Former "ex-gay" leader Alan Chambers: "No one changes their sexual orientation. It doesn't happen."

For decades, Exodus International claimed "change is possible," leading many to believe that gay people could become straight. But in this interview, former Exodus president Alan Chambers admits that attempts to "pray away the gay" never worked, and explains why he now opposes conversion therapy.
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[@kennethbailey9853]

Soon to be 63 years and even decades of abstaining has not made me straight only sad.

[@sophiegoldenvibes429]

“Righteous isn’t what you do it’s who you are” had me crying. Thank you.

[@peterjscardino]

From the time I was 12 years old until I was 38, I struggled with reconciling my faith with my sexuality. Many of those years were spent in an effort to try and change my sexuality with many different methods including Exodus. I wish to God I could have known a long time ago that God loved me as I am because he created me this way. I still have no tribe, lost my ministry that I was passionate about and good at. There are no affirming churches where I live. I love Jesus more now than ever and wish I could find people like me to worship with!

[@yeshuaredeemed1806]

You and other gay Christians saved my life!

[@davidmachemer1015]

Thank you for this important discussion. I just finished Alan's book today and found that he has now moved from saying 99.9% of people do not change their orientation (in the book) to saying "No one changes their sexual orientation." You are right - this is HUGE coming from Alan, who could easily pass himself off as an Exodus "success story" (wife, kids, etc), and yet even he says NO ONE changes their sexual orientation. God's not in that business. Wow. I can't help suspecting that the self-appointed Exodus successors are still living in that wishful thinking of pretending to be what they desperately wish was true, which frankly has always been a problem of the "name it and claim it" branch of Evangelicalism that has abused so many in the church. Repentance is desperately needed...

[@exexgay]

This is probably the most emotional interview I've seen. I was in three different conversion/reparative therapy programs over the course of five years. This is years ago when Exodus was still the "umbrella" ministry. I am a little irritated with Alan for stating that he tried to be clear about their message related to change. He said, "I don't know anyone who had a platform to say something like that." Ummm... Sy Rogers comes to mind. He was not only the most popular exgay person at the last Exodus conference I attended, but his message was absolutely about changing sexual orientation. Not only sexual orientation, but he also talked about gender identity. He told stories about miraculous interventions that led himself and others to heterosexuality and gender conformity. I find myself extremely irritated by this depiction of Exodus International. It is not my story and it is not the story of the people that went through the programs with me. He may not have been promoting this idea of changing orientation, but all three programs I went through promoted a change in orientation. I also know people that didn't survive the self-loathing that this kind of message created. Just two years ago one of my "conversion therapy" friends committed suicide. This is years after we left the program. I have been in therapy for over ten years after being in Exodus supported programs (five years) and I still have hot tears welling up in my eyes watching this video. Let's be real about Exodus' impact on young people. While I can somewhat appreciate Alan's perspective, I would like to see honesty become the memorial for those that didn't survive.

[@dannyostby2925]

Justin I am a straight ally and I have friends with homosexuality and bisexuality! And I thank you for the message also all the power to you! Brotherly Love From Danny and I’m from Canada.

[@markshelton5321]

Growing up gay and Christian meant experiencing hostility and even violence by peers and judgement and shame by my church. I got so sick of Southern Baptist self appointed judges pointing to Exodus as the solution to ever gay problem. Still do.

[@davidanderson3803]

Bottom line is that Exodus destroyed many people’s lives. These Ex- Gay ministries also fed the culture war that sought to abolish gay rights. I think Alan is trying to thread a very fine needle here.

[@NatePlaysGames84]

Very heavy! But very important conversation we need to have!

[@sharonjoubert5885]

Hard topics, painful spaces but what growth... Thank you both so very much for this time - so much more to be said, this was a brilliant start.

[@alanaschoffer994]

Everything works for the good, despite of the horrible things that happened and trauma for a lot of people, today, from the story of Exodus and the people who experiencied reparative therapy, I, as a young christian who was strugling about my sexuality and wanting to kill myself for almost ALL my life, could see I'm not a monster or abomination, Just another daughter of God, who happened to be gay.

[@kcmozart]

I watched this video on FB yesterday. I want to say I have an epic and the utmost amount of respect for Alan Chambers! He is the exemplification of integrity! Most people would never do, as he has, and not only admit he was terribly wrong, but he truly feels badly about it and has done a great deal to go out of his way to help those his organization has harmed.

