Canada: Where Dangerous Ex-Gay Groups Don't Pay Taxes

Ex-gay ministries, those organizations that preach that gay people can be cured of their homosexuality and that LGBT people are disordered, have been condemned the world over. The American Psychological Association, the British Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association ... the list goes on and on of professional medical and scientific groups that have labeled ex-gay ministries dangerous and harmful.

So why is the government of Canada giving a leading ex-gay group, the Exodus Global Alliance, a tax-free pass as a charity in their country?

That's the question raised in this tremendous piece in Xtra.ca by Richard J. Dalton Jr. As Dalton Jr. writes, the Exodus Global Alliance has been registered as a charity with Revenue Canada since 1999, under the official mission of: "Educating and training in dealing with abuse and family issues. Developing ministries to help families and individuals in pain. Teaching church groups, schools and youth. Helping and teaching at conferences."

Sounds like a noble mission, but the Exodus Global Alliance conveniently left off the biggest part of their mission: "curing" homosexuality.

In Canada, groups that are registered as charities must prove that they provide a service that benefits the public. Does the government of Canada really believe that "curing" homosexuality is a noteworthy public service? Take a moment to send Revenue Canada a message that groups like Exodus Global Alliance don't deserve charity status -- nor the immense tax breaks that come with it.

Earlier this year, the government of New Zealand actually rescinded refused to grant the charity status of the Exodus Ministries Trust Board, under the guise that "curing" homosexuality was hardly in the public's interest. As the government of New Zealand said: "[Exodus Ministries] was not performing any public benefit because homosexuality was not a mental disorder and did not need curing."

Canada should come to the same conclusion. That's the position reached by SlapUpsidetheHead.com blogger Mark McIntyre, who has been out in front of this issue, pushing the government of Canada to declare that groups that think homosexuality is a disease that can be cured don't deserve charity status.

"A charity’s activities must be 'regarded as valuable by the common understanding of enlightened opinion,' and such value 'must be weighed against any harm that may arise from the proposed activity and a net benefit must result,'" McIntyre writes on his blog, citing Canadian law. "Since homosexuality is not a recognized disorder by any respected medical organization, it’s questionable as to what benefit could come out of trying to treat it as one."

That's the point that should be hammered home to Revenue Canada. Groups like the Exodus Global Alliance, which states right up front on their Web site that "change is possible for the homosexual through the power of Jesus Christ," foster a climate that hardly provides a benefit for society. Instead, these groups send the dangerous message that LGBT people should be devalued until they literally come to Jesus and find their inner heterosexual. That's bad science, not to mention bad theology. It shouldn't be rewarded with a charity status that allows the group to avoid paying taxes, and allows donations to be tax deductible.

Send Revenue Canada a message now that they should follow in the footsteps of New Zealand, and revoke the charity status of the Exodus Global Alliance.

Photo credit: thelastminute