News Tidbits

Washington Post: Trump now proposes only Muslims from terrorism-heavy countries would be banned from U.S.

Raw Story: ‘Kill the gays’ pastor has a pulpit-stomping meltdown after he’s booted from online fundraising

KFOR News Channel 4: Supreme Court sides with family accused of not teaching kids while waiting "to be raptured"

Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel: Palm Beach County considering a ban on conversion therapy for gay, lesbian children

Edge Media Network: 'Ex-Gay' Support Group Leader Blasts Gay Men Who Challenged Tenn.'s Therapy Bill

CNN: Tony Perkins: Trump better for LGBT Americans than Clinton

Reuters: Brazil's Bible, beef and bullets lobby backs Temer, unfazed by scandal

News Tidbits

Cincinnati*com: Ark Encounter has right to only hire Christians

Associated Press: Rallies over N. Carolina LGBT law begin as lawmakers return

Edge Media Network: 'Ex-Gay' Activist Calls LGBT Lobby 'A Kid in a Candy Store', 'High on Sugar'

Pink News: Ted Cruz: We need anti-LGBT laws so Trump ‘can’t dress up as Hillary’ to get into girls’ bathroom

Hollywood Life: New Victim Steps Forward To Accuse Josh Duggar Of Molestation

Christian Science Monitor: What Brazil's impeachment process says about its Christian faiths

Sydney Morning Herald: Treasurer Scott Morrison defends anti-gay commentator at Australian Christian Lobby event

Washington Blade: Report: Anti-LGBT persecution increased under Uganda law

As Zika Spreads Through Latin America, Catholic Leaders Stand by Doctrine

An outbreak of the Zika virus has turned the world's eyes to Latin America and ignited controversies over abortion, contraception, and the moral authority of the Catholic Church.

The Zika virus is spread through the bites of infected mosquitoes belonging to the Aedes genus. Zika virus produces symptoms such as rash, joint pain, fever, and conjunctivitis, according to the CDC. Currently, several South American, Central American, and Caribbean countries are sites of active Zika virus transmission, the CDC reports. Zika has two known strains -- one that originated in Africa and another that originated in Asia -- with the Asian strain responsible for the outbreak in Brazil.

Zika triggers fear because of possible link between Zika and Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the body's nerves, resulting in nerve damage, muscle weakness, and paralysis. Zika also arouses fear because of the probable link between Zika infection in pregnant women and the subsequent birth of babies with microcephaly, a birth defect in which a baby's head and brain are abnormally small. (More here.) Microcephaly is associated with intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, hearing and vision problems, and seizures. According to the World Health Organization, six countries and territories have reported an increase in the incidence of microcephaly and/or Guillain-Barré syndrome following Zika outbreaks.

Global health authorities are taking the Zika threat seriously. The International Planned Parenthood Federation has stressed the importance of contraception and abortion in addressing Zika's effects. The World Health Organization recommends that medical professionals provide contraception and contraceptive counseling to people in Zika-affected regions, so as to prevent unintended pregnancies and sexual transmission of the virus. An emergency committee convened by the Director-General of the World Health Organization is urging medical professionals to standardize and enhance surveillance for microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome in Zika-affected areas.

The Zika outbreak has brought urgency to the struggle for reproductive rights in Latin America. Caring for microcephalic children can exacerbate the challenges faced by women and families in poverty, and understandably, many women want to avoid giving birth to microcephalic babies.

Unfortunately, contraception access in poor and rural areas of Latin America is often unsatisfactory. Furthermore, laws in most Latin American countries restrict or forbid abortion, placing pregnant women with Zika in a frightening position.

Terrified of giving birth to babies with microcephaly, Latin American women are seeking abortions through underground channels. The Washington Post reports that Women on Web (a Canada-based organization that provides abortion medication to women in countries where abortion is banned) is receiving 40-50 requests a day from women in Latin America.

