Michigan Corrections Department Re-evaluates Ex-Gay Ministry

Ex-gay therapy has been, largely, discredited by scientific inquiry. Of course, those conclusions are often rejected by people who are committed to their religious beliefs that homosexuality is wrong. The Michigan Department of Corrections is looking into severing ties with one of these ex-gay ministries over their practices and beliefs. The department has a strict policy against derogatory and defamatory language and actions regarding LGBT Americans. Department spokesperson John Cordell stated, “The department’s position is that when you are ministering to a group or even an individual that the content of that not be defamatory or derogatory. We have shut down ministries in the past for doing just that.” Nation of Islam and a variety of white supremacist groups have been banned from ministering to prisoners.

Lansing based Corduroy Stone is an ex-gay ministry which has come under a great deal of fire over their practices and “treatments”. Currently, the Michigan Department of Corrections is determining whether or not to allow the ministry to continue to speak to prisoners. Currently, the group is allowed to visit prisoners without the prisoner loosing their visitor privileges; however, Cordell feels that they fall under the anti-discrimination rules. Information regarding the group has been sent to Mike Martin, the prison system’s director of special activities. [FULL STORY]