[HeartStrongList] Corrected: CHRISTIAN SINGER ADMITS TO HATING HOMOSEXUALITY

[press at heartstrong.org]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HeartStrong Inc
PO Box 2051
Seattle WA 98111
Contact: Marc Adams
206-388-3894
heartstrong at heartstrong.org
www.heartstrong.org

CHRISTIAN SINGER ADMITS HATING HOMOSEXUALITY

Seattle WA -  Donnie Davies says he hates homosexuality.  He also claims on
his websites and warbles in his new song, The Bible Says, that "If you're
a fag, then God hates you, too."
"It's not often that people actually admit to their own hatefulness of
others of their actions," says Marc Adams of HeartStrong, Inc.  "There was
a time in my life when I thought I was exgay and
'The Bible Says' might have been a duet."
Adams is referring to the nearly four years he spent trying to change his
behavior from homosexual to heterosexual while a student at Jerry
Falwell’s Liberty University.  While he was a student and employee, his
restorative therapy came from a group outside of the evangelical
university.
Donnie Davies is a relative newcomer to the restorative therapy efforts
recently more discussed after religious idols such as Ted Haggard and
others have succumbed to the pressure to live simulated heterosexual
lifestyles.
“Donnie Davies has taken all of this a step further by recording this song
and posting the video on MySpace.com and YouTube.com,” Adams says.
“Saying that someone or something hates you because you are a ‘fag’ is a
very dangerous thing.  There are many young men and women who are already
traumatized in their religious schools and religious congregations by
concepts such as ‘hate the sin but love the sinner’ and this is just one
more thing to knock them down.  You have to wonder if Donnie Davies and the
people who created him to be this way will take responsibility for their
words damaging someone.”
Adams is a founder and executive director of HeartStrong, Inc., a non
profit educational organization providing support to gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgendered students who are persecuted at religious
educational institutions.  Since 1996, HeartStrong has directly assisted
more than 900 students from religious schools.
“Students in religious educational institutions along with young men and
women in religious congregations are the primary target of restorative
therapy,” Adams states.  “This is why HeartStrong is responding to this
song, video and website.”
HeartStrong owns www.exgay.com.  It is not an exgay site but rather a tool
to provide hopeful information to those struggling with attempts to live a
simulated heterosexual lifestyle.
Shelley Craig, president of the board of directors and a licensed clinical
social worker says the website was a natural step for the organization.
        “Since our students at religious schools are one of the primary
targets of this typically religious practice,” she says, “It made
perfect sense for HeartStrong to run this site.  And, while it was
initially a site for our students, HeartStrong has assisted many
others in their journey to self-acceptance.”
     HeartStrong has sent written complaints to MySpace.com and YouTube.com
regarding the video.  In addition, dozens of prominent Christian singer
and bands who have added themselves as Donnie Davies’ MySpace.com page are
also being petitioned to remove their names from his site to avoid
appearance of condoning the song
     “This isn’t about censorship,” Adams says.  “It is about protecting
the students we work so hard to reach as well as anyone else who
might be in a sensitive place in their journey to self-acceptance who
might fall victim
to the song’s message which proclaims nothing by hate.”
        As for Donnie Davies, Adams says that it is easy to cast judgment
on him, but asks for people to remember that Donnie Davies himself
is a victim.
     “No one ever wakes up in the morning and says to themselves, ‘I hate
gay people, God hates gay people,’ you must be taught that.  The
people who
tricked Donnie Davies into believing that concept should and will be held
accountable.”

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Mission Statement
HeartStrong is a non sectarian organization established to provide
outreach to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and other persons
adversely affected by the influence of all denominations of religious
educational institutions.

HeartStrong is also committed to educating the public about the
persecution of GLBT’s and others at religious educational institutions.