Officials in Brazil, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Colombia  have warned women not to get pregnant during the Zika outbreak. However, demanding that women avoid pregnancy in countries with large unmet contraceptive needs and strict anti-abortion laws is absurd. For example, Morena Herrera, president of Agrupación Ciudadana por la Despenalización del Aborto (Citizen's Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion) in El Salvador, pointed out the absurdity of such calls. Herrera reminded BBC News that many women in El Salvador lack information about contraceptives.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *

Contraception and abortion are vital tools for preventing human suffering in Zika's wake. Furthermore, condoms can prevent Zika transmission through sexual contact, yet another reason to encourage contraception. Sadly, many Catholic leaders refuses to acknowledge this.

During an in-flight press conference en route to Rome on February 17th, Pope Francis discussed abortion and contraception in the midst of the Zika crisis. (Hat tip to New York Times.) Pope Francis called abortion "an absolute evil", emphasizing that, "Abortion is not a lesser evil. It is a crime." ("L’aborto non è un 'male minore'. E’ un crimine.") However, he added that avoiding pregnancy in that context is not an absolute evil.

Mind you, he did not say that contraception is now morally permissible, just that it is not an absolute evil.

Pope Francis' lukewarm words are a slight improvement over the Catholic Church's traditional stance, but he still forbids abortion and still stops short of fully condoning contraception. Also, Pope Francis has not changed church doctrine on contraception, so the church's official ban still stands.

Bishop Noel Antonio Londono of the Diocese of Jerico, Colombia, argued that the Pope's remarks are not a "blank check" to use contraception. In the context of the Zika crisis, "there are people who need to protect themselves," he said, according to the Associated Press.

Other Catholic leaders in Zika-affected countries continue to forbid abortion and contraception, even as the threat of microcephaly looms. Pedro Mercado, deputy secretary of la Conferencia Episcopal de Colombia (the Episcopal Conference of Colombia), stressed in a February 9th statement that "the priority should be to eliminate mosquitoes that transmit the disease and not the lives of innocent children."("La prioridad debe ser acabar con los mosquitos transmisores de la enfermedad y no con la vida de niños inocentes".)

In Brazil, where over 4,000 infants have been born with microcephaly since the start of the Zika outbreak in early 2015, Catholic leaders remains inflexible. The Conferência Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil (the National Conference of Bishops in Brazil) has released several statements condemning abortion and contraception. CNBB statements stress the importance of sanitation in tackling Zika, not not reproductive freedoms. For example, in a February 4th statement, CNBB officials encouraged anti-Zika initiatives such as improved sanitation, but forbid abortion.

"Merece atenção especial o vírus zika por sua provável ligação com a microcefalia, embora isso não tenha sido provado cientificamente. A gravidade da situação levou a Organização Mundial da Saúde a declarar a microcefalia e o vírus zika emergência internacional. O estado de alerta, contudo, não deve nos levar ao pânico, como se estivéssemos diante de uma situação invencível, apesar de sua extrema gravidade. Tampouco justifica defender o aborto para os casos de microcefalia como, lamentavelmente, propõem determinados grupos que se organizam para levar a questão ao Supremo Tribunal Federal num total desrespeito ao dom da vida."

"The Zika virus deserved special attention because of its probable link with microcephaly, although this has not been proven scientifically. The gravity of the situation led the World Health Organization to declare microcephaly and Zika virus an international emergency. The alert, however, should not lead us to panic, as if we are facing an invincible situation, despite its extreme gravity. Nor does it justify advocating abortion for cases of microcephaly, as certain groups have regrettably proposed, organizing to take the matter to the Supreme Court [and showing] a total disrespect for the gift of life."

A February 12th statement by Cardinal Odilo P. Scherer, Archbishop of São Paulo, condemns abortion as well. Arrogantly, he claimed to understand the distress of women who worry that they may give birth to microcephalic babies.