[@matthewking8806]

Thanks Justin, thank you Alan. A very difficult but needed show. I respect you both immensely for this show and for the pointed questions and candid answers.

[@toyag638]

Thanks for sharing this most important and serious message may God bless us all!

[@joshuadavidjoseph7531]

This is a really helpful video. I am from Ottawa, Canada, and the conversations I have endured are so vague and my parents, among other people, seem to hold onto the belief that homosexuality is a sin and there is nothing that will change their minds. Theological debates are few. Questioning faith is blasphemous. And gay and Christian will never be part of the same sentence. I worry about my path forward because everything seems bleak.

[@tresparius8744]

Hi Alan, I listened to you reading the letter of apology to the LGBT a few hours ago. I was crying uncontrollably. As a gay Christian myself, the pain and the struggle, they are real. Every time someone says a comment, it was like an arrow pierced through my heart. Never have I ever heard someone apologizing to us like this. Thank you so much for sharing that letter.

[@user-ny3ci1dt6y]

I ran an ex-gay Exodus affiliated ministry in the 1980's when Sy Rogers was President. Dozens of men and women came through that ministry and all of us wanted to please God but years later, we are all still gay. Some married opposite sex and their marriages ended in failure. Others committed suicide. Others left the church altogether. And some of us have been able to reconcile our gayness with our Christianity. Others in the church still condemn us but we just trust in God nonetheless. That's all we can do at the end of the day.

[@wm9550]

Amazing interview, beautiful and very respectful interaction 👍 very interesting topic!!!! Thanks a lot 🙏 God bless you 🙏☺️

[@seguelawrencedoering394]

Very good interview. Alan, thanks for sharing your story, painful as it is. Thanks, Justin , for the raw and canid approach

[@zaldrizo]

@Geeky Justin it's time for part 2 brother!

[@kseniacaillouet1956]

Great interview!

[@Artieful]

Justin you're absolutely terrific. Bringing on people to talk about things that I struggle with everyday as a sexually confused Christian. I love your talks, and you have an absolutely terrific demeanor! I'm subscribing now :D

[@lustforlow-end6022]

Hello Justin, I’m a geek too!

[@nategraham6946]

It's true, all things are possible with God, but that doesn't mean he'll actually do it. Kinda like answering prayers.

[@bran8370]

Thankfully I was able to catch this live. Thanks to both of you for this important podcast. Of course, not everyone will be 100% satisfied--but I see this as important and timely progress. I am curious what he thinks of us transwomen (and my transmen brothers), but seeing as that was not Alan's specialization, I'm not too too concerned. I'm just happy to hear him admit that orientation cannot be changed.

[@Colin12475]

It's okay to be gay.

[@macoafi]

I wonder if Alan has ever encountered the split attraction model. LOTS of asexual people have romantic orientations other than aromantic, for instance.

[@RichardDeacons]

I lived THIS until the age of 57. I knew who and what I was but poorly defined "gay" as merely a temptation to be resisted. In my 30s (after one failed marriage to a woman), I met a lovely woman who quickly became my best friend. I confessed my homosexuality to her. We both held the same view that being gay was not a 'terminal' diagnosis. We were married for 20+ years and had one son. In 2020, I was afflicted with a crushing depression. Within that depression, I realized that much of my turmoil arose from trying to be someone I wasn't and the debilitating disappointment of coming face to face with the fact that, after 25 years of daily begging and pleading and denying myself God was never going to 'fix' me. I handled my coming out poorly (after 20+ years of fidelity to my wife, I had a hook-up with a man to be certain of who I was before I broke the devastating news to my wife. Before I could tell her that I knew now who I was and where my life was headed, She discovered my infidelity and asked me to move out. A legal separation followed and divorce shortly after. In the course of one weekend, I lost my family, my church, 90% of my friends (The 10% who stuck around did so to 'save' me from my sin) and it FELT like I had lost my relationship with Jesus. I have now been out for about 3 years but only recently found your channel. I'm loving everything about it.

[@roysmallian2889]

The greatest point is being gay is a first language. So you might learn a second language but you do not lose your first language.

[@ianfrancis777]

Your channel intro is hyterical! You're not so geeky :-) !

[@pilgrim1952]

Wish I could see the whole thing. Sigh.

[@GeekyJustin]

Is it not all playing for you?

[@pilgrim1952]

@@GeekyJustin No, I don't have a computer that I can spend that much time on. I use a computer at the library and there is limited time I can spend on it. [It is by choice that I don't have a machine at home, I don't trust myself NOT to spent too much time on it.]