Family Research Council Launches Ex-Gay Pride Month

Tony Perkins' Family Research Council plans to make July "Ex-Gay Pride Month" and is sponsoring a dinner at the end of the month to commemorate the celebration, a month after the Supreme Court declared the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional.

The First Annual Ex-Gay Pride Month Celebration  will be on July 31 at Family Research Council Action in Washington, D.C. and is hosted by Voice of the Voiceless and Equality and Justice for All, two organizations created by the FRC earlier to offer support to "former homosexuals, individuals with unwanted same-sex attractions, and their families."

"Come celebrate the lives of former homosexuals and hear about their unique stories and achievements," the invitation reads.

The group has extended invitations to Rep. Michele Bachman of Minnesota and Former Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, now the president of The Heritage Foundation as well as others to speak at the event.

"This will be a historic day for ex-gays across the country as we unite on Capitol Hill to lobby Congress to recognize former homosexuals," said Christopher Doyle, Co-Founder and President of Voice of the Voiceless in a statement.

"Now that former homosexuals are a protected class against discrimination in Washington, D.C., this opens up the door for our unique stories to be heard and achievements to be recognized," Doyle added.

Voice of the Voiceless issued a press release calling on the White House to issue a Presidential Proclamation recognizing July as Ex-Gay Pride Month, following gay pride month in June.

"Voice of the Voiceless has only been around for a few months," Doyle told The Huffington Post. "We formed an anti-defamation league for former homosexuals like myself . . . . I was once one of those persons. I am now married to a woman. So basically, we've just been really marginalized by the LGBT activist groups because they're threatened we are seeking a different path. We aren't trying to take away anyone's rights."

Doyle told The Huffington Post that Voice of the Voiceless is not a religious organization and that he doesn't believe in practices that other groups and churches use like "pray the gay away."

"You have to realize that sexuality is a very complex subject," he said, while explaining the non-religious motivation for the group. "It's just not about sexual drives and feelings and desire and arousal."

"[Homosexuality] just wasn't for me," he concluded. "That's why I chose a different path. We really need to accept people in their choices."