"Como era de se esperar, o aumento dos casos de microcefalia nesses tempos de zika reanimou os defensores da "descriminalização" do aborto: querem aproveitar a psicose geral para conseguir a aprovação do Congresso Nacional, ou pelo casuísmo no Supremo Tribunal Federal, as possibilidades de mais um caso de "aborto legal"...

Compreendo a aflição das mulheres, que se vêm na situação de gerar um filho com microcefalia. Elas precisam ser amparadas e preparadas para terem seu filho e cuidar dele adequadamente. E a mulher tem uma grande capacidade de acolher e amar o que é pequeno, frágil e necessitado de proteção e amparo. Que outra coisa poderia ser feita, sem deixar de ser uma decisão nobre e digna da condição humana?"

"As might be expected, the increase in microcephaly cases during these Zika times revives advocates of "decriminalization" of abortion. They want to take advantage of the general psychosis to get the approval of Congress, or use casuistry in the Supreme Court [to open] possibilities for more cases of "legal abortion"...

I understand the distress of women who find themselves in the situation of conceiving a child with microcephaly. They need to be supported and prepared to have a child and care for him properly. The woman has a great ability to accept and love what is small, fragile and in need of protection and support. What else could be done, without ceasing to be a noble and dignified decision [with regard to] the human condition?"

In a February 10th statement, Guarabira Bishop Francisco de Assis Dantas de Lucen warned against abortion and "contraceptive mentality" during the Zika crisis.

"Envia-nos na defesa do direito à vida como expressa a própria Constituição Federal e não usar o Zika vírus por sua possível ligação com a microcefalia para alargar a agenda do aborto e mentalidade contraceptiva..."

"Send us in defending the right to life as expressed in the Federal Constitution, and not using the Zika virus and its possible link with microcephaly to broaden the agenda of abortion and contraceptive mentality..."

Even in dire circumstances, many Catholic leaders still forbid  practices can prevent a great deal of human suffering. Sanitation practices meant to reduce mosquito numbers are important, but by themselves they are not enough. Measures must be taken to prevent unwanted births and sexual transmission of the virus.

Fortunately, some Latin American women have disregarded the Catholic Church's teachings on family planning. Substantial percentages of Latin American women use modern contraception methods, according to the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs. As mentioned above, many Latin American women are seeking abortions underground. Ordinary people understand the importance of preventing unwanted pregnancies, even if Catholic leaders remain oblivious.

However, for women in poor or rural areas, contraception access can be limited. For women throughout Latin America, abortion remains illegal. Instead of recognizing these problems, Catholic leaders clings to harmful doctrines that ignore realities on the ground.


* Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese translations were derived from Google Translate, with small modifications for the sake of clarity.

News Tidbits

KATC 3: Louisiana: New "In God We Trust" Bumper Stickers For Iberia Parish Deputy Vehicles

USA Today: Lawmakers fear Islamic 'indoctrination' in Tennessee schools

The Guardian: Planned Parenthood not invited to congressional hearing on organization

On Top Magazine: 26% Of Voters Say Elected Officials Can Ignore Court Rulings For Religious Reasons

Talking Points Memo: Second Oregon Judge Stops Performing Weddings After Gay Marriage Ruling

Reuters: Oregon judge who refused gay marriages says freedom of religion violated

WKRN-TV: East Tennessee store owner sells out of anti-gay merchandise

WOWK TV: Parents angry over transgender student's bathroom choice

Pew Research Center: Relatively few U.S. Catholics skipped annulment because of cost or complications

Washington Post: Pope to declare Spanish priest a saint, but Native Americans beg to differ

Associated Press: Brazil Pentecostal church welcomes gays spurned elsewhere

News Tidbits

The Guardian: First Vatican child abuse trial places former nuncio in dock

Religion News Service: Mennonites apologize for history of sex abuse following theologian John Howard Yoder scandal

