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Beyond Ex-Gay Goes to Barcelona

The US-based ex-gay movement has attempted to make inroads into Spain and Latin America in the past. Exodus Global Alliance (then just Exodus International) sent Jose Luis Maccarone as an ex-gay missionary to Spain. He eventually came out and tells some of his story in this YouTube video. At the end of 2007 a news story hit about a priest doing ex-gay therapy in Galicia, Spain. Just yesterday I also read about ex-gay movement afoot in Mexico.

Beyond Ex-Gay working with other LGBT-affirming organizations in Catalonia, Spain has organized a conference at the University of Barcelona on May 30, 2008.

Teràpies reparatives per l’homosexualitat
Gay to Straight Therapies
Perquè existeixen i quins perills impliquen
The reasons they exist and their potential harm
This conference will consider the phenomenon of gay reparative therapies, discredited treatment plans that attempt to alter a homosexual orientation and identity. Presenters will explore the various types of treatments that have been offered, the potential harm for patients receiving such treatment, and the various motivating factors that influence individuals to pursue such treatments for themselves or their loved ones. The conference will use modern and dynamic learning techniques.
A panel of speakers will present short talks and then will answer general questions. The participants will walk through facilitated discussions looking at reparative therapy and ex-gay ministry—the reasons they exist and their potential harm.

Speakers include:
  • Jordi Petit, Honorary President of la Coordiandora Gai-Lesbiana de Catalunya president (the Gay-Lesbian Network of Catalonia)
  • Noemí Domínguez, Clinical psychologist and Master’s in sexual and couple therapy (University of Barcelona)
  • Peterson Toscano (um, me) ex-gay survivor and co-founder of Beyond Ex-Gay
The conference will be conducted in Catalan, Castilian (Spanish) and English and will include multi-media as well as traditional presentation. In addition to the panel other ex-gay survivors from Catalonia will be on hand to share some of their own experiences. Earlier in the week I will also get to meet with a group of gay Christians who meet regularly in Barcelona.

You can learn more about the conference at the Beyond Ex-Gay Barcelona event page. For some resources in Spanish, check out the Spanish-language blog I maintain with my friend Adriana, Dos Equis.
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