Michael Glatze, writer for the (now shuttered) gay twink magazine XY and the short-lived publication Young Gay America who went “ex-gay” and became a poster boy for that movement, marrying a woman in 2013, sat down for an interview with vlogger Jake Reynolds following the screening of the new movie, I Am Michael at Sundance.

I Am Michael is based on the Benoit Denizet-Lewis NYT article “My Ex-Gay Friend”. You can read it here.

Glatze (played by James Franco in the film) appeared thrilled with his portrayal and told Reynolds that it is a turning point in his life:

“Life is starting up again. It’s almost like a new life. I thank James Franco for that. I did. I sent an email for him and I said ‘thank you so much for your interest in this project’ because it has been the spark to a gigantic healing process for so many people in my world, and now we can rejoin the rest of the world.”

For those who are not familiar with Glatze’s story this requires a bit of context.

Wayne Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out, an organization that has devoted much time to exposing the “ex-gay” myth, wrote about Glatze’s story in 2013:

Mr. Glatze worked for XY Magazine and was the co-founder of a short-lived LGBT teenie-bopper mag, Young Gay America. Suddenly, he broke up with his boyfriend and had what appeared to be a nervous breakdown, where he had severe panic attacks about dying. During these disturbing episodes, he renounced his sexual orientation and temporarily converted to Mormonism. Though he had dived into the Mormon faith with gusto, he just as quixotically abandoned this faith to become an outspoken fundamentalist Christian…

…He began writing incendiary op-eds for World Net Daily where he claimed to be “repulsed by homosexuality.” He appeared on Porno Pete LaBarbera’s radio show. However, his time on the “ex-gay” circuit was short-lived and he proved to be an incompetent spokesperson. His columns were so beyond the pale, that he alienated long-time “ex-gay” activists. Eventually, Glatze was drummed out of the “ex-gay” industry after a meltdown. His demise came after he wrote a racist rant against president Barack Obama on his blog…

Franco this week reacted to the experience of meeting Glatze for the first time and said that Glatze told him the film was “healing” as well.

Franco added:

“In a way, we had to show to him we were going to have a very even-handed, non-judgmental approach, but we also had to say to ourselves, ‘We’re not telling this story just to make Michael happy, we’re telling the story to get both sides.’ The best we could do was say to him, ‘We have good intentions. We’re not going to crucify or judge you but we also need to tell the story from the other side as well as the side you’re on now.'”

However, there is only one side to the “ex-gay” story, and if the film (which I have not seen but was reviewed by our film critic here) presents being “ex-gay” as a valid option in life, it will certainly do a disservice to all of the young gay people who have been irreparably damaged by so called “conversion therapy”, “ex-gay” ministries, and so on. As time goes by, former “ex-gays” and proponents (John Paulk, Randy Thomas, Robert Spitzer, and James Stabile, and more) continue to come out and reveal that being “ex-gay” is a damaging, damaging myth.

In the new interview, Glatze is asked what he would say to the gay youth who have said they were hurt and felt betrayed by Glatze’s renunciation of his identity:

“I’m sorry, and that is one of the things I would say to anyone who has been hurt by any of the words that have come through my mouth or typed out on a computer screen…and even through video is that I’m sorry for any of the pain that I have caused. I literally feel that and have been dealing with that over the past really three or four years especially. It has just been a lot of the process of healing for me – we’ve been going through that together – and just growing in what the Buddhist teacher kind of observed was missing in me at that time was compassion…If there (are) amends to be made then to make those amends and not offend anyone on either side. We’ve got to be very careful with that.”

Watch the interview, AFTER THE JUMP…

Divorce is something that is roundly condemned in the Bible, and depending on the level of conservativeness of one’s place of worship, cohabitation – that is, lovers living together without being married; though sometimes even just opposite-sex individuals sharing an apartment counts, even if the two have no romantic connection – is just as taboo. So why is it that that gay marriage has church leaders worked into a froth that exceeds the other two by leaps and bounds? 

Because gay marriage is worse, of course.

That’s right, even though Jesus himself has literally nothing to say about same-sex marriage but explicitly says divorce is a no-no, nearly 50 high-level Catholic and evangelical leaders (including pastor Rick Warren and former NOM Head Maggie Gallagher) signed off on a 5000-word manifesto to be released in the March edition of conservative journal First Things that says,

[W]hat the state defines as marriage no longer embodies God’s purposes in creation. An easy acceptance of divorce damages marriage; widespread cohabitation devalues marriage. But so-called same-sex marriage is a graver threat, because what is now given the name of marriage in law is a parody of marriage.

Of course, no anti-gay screed is complete without mention of the good men and women who have lost their livelihoods for standing up for what is right:

[Some people] are already being censured and others have lost their jobs because of their public commitment to marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

Of course, no one has lost their jobs because of their public commitment to heterosexual marriage; they have lost their jobs for refusing to abide by the laws of the land, which in most places now mandate recognition of civil gay marriages, which is a very different thing. But what does the truth matter? It’s not like the bible has any mandate against lying, right? At least, not a mandate that’s any more explicit and important than the nearly 20 passages about divorce?

Other than that one.

Bruce Jenner will discuss his transition from male to female in an interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer, according to CBS News.

Just last week, multiple sources confirmed that Jenner was in fact transitioning and would come out as transgender. The news came after heavy media speculation as to Jenner’s changing appearance that included the publication of a controversial photoshopped image of Jenner on the cover of gossip rag In Touch showing Jenner with lipstick, blush and more feminine clothing. 

Jenner, 65, will also appear in a reality series that will follow his transition closely. The series will air shortly after his interview with Sawyer. From CBS:

The interview is slated to air in May, Page Six reports, with portions of it set to begin filming this week.

Jenner’s transition is also being filmed for an unscripted series to air on E!, the network home of “Keeping up with the Kardashians” and other Kardashian-Jenner family shows.

“The world will see his full transformation,” a source told Us Weekly. “It’s a docuseries featuring the Jenner family talking about Bruce ‘coming out.”

Last week, Kim Kardashian told “Entertainment Tonight” that Jenner is now “the happiest I’ve ever seen him.”

“I think everyone goes through things in life, and I think that story and what Bruce is going through, I think he’ll share whenever the time is right,” she added. “I feel like that’s his journey to talk about.”

Iowa man Lee Stafford and his fiancé, Jared, who were turned away from a Grimes, Iowa wedding venue because they’re gay reached a settlement two years after Stafford levied a lawsuit at the venue for discrimination reports KCCI News. The incident occurred two years ago when the couple approached Betty Odgaard and her husband, the owners of Gortz Haus where the couple hoped to wed, to host their wedding there. The Mennonite couple refused them citing that the marriage conflicted with their personal religious beliefs. Stafford then pursued the case with the Iowa Civl Rights Commission. Tom Conley with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission affirmed that Iowa law states that commercial enterprises cannot discriminate against patrons. 

The settlement included paying $2,500 to both Lee and Jared along with an agreement from the owners of Gortz Haus to not discriminate in the future. However, the owners of Gortz Haus have since closed the venue to all couples and no longer offer weddings or receptions for straight or gay couples. The Haus couple states weddings were a large part of their business but Gortz Haus still offers other services. The Odgaard’s still say they stand by their convictions and faith after the results of the settlement.