BBC News: Brazil: 'Sin free Facebook' attracts thousands

Washington Post: Oklahoma’s Ten Commandments statue isn’t going anywhere, governor says

New York Times: Boyd K. Packer, Advocate of Conservative Mormonism, Dies at 90

Houston Chronicle: Baylor University drops ban on 'homosexual acts'

Raw Story: Right-wing Christian ‘expert’ on feminism insists that submitting to marital rape makes Jesus happy

Raw Story: ‘The devil is taking control': Watch South Carolina senator derail Confederate flag debate with insane gay marriage rant

Gay Star News: Mike Huckabee: US worse than Sodom and Gomorrah after Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage

Brazil's Child Preachers

The New York Times recently published an article on child preachers in Brazil's Pentecostal communities. "The Child Preachers of Brazil" explores the phenomenon of child preachers in the Assemblies of God denomination and the rapid growth of Pentecostalism among Brazil's poor and marginalized.

The author, Samantha M. Shapiro, describes the poverty and crime of the favelas out of which some child preachers come. Is it any surprise that some parents guide their children into a lucrative preaching niche, as an alternative to lives of destitution and bleakness?

The article profiles child preachers such as 11 year-old Alani Santos, celebrated for her alleged faith healing abilities, and 17 year-old Matheus Moraes, whose infectious charisma has earned him many followers. The parents of Alani and Matheus claim that God set them aside for special fates. According to Alani's parents, church members prophesied that God would give them a "pearl", a daughter who would be used by God.

Matheus' father claims that he and his wife received a sign from God that Matheus would be special. Sadly, they did not believe the same about Matheus' younger brother Nathan. “Nathan is a normal person, not special,” Juanez told Shapiro. “God didn’t give a message about him. His role was to help Matheus be a child, since his career did not leave him much time to play and do things normal children do.” Ouch.





Preaching leaves little room for normalcy in the lives of some young preachers. The article describes Matheus' grueling preaching schedule, which forces him to neglect his schooling, and the ways in which his father Juanez dominates his preaching life. For example, Juanez demanded $500 per day for access to Matheus, which Shapiro refused to pay. Shapiro depicts Matheus as a teenage boy interested in music, soccer, and dreams of attending college someday, but whose preaching obligations prevent him from living a normal life.

According to the article, the use of child preachers has come under fire from some Pentecostal denominations and leaders. Brazilian televangelist Silas Malafaia blasted the use of child preachers as "commercial interests on behalf of the parents", insisting that the practice is not about God. I hope that the practice continues to draw scrutiny.

The article brought to mind Marjoe Gortner, an American child preacher from the 1940s and 1950s. As a child, Gortner's parents compelled him to preach and raise money at revivals, abusing him with pillow-smothering and mock drowning to ensure his obedience. As an adult, Gortner shed light on the manipulative practices of charismatic preachers in the 1972 documentary Marjoe. When I read about the Brazilian child preachers, I envisioned modern-day Marjoes, forced into deranged lifestyles of faith healing and theatrics. Are their parents inflicting this lifestyle on them for money, like Gortner's parents, or do their parents genuinely believe that these children have divine callings? I'm not sure which is more alarming.





I was saddened by the demand for faith healing in Brazil's Pentecostal congregations, a demand met by child preachers such as Alani. Faith healing appeals to the uneducated and the desperate, a dangerous kind of make-believe that can bring only disappointment. The popularity of faith healing in Brazil is a sign of desperation among some Brazilians, who long for wellness but find it out of their reach. Believers have been swept up in a practice with no basis in reality, and now children have been swept up in the superstition. Faith healing grants no healing, only false hope.

Brazil's child preachers deserve better than this. They deserve to have happy, healthy childhoods, not grueling preaching schedules. They deserve to live normal lives, not to be paraded around for their imagined magical powers.


(Hat tip to Friendly Atheist.)

