https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brie...apy-group-founder-comes-out-as-gay-apologizes I read the entire facebook apology. I believe it to be sincere. I believe he will do everything he can to undo the damage, and right the wrongs. I believe he 'should be' forgiven. I definitely believe he should try to forgive himself. But I will also say he is asking one hell of a lot from the gay community and from parents and members of PFLAG, and from Christian affirming churches, and clerics. He did 20 years of damage. I will bet money that a few gays actually killed themselves because of the messages he sent, and that loved ones were convinced their children, siblings parents were spending eternity in hell thanks to him. That is some real harm. This is not easy, but he is doing whatever he can now, and that means a lot to. He can do us a lot of more good if we embrace him rather than dwell on his crimes.
I feel bad for him to be honest. I couldn’t imagine hating myself so much that I pushed a program onto others — that is a lie — knowing the mental damage it would cause them. It’s largely the society that he grew up in, religious indoctrination can be like a powerful narcotic for many. We definitely need to hold these people accountable for anyone that has harmed themselves because of their “therapy”, once they start going to jail these types of religious torture will vanish.
I'm finding it very difficult if not impossible to give any forgiveness for what mental, emotional, and yes physical harm and anguish this man has caused countless people to endure as founder of 'conversion therapy'. It sickens me to wonder how many suicides might be related to such 'therapy'. And I'm sure there were. For me, this guy is going to have to do a lot more than just 'apologize' for all the irreparable damage he has caused to so many people over the course of time he was the head of this 'therapy center'.
