selves veteran members of Cleveland Н.А.

What about Gay People?

Members of H.A. have clear view about men and women who are not in their program and are "trapped in homosexuality."

• Homosexuality is a sexual addiction like addictions to alcohol, illegal drugs, unhealthy dependency, pedophilia, child abuse and prostitution.

Gays and lesbians have meaningless, anonymous sexual encounters. They have no true friends or healthy relationships. Gay friends are viewed as only meaningless future sexual partners.

Churches who accept people "in homosexuality" are misinterpreting Scripture.

⚫Satan makes it appear that gays can have long term relationships, but this is only an illusion.

Most members of H.A. do not consider themselves gay people nor do they accept that gay people can exist. Gays are just misguided heterosexuals who deny that God made all of creation heterosexual. H.A. offers both an explanation of the causes of gayness and a cure for it.

The Causes

H.A. believes that people lapse into homosexuality for a myriad of reasons:

There is a poor relationship between a person and his same-sex parent. ⚫ There was some unknowable lesson given by parents that taught one to be gay.

Homosexual fantasies are caused by stress. Relieve the stress though prayer, Bible study or physical exertion and the desires disappear.

⚫ Masturbation fans the flames of homosexual desire and can cause one to fall into homosexuality.

•Heterosexual pornography kept by a child's parents somehow enflames homosexual fantasies in the child.

Homosexuals are more sensitive than their heterosexual siblings.

• God sends homosexuality on some people like a plague. It teaches Christians to rely on God for their strength. The Cure

H.A. offers a variety of tactics to effect a permanent cure. Members are first warned against retaining their gay friends. All gay friends are considered possible dates and a source of tempta-

November, 1989

not cure them of their desires. Some felt that God called them to be celibate and to sacrifice their life to some kind of Christian service.

Does it Work?

In conversations with members it was clear that they struggle with a great many difficulties, not the least of which is that their group is not accepted by Christian [i.e. fundamentalist] churches. The leader of the sessions expressed his dismay that fundamentalist Christian churches do not draw the distinction between

H.A.

Homosexuals Anonymous

common

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE Page 11

The distinction between H.A. and most gay Christian groups, such as Integrity and Dignity, is that H.A. believes gay people are unknowingly possessed by satanic forces and in violation of "God's heterosexual creation."

H.A. is more of a danger to itself than to the gay community. It is created for confused, unhappy bisexuals and homosexuals who have a serious desire to both remain in the mainstream of fundamentalist religion yet provide an understanding, non-threatening outlet for their continuous Satan-inspired "fallings" into anonymous homosexual encounters and their ensuing guilty consciences.

is a fellow-

ship of men and women who, through their have chosen to help each other live in emotional experience, FREEDOM FROM HOMOSEXUALITY.

mem-

The only requirement for H.A. bership is a desire to be free from homosexuality.

tion. Associating exclusively with heterosexual friends will lessen the desire for homosexual sex.

Those struggling with homosexuality should become "men among men and women among women." In effect, join clubs, bars or cliques at the workplace that are exclusively heterosexual. No consideration was given to the possible physical or emotional dangers involved in this kind of association.

Keeping a journal of the thoughts that immediately preceed your fantasies was considered a useful tool to prove that stress caused sexual fantasies.

Members believed that God would

Christians who are openly gay and those who are "struggling with homosexuality" in hopes of being cured of it. Both are denounced in blanket terms by some churches.

Members of H.A. are attempting to gain credibility for their members by approaching the ministers of Christian churches in Cleveland with proposals for creating H.A. programs in their churches. A group meets in a private home in the Flats area each week which is reported to be discussing the formation of H.A. chapters in area churches.

H.A. is a failed Christian ministry to

gays in Cleveland. This is demonstrated in the defection rate of its members, lack of interest from its chaplain, lack of success in helping its members eradicate homosexual fantasies and behavior, chauvinism in ignoring the lesbian viewpoint and condoning using women as sexual diversions for bisexual men in hopes they will "follow the straight and narrow path."

A final word of encouragement from a longtime H.A. member: "Don't worry. God never said it would be easy, but he said it would be right!" I am not so sure.

CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE

BIG

by Peter Ullian

BOSS

Directed by Rohn Thomas

Nov. 17-Dec. 2,89 FRIDAYS 8 pm

SATURDAYS 8 pm & NIGHT SUNDAYS 3 pm

Tickets $7.00 general $5.00 students/seniors For information or reservations call 631-2727 6415 Detroit Avenue

Sometimes...

MAN all you have is

your "Family".