Growing Protestant Presence in Latin America

Last week, Pew Research Center released a report on the evolution of religion in Central and South America. Religion in Latin America: Widespread Change in a Historically Catholic Region documents the decline of Catholicism and the rise of Protestantism, especially Pentecostal and Charismatic forms of Christianity, in 18 Latin American countries and Puerto Rico.

While most Latin American countries still have Catholic majorities, Protestant numbers are growing. While 84% of respondents report being raised Catholic, only 69% currently identify as Catholic. Additionally, while only 9% of respondents report being raised Protestant, 19% currently identify as Protestant.

In many Latin American countries, large percentages of Protestants identify as Pentecostal or attend a church that is part of a Pentecostal denomination, according to the Pew Forum. A significant percentage of Latin American Catholics also identify as charismatic, highlighting the growth of charismatic movements within Catholicism. Substantial numbers of Protestants and a minority of Catholics report that they have witnessed exorcisms or experienced "gifts of the Holy Spirit".

A troubling trend reported in the Pew Center's research was the widespread embrace of "prosperity theology", the belief that God will bestow wealth on believers. Large percentages of Latin American Protestants and Catholics reported believing that God will grant wealth and health to those who have faith.

In an interview with Pew Research Center's Fact Tank, Andrew Chestnut offered explanations for the growth of Pentecostal Protestantism in Latin America. Chestnut, a professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, offered several reasons for the growth Pentecostal Christianity among Latin Americans, such as the appeal of healing ministries and prosperity theology, similarities between preachers and their congregants, and Pentecostalism's successful absorption of Latin American cultures.

These changing religious demographics could have wide-reaching effects if Religious Right organizations can command lasting loyalty from Latin American Protestants. As discussed in prior posts on Belize and Brazil, American Religious Right organizations such as the ACLJ, C-FAM, Alliance Defending Freedom, and so-called "ex-gay" ministries have sought to expand their influence in Latin America. Members of Brazil's Religious Right, like their Americans counterparts, have loudly opposed LGBTQ rights. Evangelical protestants are a political force to be reckoned with in Brazil, both as politicians and voters. Will the Religious Right continue to use the rise of Latin American Protestantism, and in particular Pentecostal and Charismatic denominations, to their advantage? Or can Latin America's believers take a different path?

News Tidbits

Reuters: Vatican meeting a test case for Pope Francis' papacy

New York Times: A Papal Decision Leaves Some Feeling Less Than Charitable

Los Angeles Times: New U.S. history curriculum sparks education battle of 2014

St. Cloud Times: Minnesota Catholic Conference opposes MSHSL transgender policy

Seattle Pi: Donations to Mars Hill mega church down sharply in August

WEAR ABC 3: Escambia County Commissioner walks out of invocation at beginning of meeting

Pink News: Archbishop of Canterbury cancels Lambeth Conference over gay clergy row

The Guardian: Brazil’s evangelicals become a political force to be reckoned with

News Tidbits

Masslive: Scott Lively, controversial independent candidate for governor, blames erosion of Christian values for problems in Massachusetts

NECN: Candidates for Massachusetts Governor Meet in Springfield for First TV Debate

The Tennessean: Duggar family campaigns for Tennessee's abortion amendment

NPR: Right And Left Joined Forces In Fight To Legalize Home Schooling 

Huffington Post: Love, Marriage and the Vatican: Americans' Attitudes about Marriage and the Catholic Church

Huffington Post: Texas Foundation Stands by Giving Community Grant to Anti-Gay Ministry

Reuters: Brazil's evangelicals gain clout, close to electing first president

Jamaica Observer: Roman Catholic Church in Trinidad denies anti-gay campaign

News Tidbits

New York Times: S. Truett Cathy, Chick-Fil-A Founder, Dies at 93

The Daily Beast: U.S. Air Force: Swear to God—-or Get Out

Seattle Times : More trouble for Mars Hill: Cutting jobs, merging churches

Global News: Canada: Trustee reserves ‘the right not to believe’ in trans people

BBC News: The rehab centres that lock up addicts against their will in Guatemala

Christian Science Monitor: As Brazil presidential candidate surges, focus turns to evangelicalism's clout

