Society Cannot Deny the Lives, Experiences and Sufferings of Ex-Gays

TORONTO, September 5, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Melissa Fryrear, a woman who from her youth thought she was born homosexual and lived for over a decade in the lesbian lifestyle, is coming to Toronto to speak at the Love Won Out conference September 20.  The one-day conference, sponsored by Focus on the Family, aims to enlighten, educate and equip families, church pastors and youth leaders on the roots, causes and treatment of homosexuality.  At the conference, experts in the field, some of whom were themselves in the homosexual lifestyle, demonstrate the possibility of leaving that lifestyle.  In an interview with LifeSite, Melissa described how she fully embraced the lesbian identity at college and was living with her female partner when presented with the truth on homosexuality by Christian contacts.  Melissa eventually converted to Christianity through these contacts and recognized she was living “in conflict with what God intended for my life”.  Melissa stressed that the Christians who approached her did not compromise on the truth but were loving, compassionate and patient. “Probably most helpful,” she says, “was that they were very loving and compassionate and understanding.  We entered honest dialogue which was truthful, but they followed the Lord’s leading and introduced the truth with great compassion.  They were unwavering in regard to scriptural truth and had wisdom and experience and allowed the latitude to let God work.”  Those Christians who assisted her to love Christ, she says, were not impatient.  “They were committed for the long haul.  The roots to homosexuality are deeply ingrained and complex.  Being convinced that I was living sinfully and making the commitment to try to live differently took time. They were committed to months and years, not an overnight transformation.”  Melissa explained that after she had met the Christians it was two years before she separated from her lesbian partner.  “The past twelve years,” she says, “have been a journey of restoration and overcoming what had contributed and led to homosexuality in my life, and pursing the Lord Jesus in my heart.”  Currently Melissa is the Homosexuality and Gender Analyst for Focus on the Family.  Formerly she served as Executive Director of CrossOver Ministries, an outreach to homosexuals, to give them hope and assistance in leaving the homosexual lifestyle.  She told LifeSite that the conference will “help ministers and family members learn how to respond with truth and compassion to those in the church or family struggling with homosexuality.  It will demonstrate how to counter a very aggressive pro-gay agenda in the schools.”  To register for the conference online:  https://www.family.org/cforum/lwo/