Mike Airhart blogging for Wayne Besen, Cause for Concern?

by Randy on March 12, 2008 · Comments

While not disclosed on Wayne’s blog (that I am aware of), Mike is now blogging for him.  If you look in the source code for the www.truthwinsout.org page you will see that it designates very clearly that Mike authored all of the most recent posts.

Here is a snippet …

<div class="post" id="post-413">

<div class="storytitle"><a href="http://www.truthwinsout.org/blog/more-politics-at-exodus-blog-and-exodus-youth/" 
rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to More Politics at Exodus Blog and Exodus Youth">
More Politics at Exodus Blog and Exodus
 Youth</a></div>
				<small>March 10th, 2008 <!-- by Michael Airhart --></small>
	<div class="storycontent">
		<p>The following is an excerpt from the March 2008 electronic newsletter of Exodus Youth:</p>
<blockquote><p>In the news</p>

I seriously am not affected by this.  Do I care for them as individuals… sure.  Care for what they do … not really interested.  God bless them both and they can keep each other company but I have reality to deal with.  I hate to sound dismissive but these two have been lying about me for over a decade now.  Ghost blogging … eh?  But I wonder why all the secrecy?

And why did he leave his other gig to join Wayne?

In all honesty, I have actually enjoyed talking with Wayne on a number of subjects not having to do with homosexuality and I care for him as an individual.  Mike… not sure we ever got along about anything but I do respect the basic dignity of every human soul.

oh well.   ::: moving on :::

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Viewing 6 Comments

    • ^
    • v
    Interested in them or not...this is very intriguing. Nice find. I'd like to know the answers to those questions too.
    • ^
    • v
    Hi Brady.

    I am seriously curious...what makes this intriguing to you? Why are you curious about the answers to my questions?

    I don't keep up with that realm of blogs. I only take a passing interest in them maybe once every other week.
    • ^
    • v
    Randy... I honestly didn't mean that to come off as rude or snide.

    I'm intrigued because I read Mike's old blog (I'm sure you knew that), and knew he was leaving for some unspecified new projects. It strikes me as really odd that he would not have posted on his old blog that he was working for/with someone like Wayne Besen. So, I too honestly want to know why all the secrecy and why he'd leave his old place to do something seemingly very similar (although more high-profile, but that begs the question again about the secrecy).

    Does that make sense? Anyway, I was being honest by saying that I too was intrigued, and I think for similar reasons you are. It just all sounds kind of weird to me.
    • ^
    • v
    rude or snide didn't even cross my mind at all.

    That makes sense to me. As I have thought further on it ... they will make up stuff to report about supposedly to keep us "transparent" and accountable but... apparently Mike and Wayne don't want the same level of scrutiny they dish out.

    Well, I won't return the favor of making up reasons for them and claiming it as fact (something they do all the time.)

    but anyway....
    • ^
    • v
    Ok, good. I was worried I came off that way somehow.

    "apparently Mike and Wayne don’t want the same level of scrutiny they dish out."
    Exactly what came to my mind also, and one of the main reasons I found it so odd.
    • ^
    • v
    I created the XGW concept to be a moderate weigh station and watchdog, but I've said from time to time that my own views are fairly "liberal" Christian.

    By liberal, I mean this: I was raised in the Catholic charismatic movement of the early 1970s. My church courageously opposed the Vietnam War, sheltered and supported Cesar Chavez, and strove to form what is now People of Praise (http://www.peopleofpraise.org), the network of charismatic Christian communities where "community" actually means something: People share housing, earnings, resources, and Biblical worship in common.

    My calling has always been broader than ex-gay issues: It is to help people liberate themselves from political correctness and from legalisms that have long been used to suppress freedom of religion and spontaneous expression of individual faith in God.

    So while I confined XGW mostly to ex-gay issues, it became time to move beyond that.

    As my departure note at XGW said, I was eager to move on to other projects in 2005-2006 but circumstances prevented that. I considered writing about other issues, but other people already cover those topics well.

    My writing style -- punchy presentation of facts backed by reputable sources, with an interest in the legalism and correctness of the religious right -- is well suited to TWO. I saw that TWO could benefit from a new editorial perspective; it had resources that XGW lacked; and TWO was happy to accept my volunteer services.

    Just for practice, I blogged for a couple weeks prior to the scheduled public announcement that I'm TWO's blog editor. The announcement occurred March 17. Soon, writer bylines will make clear who the authors are.

    Lesson to learn: Avoid paranoia. Oh -- and refrain from comparisons to Jerry Springer that might later be regretted. Though your original rant did give me a good laugh, Randy. :-)

    Believe it or not, I like you, Randy, and if you're ever in New England, I hope you'll stop by my loft and say hi.
 

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