News Tidbits

CBS 4 Denver: Christian Radio Host James Dobson Wins Health Care Injunction

Pink News: ‘Gay cure’ defense group sells coffee to raise legal funds

The Atlantic: An Ex- Ex-Gay Lesbian Pastor Preaches Tolerance in Brazil

The Advocate: Activists Seek Funds to Flee Violent Homophobia in Uganda

News Tidbits

NBC News: Pope Francis digs at Vatican's narcissistic nature, calls for change

Baton Rouge Advocate: Tony Perkins criticizes Southern Poverty Law Center

The Guardian: Chen Guangcheng joins conservative Witherspoon Institute after NYU departure

ABP News: Southern Baptist Convention Membership Drops Below 16 Million

RT: Christian group claims teaching science promotes ‘atheistic’ worldview for Kansas students

Murrieta Patch: CEO, Consultant of Christian Video Game Company Accused in Financial Scheme

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Brazil: Gay kiss leads to arrest at religious rally

News Tidbits

Washington Post: Pope Francis Tries to Bolster Church in Brazil

CNN: Pope Francis embarks on historic trip to Brazil, where protesters await

Raw Story: Anti-gay Iowa pastor upset gay man told him to go to hell

Salon: Ted Cruz: Gay marriage advocates will try to stop free speech

News Tidbits

New York Times: Some Mormons Search the Web and Find Doubt

NPR: Brazil's Evangelicals A Growing Force In Prayer, Politics

Washington Post: Jewish ex-gay group faces suit for consumer fraud

The Mirror: Married preacher who banned gay couple from sharing a room at B&B bombards domestic abuse victim with saucy texts

Beaumont Enterprise: Mormon church to end door-to-door missionary practice

Pink News: Haiti: A thousand people turn up to protest against equal marriage

Gay Star News: Russian Patriarch says gay marriage a sign of the apocalypse

News Tidbits

KSDK 5: Evangelical group targeting Jewish people in St. Louis

Metro Weekly: National Organization for Marriage implies being American and LGBT are incompatible

The Advocate: From Exodus to Shock the Gay Away: An LGBT History Lesson

Out: The Ender's Game Boycott Begins

Pink News: Brazil: Gay ‘cure’ bill withdrawn before vote in Parliament

Pink News: Israel: Prime suspect of LGBT youth centre shooting reveals he was ‘driven by biblical edict to attack homosexuals’

News Tidbits

The Advocate: An Exodus From the 'Ex-Gay' Movement?

Thomson Reuters Foundation: Religions seen slow to go green; Pope has chance to inspire

Edge Boston: Conservative PAC Issues Warning Over White House Pride Month Ceremony

RTV 6 ABC: Ball State panel scrutinizes honors science course

CNN: Superman: Flying to a church near you

Arkansas News: Groups pondering ways to restrict sales of morning after pill in state

NBC KXAN: Interview questions spark criticism, possible legal action

Washington Post: Josh Duggar moving to D.C. for political job with Family Research Council

Irish Times: Ireland: Anger over ‘vigil for life’ leaflets given to pupils in Dublin primary school

Christian Science Monitor: As Spain's people drift from Catholic Church, government cozies up

Edge Boston: Brazil Lawmakers OK Bill For Treatment of Gays

Pink News: UK: Gay ‘cure’ therapy NHS ban motion gains cross-party support

Gay News Network: Philippine Archbishop Says It's Okay for a Gay Man and a Lesbian to Marry

News Tidbits

Reuters: Killer of Kansas abortion doctor disciplined in prison for comments

Reuters: Evangelical Christians gain political clout in Catholic Brazil

The Globe and Mail: Anti-gay marriage protesters interrupt French Open final

Pink News: Scotland: Catholic adoption charity to start legal challenge against same-sex adoption ruling

