Redbook Magazine Features Ex-Gay Testimonies

[David Virtue]

Redbook Magazine Features Ex-Gay Testimonies

NEW YORK CITY-In its February 2000 issue, Redbook magazine features the story
of John and Dena Westcott, a former gay man and former lesbian who overcame
their homosexuality, fell in love, and are now a married couple with two
children.

"Since getting married seven years ago," the article says, "John and Dena
Westcott have forged a new life for themselves, coping with the daily joys
and struggles of marriage and parenthood. But can they ever escape from the
past they left behind?"

In describing their gay pasts, the article says: "Neither John nor Dena was
happy. Wracked with guilt about their lives, they sought solace in drugs,
alcohol, and casual sex. John, who'd been raised as a Catholic, was never
able to reconcile his sexuality with his religious beliefs. And Dena found
herself in a series of violent relationships-and she was the one doing the
hitting. Something had to change."

Desperate for an answer, they both ended up at Eleutheros, an Exodus ministry
in Orlando. "One night, Dena was playing guitar for the worship portion of an
Eleutheros meeting when she caught the gaze of a dark, handsome man.
Flustered, she forgot the words to her song. Soon they were dating, which
eventually led to marriage.

The Redbook story follows the Westcotts' appearance on a TV commercial that
aired in 1999 on local stations in the Orlando area. Another ex-gay couple,
Tom and Donna Cole (Reconciliation/Detroit), was also featured in the same
commercial, which offered hope for change from homosexuality.

Redbook is a popular women's magazine in North America, with a readership of
9.5 million people. After the article appeared on newsstands in early
January, the Westcotts' were contacted by several national TV media,
including "20/20."

Bertie Barber, director of Eleutheros in Orland, says her staff is praying
that God will use all the publicity in a powerful way. "I believe God will
use it. Somebody out there has been waiting for this message-and it will make
a difference in their lives."

Whatever happens in the media, Bertie is confident of the ultimate outcome:
"God will use this for His glory. The world will hear that change is
possible."

END