Exodus
International’s
flagship
‘ex-gay’
residential
treatment
facility,
Love
in
Action,
is
facing
possible
closure
by
the
state
of
Tennessee
for
unlawfully
treating
mentally
ill
people.
Founded
in
1973,
Memphis-based
Love
in
Action
claims
that
it
is
the
oldest
and
largest
group
to
focus
on
the
“prevention
or
treatment”
of
same-sex
attraction.
The
organization
made
national
and
international
news
earlier
this
year
after
a
Tennessee
teen
wrote
on
his
blog
that
his
parents
were
sending
him
to
the
program
in
an
effort
to
change
his
sexual
orientation,
and
appealed
for
help.
Amidst
the
outpouring
of
concern
for
the
teen,
reports
surfaced
that
Love
in
Action
clients
had
been
traumatized
by
their
treatment
at
the
program.
Questions
arose
about
whether
the
facility
was
operating
within
the
law.
On
Sept
12,
the
state
of
Tennessee
announced
that
its
Department
of
Mental
Health
&
Developmental
Disabilities
had
determined
that
Love
in
Action
is
operating
two
“unlicensed
mental
health
supportive
living
facilities.”
“The
[state]
went
in
and
visited
and
found
that
they
were
providing
room,
board
and
personal
care
for
mentally
ill
people,”
said
Rachel
Lassiter,
deputy
press
secretary
for
Tennessee
Gov.
Phil
Bredesen
(D).
“The
clients
were
determined
to
be
mentally
ill
because
some
of
them
had
been
treated
by
psychiatrists
and
were
on
medication.”
It
appears
that
Love
in
Action
has
taken
on
responsibility
for
the
care
of
these
people,
Lassiter
said,
and
unlawful
operation
of
a
personal
support
service
is
a
class
B
misdemeanor
in
Tennessee.
Lassiter
said
the
department
sent
a
certified
letter
to
Love
in
Action
executive
director
John
Smid,
advising
him
that
he
must
stop
operating
the
homes
or
apply
for
a
license
within
seven
days.
Smid
did
not
respond
to
the
letter,
and
a
second
letter
was
issued
informing
him
that
if
he
does
not
stop
operating
the
homes
or
apply
for
a
license
by
Sept.
15,
the
department
would
recommend
that
a
cease
and
desist
order
be
issued.
If
the
order
is
issued,
state
authorities
will
demand
that
Love
in
Action
immediately
stop
operation
of
its
residential
facilities
and
will
offer
assistance
in
relocating
the
residents.
Gerard
Wellman,
business
administrator
for
Love
in
Action,
and
a
former
Love
in
Action
client,
said
on
Sept.
13
that
the
organization
has
been
in
contact
with
the
state
but
would
not
comment
on
whether
it
planned
to
attempt
to
become
licensed
as
a
mental
health
supportive
living
facility.
“As
a
church,
we
operate
under
a
different
set
of
rules,”
Wellman
said.
“But
all
options
are
on
the
table.”
Wellman
said
that
the
clients
were
free
to
decide
whether
to
stay
or
leave
the
program,
but
he
did
not
know
whether
clients
were
aware
of
the
state’s
determination
that
the
group
is
operating
illegally.
Applying
for
an
“Initial
License”
as
a
mental
health
facility
in
Tennessee
is
a
comparatively
simple
process
requiring
only
a
basic
safety
review
including
criminal
background
checks,
and
fire
and
environmental
safety
inspections,
according
to
officials.
Morgan
Fox,
who
has
been
filming
a
documentary
on
Love
in
Action
and
following
the
situation
closely,
said
he
doubts
the
organization
will
seek
licensing.
“They
may
want
to
play
the
victim,”
Fox
said.
“If
they
get
into
the
position
of
being
shut
down,
they
can
get
Exodus
and
the
Christian
right
behind
them
to
defend
what
they
do.”
Exodus
International
did
not
return
calls
by
press
time.
Wayne
Besen,
author
of
“Anything
But
Straight:
Unmasking
the
Scandals
&
Lies
Behind
the
Ex-Gay
Myth,”
celebrated
news
of
Tennessee’s
action
against
Love
in
Action.
“
Tennessee
is
rightfully
and
responsibly
protecting
its
citizens
from
unscrupulous
and
unlicensed
practitioners
posing
as
genuine
mental
health
professionals,”
Besen
said.
Besen
called
on
other
states
to
determine
whether
other
ex-gay
groups
meet
basic
mental
health
guidelines.
“Prayer
is
not
a
replacement
for
professionalism,”
Besen
said.
“And
that
is
unfortunately
what
is
happening
with
these
faith-based
ministries.”
“I
feel
validated
by
[this],”
said
Peterson
Toscano,
a
former
Love
in
Action
client.
“I
enrolled
in
that
program
and
put
myself
through
it.
…
We
were
so
trusting
in
the
authority
that
they
had.
They
used
clinically
couched
language
to
make
it
seem
legitimate
and
spiritual
language
to
make
it
seem
powerful,
…
to
make
people
endure
it.”
Toscano,
who
was
a
client
at
Love
in
Action
between
July
1996
and
October
of
1998,
said
that
Love
in
Action
was
considered
the
“Cadillac
of
ex-gay
ministries”
and
intentionally
represented
its
work
as
therapeutic
and
scientifically
based.
Toscano
said
that
while
he
was
a
client,
Love
in
Action
staff
dispensed
psychotropic
drugs
to
clients
and
administered
psychiatric
tests
to
clients,
many
of
whom
were
under
treatment
for
depression.
Many
religious
groups
opposed
the
idea
of
sending
a
person
into
mental
health
treatment
because
he
or
she
is
gay
or
lesbian.
“The
idea
that
homosexuality
is
a
mental
illness
is
outdated,”
said
Bean
Murray,
an
Episcopal
deacon
and
staff
person
for
the
Episcopal
Mental
Illness
Network.
The
Episcopal
Mental
Illness
Network
gives
out
information
on
mental
illness
and
refers
people
to
services.
Murray
said
she
believes
that
it
is
appropriate
that
religious
service
providers
be
licensed
in
the
same
way
as
secular
providers.
A
separate
investigation
by
the
Department
of
Health
this
summer
determined
that
Love
...
