Gay bar trip could cost man his job
Colorado Springs Gazette, September 23, 2000
Gay bar trip could cost man his job
Focus on the Family official John Paulk, spotted this week socializing at
a Washington, D.C., gay bar, faces an uncertain future as chairman of another
Christian organization that tries to "convert" homosexuals.
Bob Davies, director of Exodus International North America, said Friday
the board of the Seattle-based group is considering whether Paulk should keep
his post. He said board members met by phone this week and decided not to
take any immediate action, but likely will make a decision in the next two
weeks.
"(Paulk's) actions this week deal a real blow to his credibility as a
spokesperson for this whole movement," Davies said.
Paulk, 37, is probably the most recognizable face in a controversial
Christian movement that portrays homosexuality as a lifestyle that can be
left. Several new ministries dedicated to that belief have been founded in
recent years, and Focus stages conferences on the subject, including one
scheduled for November in Colorado Springs.
Paulk was pictured in 1998 with his wife, a former lesbian, on the cover
of Newsweek and now heads Focus on the Family's homosexual issues department.
He worked for Exodus affiliates in the San Francisco area and Portland,
Ore., before coming to Focus in 1998. Paulk does not receive a salary as
Exodus chairman, Davies said.
On Tuesday night, a gay activist recognized Paulk at a gay bar in
Washington, D.C, and summoned a colleague who confronted Paulk and
photographed him.
Paulk, who was in the capital on business, said he was looking for a
bathroom and didn't know he had walked into a gay bar. He said he stayed and
talked to patrons because he was curious about whether gay bars had changed
since he frequented them 15 years ago.
A Focus spokeswoman said Paulk was not granting interviews Friday. He
told The Gazette Thursday he used poor judgment and should have left when he
realized it was a gay bar.
Davies said Paulk didn't break any Exodus guidelines in visiting the bar.
Engaging in "overt sexual behavior" with someone of the same sex would be
grounds for dismissal, he said.
Still, he said Paulk's actions were damaging. Gay activists have said
Paulk's visit to the bar proves he's gay, which Paulk strongly denies.
"People are already suspect of our claims," Davies said. "If you're not
careful, you can do damage to our credibility by engaging in behavior that
opens up public speculation."
Several Exodus affiliates have been shut down because their leaders have
returned to homosexuality, according to news reports. Two of the
organization's founders left their wives for each other in the late 1970s.
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By Eric Gorski/The Gazette
Edited by Jeff Thomas; headline by Tim Chong
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