLED INTO QUESTION BY
MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS. IN 2009,
THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL
ASSOCIATION REJECTED SEXUAL
REORIENATION, DECLARING THAT
EFFORTS TO DO SO COULD BE
HARMFUL. BUT THIS HAS NOT
ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE. BEING
GAY WAS CONSIDERED A MENTAL
DISORDER BY THE AMERICAN
PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION UNTIL
1973 – WHICH REINFORCED MANY
PEOPLE‟S NEGATIVE ATTITUDES
ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY.

SOT JD SEBASTIAN
9:03:12 - 9:03:31 - Audio

CG: JD SEBASTIAN
EX-GAY „SURVIVOR‟
From the depression, from the loneliness,
from the disparity of being both
passionately religious and totally gay and
not able to have love.

12
VO NARRATION

Tight-shot of JD on video editing system.
Close-up of JD‟s face with particular
attention placed on his eyes.
JD SEBASTIAN SAYS HE STRUGGLED
TO RECONCILE HIS CHRISTIAN
FAITH WITH HIS SEXUALITY. HE
SAYS HE SPENT YEARS SUPPRESSING
HIS HOMOSEXUAL FEELINGS TO A
POINT WHERE HE BECAME
SUICIDAL.

SOT JD SEBASTIAN
9:03:01 - 9:03:10 – Audio

Continued tight-shot of JD‟s eyes.
Tight-frame of JD.
I knew I was actually suicidal and
something bad had happened in my brain, I
really felt that I was going to kill myself to
end the pain.

VO NARRATION

Wide-shot of JD opening door to his
office.
THAT PAIN, SAYS SEBASTIAN,
BEGAN WHEN HE TURNED TO EX-
GAY MINISTRIES.

13
SOT JD SEBASTIAN
9:11:15 - 9:11:57 – Audio

Wide-shot of JD in front of computer.

9:14:07 - 9:14:35 – Audio

9:11:15 - 9:11:57 – Audio

Wide-shot and tight-shot of books that JD
would purchase and read.
I was ordering books online from exodus
international and I was reading everything I
could get my hands on.
I spent almost all the money I had making it
a little stipend on this ministry just on
ordering new books.
I would fast and I would pray I would cry
reading those books begging god to heal
me, to take away my horrible sin of
sexuality.

VO NARRATION

Wide-shot of JD clearing out his closest.
SEBASTIAN SAYS HE THEN BECAME
FRUSTRATED AFTER BUYING INTO
EXODUS AND STILL FEELING
ATTRACTED TO MEN.

SOT JD SEBASTIAN
9:16:37 - 9:17:51 – Audio

Tight-frame of JD.
I just yelled at god, I said god it‟s obvious
you‟re not going to change me by now. I
made very noble efforts and so if you‟re not
going to change me and you‟re not going to
accept me, I want you to count me out of
your kingdom.

14
VO NARRATION

Wide-shot of JD walking out of his office
and down the stairs.
SEBASTIAN IS NOW A SELF-
PROCLAIMED SURVIVOR OF THE EX-
GAY MOVEMENT.

SOT JD SEBASTIAN
9:16:37 - 9:17:51 – Audio

Close-up shots of stained-glass windows
of religious figures.
Tight-frame shot JD.
The light dawn on me and I realized I had
been dupped by a religious lie. It was
amazing, I was like, God never rejected me.
God would either make me this way or if I
became like this, how could god possibly
hate me. It took all of that for me to break
out of the grips of fundamentalism and
homophobic religion.

VO NARRATION

Shot of JD praying in church.
SEBASTIAN SAYS HE REALIZED HE
COULD BE GAY AND STILL LIVE A
LIFE DEVOTED TO GOD WHEN HE
DISCOVERED THIS PROGRESSIVE
CHURCH.

NAT POP
Shot of people singing in church.
“Save me lord.”

15
SOT JD SEBASTIAN
8:49:09 - 8:49:46 – Audio

Wide-shot of church members singing.
I heard about this growing group of gay
Christians who celebrated their sexuality
and their spirituality and integrated them.

VO NARRATION

LOCATOR: Los Angeles

Sequence of JD on editing system.
Exterior shots of MMC church.
SEBASTIAN WORKS AS THE VIDEO
AND MUSIC OUTREACH DIRECTOR
FOR METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY
CHURCH. M-C-C IS A GAY
AFFIRMING CHURCH SERVING THE
GAY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. IT
WAS FOUNDED IN 1968 IN LOS
ANGELES.

SOT REV. DR. NEIL THOMAS
8:03:26 - 8:03:43 - Audio

CG: REV. DR. NEIL THOMAS
MCC SENIOR PASTOR

Tight frame shot of Rev. Thomas.
Close-up sequence of church members
during religious service.
The real mission of founding this church
was to enable a safe place for LGBT to
come together and to worship the god that
they so yearn to worship but were excluded
from worshiping in other mainstream
denominations.

16
VO NARRATION

Wide-shot of Rev. Thomas preaching in
church.
REVEREND DOCTOR NEIL THOMAS
IS THE SENIOR PASTOR AT M-C-C L-A
WHERE HE LEADS WEEKLY CHURCH
SERVICES.

