Love Won Out Looking Forward to Dialogue About Homosexuality
April 14 event in Omaha will feature often-unreported facts about controversial issue
March 29, 2007
Colorado Springs, Colo. – Focus on the Family welcomed news today that its April 14 Love Won Out conference at Trinity Church in Omaha will be protested by gay activists, saying it looks forward to adding its voice to a communitywide dialogue on homosexuality.
Most of the 43 Love Won Out events held since 1995 have seen some form of protest, said Melissa Fryrear, a Love Won Out speaker and director of Focus on the Family’s Gender Issues Department. And that’s perfectly fine in America.
“How great is it that our country guarantees its citizens the right to speak out about issues they care about – even when those issues are controversial?” Fryrear said. “The protesters have every right to exercise that freedom with regards to their views on homosexuality. So do we – and that’s what we’ll be doing on April 14: exercising our right to offer families who are affected by homosexuality information they may not get elsewhere.”
Those who oppose Love Won Out have used words like “bigotry” and “hatred” to describe the event. Fryrear said that’s exactly the opposite of Love Won Out’s mission and message.
“Our conference is about truth, love and hope,” she said. “In every city we’ve ever gone to, we’ve found men and women who are dissatisfied living homosexually; what we offer them is the reality that change is possible – that unwanted same-sex attractions can be overcome. My life and the lives of thousands of other ex-gays like me are proof of that.”
In addition to the personal stories of Fryrear and Mike Haley, a former homosexual and the conference host, the event will feature discussions of the roots of homosexuality and what the Bible says about the subject.
“The No. 1 misleading statement made about us is that we believe homosexuality is a choice,” Fryrear said. “That’s not at all true. We believe same-sex attractions are caused by many complex factors, and we explain that very meticulously in our sessions.”
The conference will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Trinity Church, 15555 West Dodge Road in Omaha. A news conference to address the charges leveled by protesters will be held at noon Friday, April 13, at the church.
For more information and to arrange press credentials, contact Nima Reza at 719-548-4570 or 719-648-4590.
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Media:For more information, contact Nima Reza at (719) 548-4570 or nima.reza@fotf.org.