- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A full-page newspaper advertisement by conservative
Christian groups on Monday that said homosexuals could ``overcome'' their
sexual identity by accepting God sparked outrage among gay rights supporters.
The Christian Coalition and other conservative groups took out the advertisement
in the New York Times. It is to be followed by similar displays in the
Washington Post and USA Today later this week. The advertisement features
the testimony of Anne Paulk, a self-described ``wife, mother and former
lesbian'', who says she was able to change her identity through a commitment
to religion. ``Leaving homosexuality was the hardest thing I've ever had
to do,'' Paulk says in the advertisement. ``As I grew in my relationship
with God, I knew He had changed me forever. Gone was the hardness. Gone
was the hurt. And gone was the shrill cry inside, replaced by God's still,
small voice,'' the advertisement quotes her as saying. Tracey Canaty of
the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said her organization viewed the
advertising campaign as a new attack on homosexuality.
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- ``The bigotry, hatred and intolerance
that this ad represents is the real perversion,'' she said. Homosexuality
has recently become a hot political issue after Republican Senate Majority
Leader Trent Lott compared it to alcoholism, sex addition and kleptomania.
Asked in a television interview if he believed homosexuality was a sin,
Lott replied, ``It is.'' ``In America right now there's an element that
wants to make that alternative lifestyle acceptable and normal,'' said
Lott. ``You should still love that person ... You should show them a way
to deal with that problem,'' he said, adding, ``Just like my father having
a problem with alcohol ... Other people have sex addiction. Other people
are kleptomaniacs.''
-
- Republicans in Congress are blocking
the confirmation of James Hormel, nominated by President Clinton to be
U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, because he is openly gay. In the latest
clash over gays, the White House said Friday it was appalled at possible
plans by House Republicans to block an administrative order barring discrimination
against homosexuals in federal jobs. Conservative House Republicans, including
House Majority Whip Tom DeLay of Texas, may offer an amendment to a fiscal
1999 spending bill that would prohibit the government from spending money
to carry out Clinton's order.
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- The Christian Coalition, a powerful bloc
within the Republican Party and the best known of 15 organizations sponsoring
the advertising campaign, said it was intended as a message of hope for
homosexuals. ``Christian Coalition has energized people of faith to become
involved in the political process and have an effect on public policy,
but has also long maintained that America's most serious problems ultimately
require changes in the heart of individuals. Religious faith plays a central
role in that change,'' the organization said in a statement. Other groups
sponsoring the campaign include Concerned Women for America and the Family
Research Council, headed by conservative activist Gary Bauer.
-
- Describing her path from homosexuality,
Paulk says in the ad: ``I met a Christian woman, a former lesbian, who
listened patiently to my story and led me to a ministry helping people
overcome homosexuality. Because they loved me without judgment, I was able
finally to give all my relationships with God and begin the real road to
healing.'' In smaller print, the ad says ex-gay ministries throughout the
United States work daily with homosexuals seeking change. ``While the paths
each took into homosexuality may vary, their stories of hope and healing
through the transforming love of Jesus Christ are the same,'' the advertisement
says.
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