CNN: Republican Party to step up outreach to evangelicals

WSPA 7: Freedom From Religion Foundation Sends Warning After Grad Speech

Interfax: Russia: Monks shouldn't use Internet, says Patriarch Kirill

News Tidbits

Washington Post: Catholic influence wanes as leaders break with members on gay marriage

WSBTV 2: Marietta church drops Boy Scout troop over acceptance of gay members

Canton Rep: Ohio school district considers teaching creationism

The Advocate: Gay Kiss Silences Antigay Preacher on Campus

NKY.com: Creation Museum adding some 'zip'

AFP: Controversial Brazil evangelical pastor draws ire     (Hat tip to Deep Thoughts)

News Tidbits

Gallup: Most Americans Say Religion Is Losing Influence in U.S.

BBC News: Michele Bachmann will not seek re-election to Congress

WBRC Fox 6: Pastor says Boy Scouts can no longer meet at his church

NBC 10 Philadelphia: Faith-Healing Churches Linked to 2 Dozen Child Deaths

The Tennessean: Hillsboro High sex talk from group is questioned

Pennlive: Defending success and fame: Joel Osteen says he is keeping the faith

Pink News: Catholics told to fast and pray ahead of Supreme Court equal marriage rulings

Gay Star News: Christians who refused to work with gays lose final court case

New York Times: Gay Marriage Protested in France

New Straits Times: Evangelicals protest gay marriage in Brazil

Radio Free Europe: Orthodox Churches Fight Back As Eastern Europe Pushes To Modernize, Secularize

The Herald: Zimbabwe: President Mugabe saluted for stance against homosexuality

New Report Highlights "Ex-Gay" Groups in Latin America

Political Research Associates, a progressive think tank that monitors the Christian Right, recently released a new report on the so-called ex-gay movement. The Ex-Gay Movement in Latin America: Therapy and Ministry in the Exodus Network highlights the international outreach of the Exodus Global Alliance, particularly in the Americas.

The report begins with a discussion of the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, a 2010 gathering in Cape Town, South Africa that drew evangelical Christian leaders from 198 countries. Exodus Global Alliance, a coalition of ex-gay groups, was not only present at the global conference, but an active participant. According to the Lausanne website, the 2010 conference schedule included a session entitled "Sexuality: Creation, Brokenness, Truth and Grace", in which several Exodus speakers disseminated disturbing messages about LGBTQ people to an international audience.

"Bryan Kliewer, Director of Exodus Alliance, challenges the Church to see the homosexual community as a deliberately unreached people group. Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International, critiques common Evangelical slogans about ministering to homosexual people and calls Christians to be full of grace and truth without contradiction.

Willy Torresin, a Minister in Brazil, gives his testimony as a Christian worker seeking help to work through his struggles with homosexuality. He tells of the failure of the church, his entry into gay culture, followed by his encounter with the transforming love of God.

Bryan Kliewer looks at New Testament passages that can help us shape a ministry to homosexual people, drawing upon the examples of Jesus and Paul. They express the hope for change, breaking social rules to reach others, refusal to condemn, and contextualized sharing of the gospel.

Henok Ghebrehiwot, Director of Bethseda Restoration Ministry in Ethiopia, looks at trends and figures concerning the homosexual population in Africa. He proposes that Africa take a lead in ethics, truth and grace. Heisha Fernandez of Exodus Latin America reminds Christians that all must go through the process of change following our conversion. She issues a call to the church to seven elements of ministry to homosexual persons."

The report cites the Lausanne conference as an example of the so-called ex-gay movement's global reach. Even though Exodus International executive director Alan Chambers publicly rejected the idea that most gays can be made straight in 2012, Exodus Global Alliance and its global affiliates are still spreading troubling messages about gays and lesbians worldwide.