NAT SOT

Rev. Thomas lecturing in church.
“God, may you be with us this day …”

SOT REV. DR. NEIL THOMAS
8:23:42 - 8:23:53 – Audio

Tight-frame shot of Rev. Thomas.
I think Jesus would march in the gay pride
parade. Quite honestly because everything
about Jesus says that he stood on the side of
the disenfranchised.

VO NARRATION

Tight-shot of Rev. Thomas giving his
sermon in church.
REVEREND THOMAS SAYS THAT
CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALISTS
HAVE MISINTERPRETED THE BIBLE.

17
SOT REV. DR. NEIL THOMAS
8:19:13 - 8:19:41 – Audio

Tight-frame shot of Rev. Thomas.
Sequence of church members sitting,
listening to Rev. Thomas‟ sermon.
It‟s really disappointing to me that
Christians don‟t read their bibles, it‟s really
disappointing to me that they don‟t know
their god and it‟s really disappointing to me
that we continue to condemn and not just
homosexuals, but we condemn all sorts of
people which I don‟t find no evidence in
scripture that Jesus is about condemning,
Jesus is about forgiving and about restoring
people into a relationship with themselves
and toward a relationship with God.

VO NARRATION

Sequence of Rev. Thomas lecturing while
perishes listen.
M-C-C BEGAN AS AN IDEA FOR
INCLUSION AND HAS GROWN TO
INCLUDE OVER TWO-HUNDRED
CONGREGATIONS IN TWENTY-TWO
COUNTRIES.

SOT REV. DR. NEIL THOMAS
8:10:02 - 8:10:37 – Audio

Tight-frame of Rev. Thomas.
Close-up shots of elderly, lesbian, and gay
couple.
We believe that all people are made in the
image of god regardless of age, gender, or
gender identity or sexual orientation and
that the real essence of being a Christian is
to be a follower of Jesus.

18
VO NARRATION

Pan shot of church interior from balcony.
EVEN THOUGH PRO GAY CHURCHES
LIKE M-C-C ARE INCREASING
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD,
REVEREND THOMAS SAYS THEY
DON‟T SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

SOT RANDY THOMAS
2:31:02 - 2:31:46 – Audio

Tight frame of Randy.
I know that there are other pro gay religious
groups out there and I think it‟s great that
they‟re able to live out their lives the way
they seem fit. But for people like myself,
we need answers that aren‟t along those
same lines.

VO NARRATION

Tight-shot of Rev. Thomas preaching.
Wide-shot of Rev. Thomas preaching from
different angle.
Close-up of parishioner listening to
sermon.
REVEREND THOMAS SAYS THAT
WHILE HE DISAGREES WITH THE
WORK EXODUS DOES, MANY PEOPLE
TURN TO THEM BECAUSE THEY‟VE
BEEN PROGRAMMED TO BELIEVE
BEING GAY IS A SIN.

19
SOT REV. DR. NEIL THOMAS
8:33:55 - 8:34:04 – Audio

Tight frame of Rev. Thomas
I think it‟s a sin to change someone‟s
orientation. I believe you are born gay, I
believe it‟s part of who you are as an
individual

SOT REV. DR. NEIL THOMAS
8:42:15 - 8:42:30 – Audio

Tight frame of Rev. Thomas.
I just hope that one of these days we‟ll stop
talking about each other and start talking to
each other and get to a place where we can
reconcile the Christian church.

SOT RANDY THOMAS
2:42:00 - 2:42:07 – Audio

Tight frame of Randy.
We got to put aside the unrighteous anger
and get to the practical, pragmatic ways of
how do we live together in spite of our
conflicting morality.

VO NARRATION

Wide-shot of JD playing piano.
Tight-shot of JD singing and playing piano
from different angle.
BUT FOR PEOPLE LIKE SEBASTIAN,
WHO HAVE COME TO TERMS WITH
THEIR FAITH WHILE ACCEPTING
THEIR SEXUALITY, BEING A PROUD
GAY CHRISTIAN HAS BROUGHT A
NEW SENSE OF FREEDOM.

20

NAT POP
JD singing and playing piano

“We are free…”

SOT JD SEBASTIAN
9:27:48 - 9:27:57 – Audio

Tight frame of JD.
I love it when I hear people come out of the
closet in church as a young person, they‟re
heroes of mine, it‟s great.

CLOSING SEQUENCE
JD finishing singing/playing piano.

“We are free.”

FADE TO BLACK

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Conservative Christian organizations like Exodus International spread the message that "freedom from homosexuality" is possible through the power of Christ. But their belief that gay people can change their sexual orientation is highly controversial and has been denounced by many groups, including medical organizations. This project takes a closer look into the on-going debate between religion and homosexuality.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Saucedo, Carlos (author)

Core Title Exodus: ex-gay ministries

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Journalism (Broadcast Journalism)

Publication Date 08/14/2010

Defense Date 08/01/2010

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag christianity vs. homosexuality,ex-gay,Exodus International,OAI-PMH Harvest,reparative therapy

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Birman, Daniel H. (committee chair), Celis, William (committee member), Land, Helen (committee member)

Creator Email carlos.b.saucedo@gmail.com,csaucedo@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m3401

Unique identifier UC1107700

Identifier etd-Saucedo-4001 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-384202 (legacy record id),usctheses-m3401 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Saucedo-4001.pdf

Dmrecord 384202

Document Type Project

Rights Saucedo, Carlos

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Los Angeles, California

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu