Former “gay” Stephen Black addresses Americans For Truth “Teach-in” Oct. 20. Black said he grew up feeling “shame” after twice being molested as a boy by adult homosexual male predators. AFTAH presented Black with its 2017 American Truth Teller Award. Black runs First Stone Ministries in Oklahoma City and is Board Chairman of Restored Hope Ministries. Click on photo to enlarge.

The following videos cover the full Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH) banquet and Teach-in, held October 20-21, 2017 at Grace For Life Bible Church in Naperville, Illinois. Our featured speaker was Stephen Black, who shares from his experience as an ex-“gay” man who was twice victimized as a boy by homosexual adult male sex predators–yet whose life was radically transformed by a relationship with Jesus Christ. Stephen, who has become a good friend, is the author of Freedom Realized: Freedom from Homosexuality & Living a Life Free From Labels.

[Special Double-Resource Offer to Help AFTAH: receive Stephen Black’s book “Freedom Realized” PLUS a 2-DVD set of the entire 2017 AFTAH conference for your gift to AFTAH of $40 or more (postpaid). Give online or send your check to: AFTAH, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522. Or order the book alone for $20 postpaid or the 2-DVD video set alone for $25 postpaid.]

Black is executive director of First Stone Ministries in Oklahoma City and Board Chairman of Restored Hope Network–two wonderful Christian ministries that reach out to the “sexually broken” from a biblical perspective. His testimony and others at the conference are a reminder of the politically incorrect truth that homosexuality can be overcome as in person’s life, and that Jesus Christ is alive and still in the life-transforming business.

Like all AFTAH banquets and educational events, this was a tremendous time of learning as our speakers–each a truth warrior in his or her own right–confronted the myths and lies of the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) lobby. Stephen’s love for Jesus and his call for obedience in the Church to the gospel of Christ alone was compelling, but please take the time to watch all five videos below. And please share them far and wide to educate your network of friends. And to help us, if you are able, please support Americans for Truth with your donations, perhaps with our Special Offer below. — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH; Twitter: @PeterLaBarbera

This story contains all videos from the conference.  We will isolate out separate portions of the conference in forthcoming posts.

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Here are some introductory teaching remarks opening night by my pastor and our host, Grace for Life Bible Church pastor Steve Schroeder (Video 1 of 5):

The following are my (Peter LaBarbera’s) opening remarks Oct. 20, followed by Stephen Black’s banquet night “overview” presentation (Video 2 of 5):

Here is the opening of the Saturday Teach-in, including remarks by LaBarbera. Black, who received the 2017 AFTAH American Truth-Teller Award the previous night, comes to the stage at the 29:00 mark (Video 3 of 5):

In this segment, two men who came out of homosexuality, Darren and Jeff, share their testimonies. Note the cruelties growing up faced by Darren and the sexual abuse and family dysfunction (and the miracle!) in Jeff’s story. Stephen Black then gives his final presentation (Video 4 of 5):

The AFTAH Teach-in ended with this expert panel discussion and Q-and-A. The speakers include (left to right): Stephen Black, First Stone Ministries; Denise Shick of Help 4 Families Ministry, who gave harrowing testimony about life as a girl growing up with her “transgender” father; Diane Gramley of American Family Association of Pennsylvania and Laurie Higgins of Illinois Family Institute (who preferred not to be shown on camera) – (Video 5 of 5):

[Special Offer to Help AFTAH: receive Stephen Black’s book “Freedom Realized” PLUS a 2-DVD set of the entire 2017 AFTAH conference for your gift to AFTAH of $40 or more (postpaid). Give online or send your check to: AFTAH, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522. Or order the book alone for $20 postpaid or the video set alone for $25 postpaid.]

Denise Shick’s father told her he wanted to become a “woman” when she was just nine years old. Now she runs the Help 4 Families Ministry, which reaches out to families dealing with “transgender” issues. Shick will be speaking on a panel at the AFTAH Teach-in Sat., Oct. 21, following our dinner-banquet with ex-“gay” Stephen Black Oct. 20. Black also will give three presentations on Saturday.

Folks, I’m excited to announce that Denise Shick, founder and executive director of Help 4 Families Ministry, will be speaking at the AFTAH Teach-in Oct. 21, which follows our banquet with former homosexual Stephen Black Oct. 20.  Help 4 Families describes itself as “a Christian ministry that compassionately reaches out to family members and brings understanding of the emotional and spiritual issues that families face when a loved one is gender confused.”

As you can read in the essay by Denise below, Shick’s father revealed to her when she was just nine years old that he wanted to become a “woman,” then asked her not to tell her own mother. Her ministry today was birthed by her many years of dealing with the pain and trauma of such emotional abuse at the hands of her own gender-confused dad; read more about her harrowing personal story HERE.

Denise is author of three books dealing with “transgender” issues (see below). She will be on our Q-and-A panel Saturday afternoon, following three  presentations on homosexuality by Stephen Black, who has lived 35 years free of the “gay” lifestyle that he once thought defined him. Black also speaks Friday evening, Oct. 20, with a casual dinner served. Tickets are just $25 for both days of outstanding teaching. My friend and pro-family leader Diane Gramley of American Family Association of Pennsylvania will also appear on the final Saturday panel.

Banquet & Teach-in sign up: More information HERE; sign up with your safe payment online HERE. — Peter LaBarbera, Americans For Truth

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The ‘Transgender’ Lobby Is Weaponizing Children as Pawns in the Culture War

By Denise Shick, Oct. 1, 2017

I’ll never forget the first time I heard of warlords such as Uganda’s Joseph Kony turning little boys into killer soldiers and little girls into sex slaves. My heart ached at the thought. It still does. It seemed like a horrible war movie—but it was real, with real children as casualties.

War is always horrible, but in some sad cases it is necessary. But children should be—to the greatest degree possible—shielded from violent conflicts. They should never be forced to kill or do violence. Innocent, impressionable children are malleable. They can be sculpted into persons of deep character, guided by transcendent principles. Or they can be turned into weapons, as Joseph Kony and many other evil men have done.

There Is Hope: God rescued ex-“gay” Joseph Sciambra from the homosexual porn industry and the depravities of a debauched homosexual “deathstyle.” See his website at JosephSciambra.com. Buy his book, “Swallowed by Satan,” HERE.

Folks, if this video doesn’t touch your soul, then you have no soul. All of these men were cut down in the prime of their life. They got on the wrong road–making homosexual pornography–and I’m afraid that barring repentence for some, it took them to perdition. The Bible says:

“There is a way that seems right to a man, and its end is the way to death.” (Proverbs 14:12; ESV)

I had forgotten the passing of one of the men in this video–“sex positive” homosexual writer Scott O’Hara. I remember back when I was a newbie at monitoring the “gay” agenda–having launched “Lambda Report” in 1993–being shocked by O’Hara’s magazine, “STEAM.” Its libidinous purpose was to “help” homosexual men cruise for sex in parks and public restrooms. Read his Wikipedia bio here: it is one of the saddest I’ve ever read: O’Hara’s short life–he died at 36 in 1998–was devoted to pursuing and promoting deviant sex.

I take no delight in passing this along to you. It is not another mere “talking point” against homosexuality. It is much more than that. God surely wanted more for these men than than to be a cog in the wheel of an evil industry that glorifies sexual sin–one that used them up and then moved on to the next batch of young men to exploit for the almighty dollar–pornography is a very big business in the the male homosexual world; indeed in the entire fallen world.

And now the flip side: this video was created by Joseph Sciambra, who was once a “gay” porn actor himself before fleeing his homosexual “deathstyle” through the grace of God. See Joseph’s website HERE; I look forward to meeting him and helping get out his heartwarming story.

This modern age, including much of “Christendom,” seems to celebrate ambiguity, but do not doubt that we are in a battle of Good versus Evil. Sexual sin of all stripes is running rampant in our nation. The Left champions “sex workers,” as if it is just another occupation or special interest group. But the Christian knows that souls are in the balance here. The Lord rescued Joseph Sciambra; we pray that He rescues many more people caught up in pornography and the lies of homosexuality and gender confusion. Because we do not want anyone to die without knowing Christ. Can you see Satan’s work in the curtailed lives memorialized in this video? — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH; Twitter: @PeterLaBarbera; AFTAH FaceBook Page HERE

Joseph Sciabra writes:

Published on Aug 22, 2013

“I’ve not acted out homosexually in over 30 years,” says Black

[This post was modified 1-29-15]

The video below features the testimony of our friend Stephen Black, director of First Stone Ministries and a Board Member of the ex-“gay” umbrella group Restored Hope Network (which replaced the failed “Exodus International”). It was produced by Pure Passion TV–a project of Mastering Life Ministries, founded by David Kyle Foster, himself a former homosexual. You can watch it on Vimeo HERE. Stephen’s testimony is highly relevant to the ongoing debate over ex-“gay” “Reparative Therapy” and legislative efforts to ban it for minors [see AFTAH release on New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signing such legislation into law HERE].

Moreover, Stephen is a mature Christian whose life is a rebuke to those who deny that real change away from homosexuality is possible. It also stands in contrast to confused Christians like former Exodus staffer Randy Thomas—who curiously has declared himself “gay” again (“Could I see myself with a man? Yes.”)–even as he declares his enduring love for Jesus! Needless to say, the vicious homosexual activists at “Truth Wins Out” were quick to exploit Thomas’ egoistic declaration [HERE and HERE]. This is an Age of Apostasy, and we need steady voices like Black’s.

In my mind there are few things more insidious than confirming a false and deviant “gay” sexual identity in a young person who was once sexually abused by an adult homosexual predator. Yet under laws like New Jersey’s, parents of a victimized boy like Stephen Black once was would be BANNED from providing him with any therapeutic help that would “attempt to change” his “sexual orientation.” Watch this powerful video and you will understand why the Homosexual Lobby is so desperate to keep solid testimonies like his and David Kyle Foster’s from being heard in the Public Square. This runs 28 and  a half minutes; it was posted in the Fall of 2014. — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH.org

From Homosexuality to Holiness – Stephen Black from Pure Passion on Vimeo.

UPDATE: most major homosexual organizations, such as the Human Rights Campaign, have now followed the Task Force in adding “Queer” to their group’s name or mission. — Peter LaBarbera, Oct. 2017

A Special Announcement from AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera:

Warning: Some descriptions of unnatural homosexual acts and an offensive photo

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SUMMARY:

• National Gay & Lesbian Task Forces becomes “National LGBTQ Task Force”
• The “Q” stands for “Queer”
• “Queer” is an appropriate catch-all term for the myriad of LGBTQ sexual and gender perversions, including extreme transgenderism (even for young children), polyamory and sexual sadism
• What used to be called the”gay agenda” is getting ‘queerer’ every day. Confident of victory, homosexual groups like the National LGBTQ Task Force and Human Rights Campaign are aggressively pushing ever more radical agendas in the false name of “equality”–e.g., laws banning pro-heterosexual change therapy and taxpayer funding for grotesque transsexual “sex change” operations
• AFTAH will use “LGBTQueer” to designate homosexual-bisexual-transgender-“queer” activist agendas

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By Peter LaBarbera; Twitter: @PeterLaBarbera

Recently, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF)–the nation’s oldest homosexual activist organization–announced a name change to accommodate the never-ending permutations of out-and-proud “gayness” and gender confusion (our term for transgenderism). Their new name is “National LGBTQ Task Force” with the “Q” standing for “Queer”–a slang term once and sometimes still used against homosexuals that has been “reclaimed” by “gay” and “transgender” activists to defiantly describe their revolutionary movement.

“The new more inclusive name adds bisexual, transgender and queer to lesbian and gay in the form of LGBTQ,” the Task Force said in an October 8 press release. [Watch an accompanying Task Force video HERE.]

We at Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH) rarely have anything good to say about the Task Force–a far-left organization that maligns defenders of Judeo-Christian morality as “haters” and celebrates all kinds of sex and gender perversions, including “polyamory” (multiple-partner sexual relationships) and sadomasochism. (Every year, the Task Force gives out a “Leather Leadership” award to honor its favorite sexual sadist.) However, in this instance we applaud the Task Force for taking a step toward semantic accuracy.

QUEER INDEED: Above is the new logo of the grassroots leftist “gay” organization formerly known as the “National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.” The “Q” stands for “Queer.” In addition to promoting homosexuality, bisexuality and transgenderism, the Task Force promotes a “Sexual Freedom” agenda that includes “polyamory” (multiple-partner sexual unions) and sadomasochism.

Henceforth, Americans For Truth will use the descriptor “LGBTQueer” instead of merely “LGBT” or even “LGBTQ” for the homosexual-bisexual-transgender-queer movement. For example, whereas in the past we would have described Human Rights Campaign–whose founder and (former) Board Member Terry Bean was arrested recently for allegedly sodomizing a 15-year-old boy–as an “LGBT lobby group,” we will now describe HRC as an LGBTQueer lobby organization. (For the record: a 65-year-old man sodomizing a 15-year-old boy is well beyond “queer.”)

By writing out “Queer” in the acronym, we mean to accentuate how that word is the best catch-all term to identify a movement that increasingly embraces any and all types of sex- and gender nonconformity (e.g., “genderqueer” as a self-identity; look it up HERE). At the same time, we avoid the sterile acronyms–however long they become–that serve to hide the radicalism and desensitize us to the extreme nature of the expanding LGBTQueer agenda.