While disagreement exists among Exodus Global Alliance affiliates whether homosexuality can be "cured", the groups still associate homosexuality with sin and promote homophobic messages. As the report points out, the ex-gay movement is adaptable, promoting homophobic ideas even if it is not universally promoting conversion therapy per se.

"Cracking ex-gay therapy’s pseudoscientific veneer and forcing it to retreat to the conservative religious sphere would be a victory for the LGBTQ community. However, while Exodus may currently be in a time of turmoil, and the ex-gay movement faces challenges in the United States and in Latin America, the Christian Right’s ability to adapt suggests continued reason to be wary of the exgay therapy and ministry complex in its various expressions. In contrast with conversion therapy, asserting the right to “choose” support from Christ in rejecting unwanted same-sex attraction poses a more slippery approach to conversion that can be shielded by religious liberty claims."

As the title suggests, The Ex-Gay Movement in Latin America focuses on the work of Exodus affiliates in Central and South America. Political Research Associates looks at the history of Exodus evangelism in Latin America, as well as resistance to ex-gay efforts by Latin American LGBTQ activists, lawmakers, professional associations, and health organizations. The report also explores how changes in the Latin American political climate have resulted in the growth of evangelicalism in politics, a shift toward more progressive political agendas, and the evolution of the LGBTQ rights movement. These developments have forced Exodus affiliates to adapt while maintaining a homophobic agenda.

The Ex-Gay Movement in Latin America provides snapshots of various ex-gay groups that previously operated or currently work under the auspices of Exodus Global Alliance, including Aguas Vivas ("Living Water"), Exodus Brasil, and Exodus Latin America. The report explores the networking between the ex-gay movement and other Latin America right-wing groups such as Alianza Cristiana de Iglesias Evangélicas de la República Argentina.

It would be a mistake to assume that the ex-gay movement always presents a united front. The schism between Exodus International and Restored Hope Network over whether or not gays can be "cured" is well-known, but disagreements have also erupted Among Exodus' Latin American affiliates. For example, in 2012 Exodus Latin America states that its American counterpart's rejection of "curing" gays violated the principles of the Exodus Global Alliance. Controversies and mixed messages over conversion therapy still continue among ex-gay activists in Latin America, the report observes.

The report concludes with a warning about the Exodus Global Alliance and other ex-gay forces abroad. It encourages human rights advocates across the globe to "learn from each other across borders and continue to expose the true foundations of these approaches so that cries of religious liberty do not shroud and justify an active homophobia."

"In Latin America, even as Brazil conversion therapists fight against the government shutting down their work, ex-gay ministries continue, albeit without broadcasting that they are offering a “cure.” Exodus Latin America promotes a heavily psychologized form of mission work that circulates discredited canards about homosexuality stemming from family dysfunction. So even while reparative and conversion therapy are on the defensive, many of their harmful interpretations remain strong in church groups around the hemisphere ... Furthermore, while the Exodus network comprises a major segment of the Latin America exgay movement, other players are actively spreading their mission from the United States to Latin America including the NARTH offshoot Renacer; the International Healing Foundation; and Setting Captives Free’s Puerta de Esperanza.

This suggests that cross-border solidarity among those challenging ex-gay ministries is vital and worth additional investment. U.S. advocates can publicize the Latin America tours and visits of U.S. ex-gay ministries peddling harmful approaches that don’t pass legal muster in the countries they are visiting. They can challenge Exodus Latin America for brokering those visits. And they can challenge companies that benefit from the ex-gay groups. Such was the case in 2011 when AllOut.org’s online campaign led Pay-Pal to cut ties with four organizations that spread hatred and discrimination."

Political Research Associates excels at reminding activists that the Christian Right's machinations are not limited to the U.S. This report serves as another reminder that LGBTQ rights supporters must stay informed about Religious Right activism abroad and express solidarity with the global LGBTQ community.