Busiest highway in U.S. features ex-gay billboard

Richmond, Va., Sep 22, 2004 / 22:00 pm

In an effort to seek tolerance and protect their rights, the ex-gay community has put up a billboard on one of the country’s busiest highways.

The billboard on I-64, near the turnoff for I-95 in the Richmond area, features a photo of a young man who overcame homosexuality, and says: “Ex-Gays Prove that Change Is Possible. Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays Seeking Tolerance for All.”

Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX) says homosexual activists, through their campaigns in favor of same-sex marriage, adoption rights and hate-crime laws, are attacking the freedoms of the ex-gay community. PFOX is a support group for families with loved ones dealing with homosexuality.

“Homosexual activists seek total acceptance and tolerance for their decisions but they openly discriminate against ex-gays’ decisions to leave homosexuality,” said Regina Griggs, executive director of PFOX, in a press release yesterday. “We’re hoping this ad will bring about public awareness, respect and tolerance.”

“All major mental health organizations have proclaimed the right to self-determination. This includes seeking counseling to overcome unwanted same-sex attractions,” Griggs said.

Citing the American Psychiatric Association, Griggs says there have not been any conclusive studies that support the notion that people are “‘born gay’ and left without a choice.”

“Ex-gays prove that change is possible and offer hope and answers for those who do not want to live homosexually. It is time that ex-gays got respect, honesty and equality,” she said.

“We put up this billboard so that people will know the truth – that you don’t have to be homosexual if you don’t want to be,” she said.

View the billboard at www.pfox.org.