Talk by 'ex-homosexual' stirs controversy at SNU Truth Forum
David Eunkoo Kim, founder of SNU Truth Forum, speaks at the National Assembly on July 13, criticizing the Seoul government for permitting the Seoul Queer Festival to take place in Seoul Square the following day. / Courtesy of SNU Truth Forum
By Jon Dunbar
The truth became a battleground, as two opposing sides fought under its name at Seoul National University (SNU), the nation's top comprehensive university.
On July 9, SNU Truth Forum hosted a talk by Darrion Skinner, an American claiming to be an ex-homosexual.
“Social orientation and gender identity (SOGI) concepts can be challenged and re-examined,” David Eunkoo Kim, event organizer and founder of the SNU Truth Forum, said in an interview with The Korea Times. “Forcing SOGI concepts in the name of equality on a society is not proper, as we hear from stories like Darrion's.”
The ex-gay movement is under heavy dispute, not just by LGBT activists and advocates but also mental health and medical groups overseas such as the American Psychological Association and the American College of Pediatricians. They say gay conversion therapy is more likely to result in guilt, depression and suicide, rather than mentally healthy reformed heterosexuals, especially in the case of parents forcing their children into therapy in order to make them “normal.”
Its advocates often cite the right for individuals to voluntarily seek treatment, rather than debating the effectiveness of gay conversion therapy. Skinner himself voluntarily chose to go through the process as an adult, as detailed in the documentary “Here's My Heart: A Documentary of Surrendering to Freedom” and his work with his San Francisco-based ministry The Lion's Remnant.
The ex-gay movement is often the butt of criticism and accusations of promoting homophobia. Likewise, the talk at SNU rankled students, including the campus group Queer in SNU (QIS).
Some students contacted the university administration, questioning its basis for hosting the event and, according to Kim, calling it hate speech.
“We strongly opposed on the basis freedom of speech, and the administration accepted it,” Kim said, “recognizing that we, Truth Forum, as well as those students who disagree with us can both equally use the venue.”
Christian Bundschu, an American member of the international branch of QIS, said he found out his university would be hosting the event five days in advance. He consulted a professor and contacted the student dormitory where the event was hosted, asking them whether it is legal for a public institute to give a platform to this group and requesting they cancel it, receiving the response they have to give equal time to this perspective.
“You don't have to give time to unethical arguments,” Bundschu told The Korea Times. “At this point, it just became a question of how to counter it.”
Around 20 QIS members attended the talk, handing out flyers out front and entering the venue to hand out flyers inside too, then they all took seats in the first row for the talk itself. There were around 80 in attendance.
“Before the event happened, I specifically emphasized to everyone in the group, the need for people to be respectful, to be quiet and listen, and to only talk when there was a chance,” Bundschu said, emphasizing this was not a protest. “I can 100 percent say everyone at the event in our camp tried our best to treat everyone there with the utmost respect.”
Reportedly, one member interrupted the talk and stormed out, but later returned and apologized according to Bundschu, an engineering Ph.D. student.
“Unexpected guests came to protest but it was even more meaningful and precious because of their presence,” said Kim, a Ph.D. law candidate.
During the talk, Skinner gave his life story. He spoke of his past in the U.S. military, his tour of duty in Afghanistan and his four-year homosexual relationship with another soldier he described as abusive. After a religious epiphany, he began to fear Hell and repent his sins. He also spoke of falling in love with a woman and marrying her, despite initial apprehensions and difficulty developing attraction.
Bundschu said he tried to keep his disagreement religious-based. “We knew we would not win on a scientific basis because they don't care about that,” he said. “We had to go in using biblical arguments.”
He cited Matthew 7:1-2 and 22:35-40, and Mark 12, warning against judging others.
Skinner, citing Revelations 22:11, said at the event, “If you want to live your life the way you want to live it, continue to live it. It's not affecting me or anyone else here. We just want to tell you the truth, because we love you.”
Skinner was in Korea on invitation of an ex-gay pastor for the Holy Festival to counter the upcoming Seoul Queer Festival (SQF).
“The whole problem we have is the fact that SNU gave them a place in the school to normalize their message,” Bundschu said. “We don't want the school giving them that platform, making their argument seem like it's legitimate. By the school allowing the event to have a venue on campus, they are endorsing the event. Now what the organizers can do, they can put it on their website, saying they hosted a forum at SNU.”
Meanwhile, Kim and members of the SNU and Yonsei Truth Forums appeared at the National Assembly, July 13, one day before the Seoul Queer Parade, making a statement opposing City Hall's permission for the SQF event to be held in Seoul Square.
“Political opinions can be different,” Kim said in interview. “However, we pursue truth, not some stories based on fake information. Politics, media and academia are very biased and influenced by leftist revolutionists who want to deny the identity of the Republic of Korea. These revolutionists led the democratic movements in the 1980s as student leaders and now hold positions in the politics, media, universities and other areas. The current Moon government members have been there with them and we are very concerned about their pro-North, anti-U.S. and radical socialistic approaches. Therefore, we started a forum at SNU to raise our voice and are planning relevant activities to balance the situation.”
Kim said SNU Truth Forum, which shares a “Judeo-Christian worldview,” has around 60 members including alumni. He also established Truth Alliance, making a network of Truth Forum groups at around 70 universities, involving around 700 people at present.
“I'm actually very supportive of those kinds of things,” said Bundschu, who said he comes from a Methodist background. “I'm a very big proponent of all kinds of free speech, even hate speech. My reason for that is it's very hard to create a basis of how to regulate free speech without it becoming a slippery slope. The difference is if it's being sponsored individually or by the government. If I were military I would die for the right for someone to make hate speech.”
SNU administration was unavailable for official comment, but one official who chose not to be named said booking events at the venue is not an administrative decision.