From Gay Activism to God-Centricity
A unique story of change. We are delighted to be joined by James Parker, who facilitates True Identity, an informal network that supports those struggling with sexuality & gender identity issues. James is British-born and lives in Western Australia and is a Catholic convert. As an abuse survivor and former gay rights activist, he is passionate about the godly restoration of men and women.
James has been vocal about the counselling bans that affect his residence in Australia. Institutions providing counselling for unwanted same sex attraction in Australia can face up to 18 months in jail in Queensland and up to $24,000 in fines and 12 months’ imprisonment in the ACT. Further plans for $200,000 in fines and 10 years imprisonment are underway in Victoria. We discuss the impact of this with James on the community in Australia. Furthermore, we discuss his own personal journey and struggle.
Date: Saturday 23rd January 2021
Time: 12pm GMT, 8pm AWST
James is a former gay activist and has spent two decades ministering in the area of human sexuality, working specifically with those recovering from sex and porn addiction. He is passionate about God’s unique role in recovery and has taught across all of the major faiths.
Aged 17, James Parker came out as gay. It was the 1980s, and James became very active in campaigning for gay rights in the UK, believing he was ‘born gay’. He was in a long term gay relationship and experienced hurdles. However, access to counselling proved helpful. James relates that cognitive therapy, behavioural therapy and EMDR uncovered a mountain of crippling pain. James was able to recover repressed memories of infantile trauma, exposure to pornography, extensive childhood sex abuse and being raped by men as a teenager, which had led him on occasions to deeply question his gender. Within a few years of appropriate therapy, James’ insatiable eroticisation of men diminished. He recounts that as men stopped being a mystery, woman became the mystery he desired to pursue.
James Parker is a former Brit, who spent ten years in London engaging with the unique spiritual journeys of hundreds of men and women with differing degrees of same-sex attraction and facilitated the London EnCourage group and Harvesters Men Network. James today is a father and is happily married.