This is a lesson where we learn that the best thing to be - is yourself. David Matheson was an infamous gay conversation therapist featured on both ABC news and the New York Times. Matheson attributes his beliefs and actions to his Mormon faith. According to Truth Wins Out (TWO), Matheson was involved in numerous ex-gay projects such being a co-writer for the Journey into Manhood program which encourages men to wander around aimlessly into the woods and perform "manly" activities". He is also the author of many ex-gay books including Becoming a Whole Man. Amazon describes the book as "a six-year quest to understand and respond to the most difficult challenges facing men with unwanted homosexuality”. Matheson was also the Director of the Center for Gender Wholeness, and yet this "prominent" anti-gay therapist is Gay? Yep.
According to the New York times article in 2007, Matheson at the time ran a full practice of around 50 people in New Jersey, but he was continuing that practice until just now - 2019.
Matheson came "out" on his facebook saying,
A year ago I realized I had to make substantial changes in my life. I realized I couldn’t stay in my marriage any longer. And I realized that it was time for me to affirm myself as gay.
That's pretty straight forward but he had more to say. And rightfully so considering all the people he had shamed into believing they were wrong. He continues saying...
So, what can you take from my course change? Not that I was faking it all those years or that the choice I’m making now was inevitable. Not that I’m renouncing my faith or my past work—even if I wish I could go back and change some things. Not that I condemn marriages between same-sex attracted and a straight person. And not that I’m giving up or jumping ship.
What you can take from this is that my time in a straight marriage and in the “ex-gay” world was genuine and sincere and a rich blessing to me. I remember most of it with fondness and gratitude for the joy and growth it caused in me and many others. But I had stopped growing and I had to change. So I’ve embarked on a new life-giving path that has already started a whole new growth process.
Matheson has now left his wife of 34 years to pursue a gay relationship and plans on continuing the Morman faith that the Guardian reports "encouraged his belief that being gay was a sin". But although Matheson has now found "the light", let's not forget all those people that he shoved in the dark. What about them? Matheson makes an apology to all those he had harmed saying,
I used to be caught in an ideological prison of my own. I know my work helped many, many people because they’ve told me so. But I’m sure I’ve hurt some people too. Not that I would excuse myself, but any shortcomings I had as a therapist came from too narrow a view of what “emotionally healthy” can look like. They came from my own homophobia and narrow mindedness. I am truly sorry for those flaws and the harm they have surely caused some people. And I’m sorry for the confusion and pain my choice may be causing others.
But some people, understandably were not so forgiving. That included a man named Chaim Levin, who Out reports has actually attended one of Matheson's programs and is filing a lawsuit.
" While I am pleased for Mr. Matheson that he has found a path forward for his life, I can’t help but think of the hundreds if not thousands of people who are still stuck in the closet, a closet that was created in part by Mr. Matheson himself...I hope that Mr. Matheson will do whatever he can to rectify the harm that he’s inflicted on many people in the LGBTQ community, myself included," said Levin.
Gay Conversation Therapy is being banned all over the nation with New York recently announcing themselves as the 15th state to do so. Let me also point out that Matheson was claimed to be very knowledgeable in these programs and methods but later came out as gay, they OBVIOUSLY DON'T WORK.
The lesson I give you therefore is this my lovelies - hiding who you are is harmful to both you and others. Although you may not want to "come out" just know that you are perfectly fine the way you are and we at Gaye love you and are always here for you.
To go to his facebook or watch the video clink on the links below.
https://www.facebook.com/david.matheson.794/posts/1684613881684998
https://www.channel4.com/news/exclusive-interview-with-the-gay-conversion-therapist-who-came-out-as-gay