Charlene Cothran lied to me

I am sure you all are aware of Charlene Cothran, the African-American publisher of Venus Magazine who is now claiming that she is an "ex-gay."

Let me make you aware of something else.

When Cothran announced her "change," I wrote her a letter. She answered my letter. The following is our exchange:

My letter:

You are Being Used

While I do not agree with your latest exploits, I respect them. However please be advised as you claim to look towards Heaven that you do not allow yourself to be deceived by those with an agenda. Already some folks are using your story in attempts to deny those of us who are comfortable with our orientation our basic rights.

You see that is the paradox involving those claiming to be "ex-gay." Many of us gays have no problem with your decisions. However, groups like Focus on the Family, etc try to use your experiences to keep job-protection ordinances and the like from being passed.

Your situation reminds me of Angie and Debbie Winans. First, they wrote a song criticizing homosexuality called "It's Not Natural," then they begin speaking in legislative committees against laws that would protect gays and lesbians from discrimination in employment and housing.

Where is the line drawn? Please remember my point as you go about your days. Don't allow yourself to be used to deny me my rights as a gay black man.

Her response:

I am acutely aware that many on the 'right' want to use me/my story for their own narrow benefit. In many interviews I remind them that every gay or lesbian person...every PERSON deserves basic HUMAN RIGHTS. The right to NOT be fired from their jobs for being gay, the right to declare whom ever they please as their 'next of kin' for medical emergency, property exchange, insurance privileges etc.

Now the rest of her letter goes on about gays recruiting children but since it is not relevant to my point, I will not not include it.

So Ms. Cothran believes that lgbts have a right to employment, etc. Too bad that many whom she now calls allies don't believe the same thing. Cases in point:

A vote is expected soon on H.R. 2015, the so-called “Employment Non-Discrimination Act” (ENDA). If passed, the bill would grant special employment rights and protected minority status to individuals who define themselves based upon chosen sexual behaviors and others who — among other things — suffer from clinical self-delusion. It would force employers to abandon their First Amendment civil rights at the workplace door.

TAKE ACTION: If enacted into law, The Employment NonDiscrimination Act (ENDA, H.R. 2015) and the federal “hate crimes” bill, H.R. 1592 (recently passed by the House), would be the first time that “gender identity rights” are recognized in federal law. This would usher in a new wave of persecution for people opposed to homosexuality and gender confusion . . .

At bottom is the religious exemption language for H.R. 2015, ENDA, the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, which would use federal government powers to ban “employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.” (Emphasis is added below.) ENDA would apply to businesses with 15 or more employees.

We at Americans For Truth generally oppose the concept of religious exemptions to pro-homosexual laws because religious people alone should not be able to exercise their freedoms to oppose aberrant sexual behavior.

These hateful and untrue statements came from our friend Peter LaBarbera and his group Americans for Truth (in name only).

Ms. Cothran spoke at a recent fundraiser for the group.

So while Ms. Cothran claims to believe that lgbts should have job protection, she does not have a problem with aligning herself with a group who tells lies to prevent said job protection.

Her actions remind me of a man who claims not believe in lynching, but not only does subtle things to incite the mob but also benefits from their bloodlust.

Apparently being a hypocrite has become a characteristic of being an "ex-gay."