In a video titled "Yes to You," Father Pontifex raps in support of the myth that people can choose their sexual orientation.
September 26 2012 7:15 PM EST
November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST
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The Roman Catholic ministry Courage, which perpetuates the "ex-gay" myth and demands a life of celibacy from gay people, has released a terrifying video featuring a priest rapping about how sexual orientation and identity are a choice.
In eerie rhymes through spoken-word verses, Father Claude "Dusty" Burns, a.k.a. "Father Pontifex," splits hairs over the Catholic Church's reading of same-sex attraction.
Recycling the tired, damaging "hate the sin, but love the sinner" theme, Father Pontifex says, "And how do we identify and not accept a lie / Because sexual desire is just one piece of the pie / Identity is a choice, a lifestyle is something you embrace / Same-sex attraction doesn't define you and can be set in place."
The preacher concludes his rap with the ever-comforting line "Although the church says no to gay marriage, it still says yes to you."
The video is produced by Spirit Juice Studios, which bills itself as a Catholic new media production company and includes a link to Courage in its YouTube description of the video. On its website, Courage promises that "you will learn about samesex attractions and chastity. By developing an interior life of chastity, which is the universal call to all Christians, one can move beyond the confines of the homosexual identity to a more complete one in Christ."
Despite what the Catholic Church says on the matter, every major mainstream medical and psychiatric association in the U.S. has concluded that "ex-gay therapy," "reparative therapy," and attempts to "pray away the gay" are not only unsuccessful but dangerous and damaging to the people subjected to the fear-mongering, shame-based practices.