Kathryn Herr with KGPE Local CBS 47 covered a recent visit by ex-gay man who claims that, with God, gays can change their sexuality. Gay Central Valley stepped in to offer an opposing viewpoint…
Is your sexuality something you can choose?
A speaker in the valley says he used to live a gay lifestyle. But with the help of the church, he is now happily married to a woman.
It renews the debate of nature versus nurture. Is homosexuality a choice or are people born that way?
Jim Domen shared his journey from gay to straight with a group in North Fresno.
“I call myself an ex-gay man,” Domen said.
Domen says he is a changed man. He lived a gay lifestyle for five years, until he hit a turning point. “Literally overnight everything was taken from me. My partner switched bank accounts kicked me out of the house, one thing after the other,” Domen said.
Raised a Christian, he turned to the church. And says that turned his life around, from gay to straight and he is now happily married to his wife, Amanda.
“I’m not here to preach this message and tell people they have to change that’s not my job. I just want to share truth so people have the opportunity to change. You can choose God or not God it’s your choice,” Domen said.
His visit was sponsored by the Central Valley Strategic Forum. The group formed to support the ban on gay marriage.
“It’s a message that’s so needed for today there’s confusion out there with gender identity and so forth,” said Fred Vanderhoof, director of the forum.
Members of Fresno’s gay community contend the message can even be dangerous. They point to the suicides of gay teenagers, including that of EricJames Borges in Visalia earlier this month.
“If we send these messages out, it kind of aids and abets this feeling that there’s something wrong with them and we don’t want more kids to commit suicide,” said Chris Jarvis, Vice President with Gay Central Valley.
“Love yourself, love your family, for whoever you and whatever you are because you can’t change what you are. You can change how you behave, but you can’t change what you are,” said James Hensley, Chris’s partner.
For more information on Jim Domen you can visit his website at: http://jimdomen.net/_home/Home.html
For more information gay rights issues in the valley visit: www.gaycentralvalley.org
