Ex-gay movement’s poster boy comes out as gay
“To those who still promote reparative therapy or hope it could work for them or a family member, I hope they realize this path leads to a horrid dead end.”
— Christian Schizzel, who spent seven years advocating for controversial ex-gay treatment, speaking with Religion News Service about his decision to come out and renounce the treatment he once advocated for — which he received at Janet Boynes Ministries and The Bachmann & Associates counseling centers (owned by U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann and her husband) — confirming what we’ve all known along: it doesn’t work.
Schizzel felt the need to come out publicly because his “sexuality has been exploited my whole life by the Christian community both knowingly and un-knowingly.”
“I’m coming out this second time as my true self – a gay man — louder than before so we can all learn from the mistakes made and the harmful effects of reparative therapy can be uncovered and so that people who have used my story against other gay people won’t have it as a weapon anymore.”
Schizzel opened up on the process used to “remove” his homosexuality. “There was a psychological “breaking-me-down” and isolation process from my friends and family because they were considered unhealthy. They did this to achieve complete domination over me to build me up and mold me from there.” He continued: “I was kept from attending the funeral of the mother of one of my closest friend because, they said, the devil was using this funeral to lure me back out to become reacquainted with non-believers. I didn’t talk to my mom for almost a year and a half. I was told it was my family’s fault I was gay because of how I was raised.”
And for those who still advocate for ex-gay therapy, Schizzel had this to say: “To those who still promote reparative therapy or hope it could work for them or a family member, I hope they realize this path leads to a horrid dead end. It’s harmful and excruciatingly painful. There’s no academic or spiritual basis for its promotion. I wouldn’t wish this upon anyone, not even the ones who harmed me the most in this life. In the end, my sexuality is a beautiful gift from God, and every day, I have found, I have to make a choice to honor it in the straight man’s world.”
Image Credit: Christian Schizzel / Facebook
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
