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Evergreen Update Newsletter

March 10, 2007

In a previous Evergreen Update e-mail, We told you about an upcoming
Montel Williams show about overcoming homosexuality. Montel's Web site
says it will air Thursday, March 15. We thought you'd want to be aware of
the program, although we understand it will be disparaging to efforts to
overcome homosexuality.

Below is a description of the show from Montel's Web site. Below that is
an account of the show by a woman who was in the audience when the show
was taped.

>>>>The following is the description of the show from
http://www.montelshow.com/show/?showID=5106

Anti-gay Evangelical leader Ted Haggard – a married man with five children
who was “out’ed” by a male prostitute this past November – recently
declared that he has been “cured” of his homosexuality from three weeks of
“reparative therapy.” On today’s show, we will discuss this controversial
therapy. Montel will speak to Mike Jones, the former male prostitute who
exposed Haggard. Mike will reveal details about his three-year
relationship with Haggard, and will explain how he wanted to expose
Haggard’s hypocrisy. Montel will introduce Lance, a young man who was sent
to a reparative therapy camp by his parents when he was 17. We will meet
Alan Chambers, the President of Exodus International, the largest
Christian referral and information network dealing with homosexual issues
in the world. Our Director of After-Care, Dr. Alicia Salzer, will offer a
psychiatric perspective about these types of therapies. Dr. Salzer
produced a documentary called Abomination: Homosexuality and the Ex-gay
Movement. Montel will speak with Peterson, a man who endured reparative
therapy for nearly seventeen years of his life. He feels that he wasted
his time by participating in these programs which he feels only promote
self-loathing.

About the guests:
* Mike The former prostitute who “out’ed” Rev. Ted Haggard
* Lance He was sent to a reparative therapy camp after he told his parents
that he was gay
* Alan Chambers The President of Exodus International, the largest
reparative therapy organization in the world. For more information about
Alan Chambers and Exodus International, go to www.exodus-international.org
* Richard Cohen A psychotherapist and practitioner of sexual reorientation
therapy, or "reparative therapy"
Peterson A gay Christian man who underwent seventeen years of reparative
therapy but is now happily and openly gay. For more information about
Peterson Toscano, go to www.petersontoscano.com/
* Dr. Alicia Salzar The director of MONTEL’S After-care program and the
producer of the documentary Abomination: Homosexuality and the Ex-gay
Movement. For more information about Dr. Alicia Salzer's film,
"Abomination: Homosexuality and the Ex-Gay Movement" go to www.aglp.org

>>>>Following is an account by a woman who was in the audience when the
show was taped:

> Subject: Sad Report:Montel Williams Show Taping - 2/28/07 - ARTHUR WAS A
HERO!
>
> Dear Colleagues,
>
> The taping of the Montel Williams show was last Wednesday. It was
> quite an upsetting experience, to say the least. I wish each one
> of you was there - it was high drama.
>
> Montel made fun of reparative therapy the whole time even though
> the show was supposed to discuss reparative therapy - the show was
> a set up. FYI, Exodus doesn't do reparative therapy and that's
> what the show was about, so it was ridiculous from the get-go.
> Montel was out to demean "our side of the story" and did so at
> every opportunity.
>
> One of the Exodus couples was bumped when they politely protested
> to Montel that he wasn't allowing the ex-gays the appropriate
> amount of time to speak. I give them credit. Montel was floored
> that this couple had the nerve to dictate to him what they would
> accept from him. There was a 15 minute delay with producers and
> production people running out onto the stage as they decided what
> to do now that this couple was bumped in the middle of the taping.
>
> Richard Cohen & his wife Jae Sook were bumped to the audience
> instead of sitting on the stage so they could put on the male
> prostitute who outed Ted Haggard. I give this male prostitute
> credit. ( Ted Haggard was the Evangelical preacher outed a few
> months ago in a big scandal. Haggard preached hell fire and
> damnation for gays but was leading a double life and seeing this
> male prostitute for years and who knows what else he was doing.)
> Haggard deserved to be outed under these conditions.
>
> This male prostitute said that 80% of his clients were married and
> another 15% were clergy - you can imagine how the audience
> responded to that. He never knew who Ted Haggard was for years
> until he saw him on TV one night denouncing gays - so he decided to
> out him. Interestingly, the gay groups are mad at him because he
> didn't go through them to out Haggard so they missed out on a lot
> of publicity.
>
> Richard Cohen was asked one question and when Montel saw how strong
> a speaker he was, Montel never asked him another question.
>
> Alan Chambers of Exodus, the only ex-gay up on the stage with
> several pro-gay activists, was not feeling well and didn't respond
> forcefully to the abuse given out by Montel. I don't know what
> happened but Montel pummeled him with words & questions. It was so
> sad and aggravating to see.
>
> THEN, A HERO EMERGED!
>
> All of a sudden Arthur Goldberg was yelling at Montel from the
> auidence. Arthur yelled something like, "You're not being fair.
> You understand what he ( Alan Chambers ) means, it's implied in
> what you read." Montel was so shocked when Arthur yelled that he
> was being unfair and misinterpreting what Alan Chambers was saying
> that Montel didn't say much back - Montel tried to come back at
> Arthur but then Arthur yelled again "This is a civil rights issue
> and you just don't understand."
>
> . . . and then the taping was over.
>
> At that point, we were hoping for a big battle, but no one said
> anything and everyone was hustled off stage. I'm pretty sure they
> will cut out Arthur from the final show but all the gay activists
> were shocked - now they're a little afraid of JONAH - they know
> that we'll fight! Hooray for Arthur!
>
> Oy! What a day. Best, Elaine