Think about it: how often do we think of homosexual activist groups championing “Bisexuality”–the “B” in LGBT–when we hear that politically correct acronym? Most people don’t consider the wisdom of promoting “bisexual” identities as normative to schoolchildren, yet that is certainly a part of the “LG-Bisexual-T” education agenda.

On the other hand, even though the most accurate thing we could do is to write out “Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Queer,” that is far too cumbersome for daily use. Even the modern Greek-Latin construct “homosexual” is unwieldy, especially when used as a noun, compared to the popular and oversimplistic term “gay.” And while most LGBTQueer activists despise the word “homosexual” as anachronistic and “homophobic” (another manipulative LGBTQueer invention), we at AFTAH have used it because at least the H-word reminds us that we’re talking about sexual misbehavior, not some innocuous “gay” identity.

NO DIVERSITY FOR EX-‘QUEERS’:  The late Anthony Falzarano, a former homosexual, turned around a defiant homosexual activist protest chant, by saying: “We’re here. We’re EX-queer. Get used to it!” Even as the “gay”/bi/trans movement makes room for all kinds of sexual/gender identities and fetishes under the rubric of  “diversity,” it campaigns viciously against EX-“gays”–even lobbying lawmakers to ban pro-heterosexual change therapy. The new Gay Task Force slogan is “Be you,” but LGBTQueer activists routinely dehumanize former homosexuals rather than accept and affirm their life and identity choices. See the testimony of another successful EX-“gay,” Christopher Doyle, HERE.

Homosexualism and gender rebellion are not about “civil rights” but rather the practice of engaging in, justifying and celebrating immoral and perverse behaviors–which we on the side of Nature and Nature’s God rightly understand are not the basis for inherent, healthy identities. Sinful and confused behavior patterns are changeable–as testified by the many happy and successful ex-“gays” like Christopher Doyle, who give the lie to the LGBTQueer myth that “being gay” is “who you are.”

As the late ex-homosexual activist and my friend Anthony Falzarano used to say, taking liberties with a “Queer Nation” chant:

“We’re here. We’re EX-queer. Get used to it!”

Thus “LGBTQueer” seems to strike the appropriate balance of being easy to use–while highlighting the reality that the aberrant “L,” “G,” “B” and  Transgender “T”–and whatever other letters of the alphabet are appropriated by Big Gay Inc to designate some new sexual/gender fad or fetish. They all fall under the rubric of “Queer” behavior, especially by historical Western, Judeo-Christian moral standards. AFTAH will encourage other organizations, leaders and blogs to join us in using and popularizing “LGBTQueer.”

Powerful pro-family leaders join Dr. Michael Brown at “Teaching Banquet” that will answer questions on the lie of pro-homosexual ‘Christianity’

Banquet Web Page: [Click HERE]

Printable Banquet PDF Flier: [Click HERE for PDF]

CHANGED MAN: Former homosexual turned family man Stephen Black will be attending AFTAH’s banquet Sat., Oct. 25 at Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights, IL. The keynote speaker is Dr. Michael Brown, author of “Can You Be Gay and Christian?”

** UPDATE**: Former homosexual (ex-“gay”) leader Stephen Black of First Stone Ministries, based in Oklahoma City, will be attending our banquet this Saturday, Oct. 25. Stephen will offer his observations on the downfall of the ex-“gay” umbrella group Exodus International under false teaching–and the rise of Restored Hope Network to take its place as offering the hope of change for men and women struggling with homosexuality.

Also, Linda Harvey of Columbus-based Mission America–a leading Christian expert on the homosexual-bisexual-transgender agenda in schools–will be on hand at the banquet! Harvey is author of “Maybe He’s Not Gay: Another View on Homosexuality.” There is now a Study Guide for the book available for small group discussions such as home Bible studies.

The keynote speaker at the banquet is Dr. Michael Brown, author of the new book, “Can You Be Gay and Christian?: Responding with Love & Truth to Questions About Homosexuality”; and the well-documented research work: “Something Queer Happened to America–and What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been.” [Brown will be signing copies of both books at the banquet.]

WHEN: Saturday, October 25; doors open at 5:30 PM; dinner served at 6:30

WHERE: Christian Liberty Academy, 502 W. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights, IL

COST: Tickets are only $20/person in advance (payment received by Oct. 24) or $25 at the door. Dinner is included. Table Sponsorship: just $200 for a table of 10. Please bring young adults who are confused about homosexuality and “gay rights”! Sign up online at www.aftah.com/donate/, or mail your check to: AFTAH, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522.

THEME: Can You Be “Gay” and Christian?

Phone: 312-324-3787; E-mail to RSVP: americansfortruth[at]gmail.com; or email Brad Wallace at connops]at]yahoo.com.