PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, October 31, 2002
ROANOKE 7 TO PROTEST "LOVE WON OUT"
CONFERENCE
CONTACT: Eddie R. Ratliff, Executive, Director
540-985-9400
Having just helped Soulforce take the truth to Jerry Falwell
and the Lynchburg community, Roanoke7,
the Virginia based human rights organization,
announces plans to demonstrate at the "Love Won Out" conference in
Washington, DC, this Saturday, November 2nd. The conference is being
conducted by
John Paulk and other "x-gays" who claim to have overcome
their homosexual orientation through religion, prayer, and other means.
Paulk was photographed in September 2000 at Mr.P's, a Washington, DC
gay bar while serving as board chair of Exodus
International. Exodus is the prominent group which claims amazing results
in converting homosexuals to heterosexuals. At that time, Paulk also
served on the staff
of James Dobson's "Focus on the Family," managing its
homosexuality and transgender departments. Dobson assigned a chaperone to
accompany him on future tours. It is not known whether a chaperone
will accompany him on this tour but we
will!
Roanoke7 believes forums such as the planned "Love Won Out"
conference are destructive to those
that must reconcile spirituality with their
sexual orientation. In our view, these groups are misleading
and dangerous and inspire violence against gays and
lesbians. When Ronald Edward gay murdered
Danny Lee Overstreet at the
Backstreet Cafe in September 2000, he was quoted as saying, "I am a
Christian Soldier on a mission from God." Members of
Danny's family will join Roanoke7 in this effort.
At age eleven, Eddie
Ratliff, the founder of Roanoke7 dreamed of being a minister. Soon
thereafter, he became a child preacher broadcasting on radio station WNRG
in Southwest, Virginia. At age fifteen,
Ratliff joined a nationally known evangelistic team
and traveled throughout the United States playing
gospel music. He
eventually married, had a daughter, became an ordained minister, pastor,
and state
youth director, while serving on the state board and
national youth committee of his denomination.
"Many times, I locked
myself away alone with my bible, praying, fasting, and seeking God's help in
overcoming my own sexual orientation," Ratliff says. "If prayer,
fasting, and a sincere desire to keep
my family together in the ministry, was the solution,
I would still be in the ministry today," he says.
Mental health
professionals have concluded groups that advocate prayer as a way of
overcoming homosexuality are misguided and run the risk of damaging those
they seek to help. Roanoke7 believes
right-wing evangelicals are sincerely wrong on this
issue. We also believe such teachings merely delay
the inevitable for those who must come to terms with their
sexuality or risk the possibility of suicide, alcoholism, addiction, or a
lifetime of failed relationships and unhappiness.
We ask people of
all faiths who share our view that the Love Won Out conference serves only to
confuse
and prolong the mental anguish of gays and
lesbians to join us as we assist the John Paulk Welcoming Committee in
exposing the folly of religious cures for biological and/or genetic
orientation.
Additional information about Ratliff's
story can be found on the Roanoke7home page at http://www.roanoke7.com
Roanoke7 (R7)is 501(c)(3)agency that
educates and advocates for stronger, safer communities through
anti-hate programs that advance
understanding of diversity and minorities. Out to Change (OTC) is a diversity
project of Roanoke7.