The Sad Story of Mike Ensley

One of the more ludicrous movements in the anti-gay political subset is the "ex-gay" movement.  Organizations like Exodus International and PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays) would like you to believe not only is being gay a choice and/or mental disease (depends on what day you ask them), but that they can change their sexual orientation by "praying the gay away."

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

These guys have been trying for years to be considered legit.  From objecting to the use of quotes in describing their "orientation" to insisting that they can have pride events of their own, these poor, deluded men and women have tried over and over again to get the respect of the scientific and social community as a whole.  Too bad their "therapy" is derided as junk science and misrepresentation.  And, of course, too bad members of their community have time and time again given up and said "Never mind.  I was gay all along."

These poor people have literally been brainwashed to hate themselves.  It should be considered a blessing each time one of them makes it out of that hell.

That brings us to Mike Ensley.

 Mike Ensley as Self-Hater and Brainwasher

Mike Ensley used to work for anti-gay hate-tank Exodus International, and was their "Youth Analyst."  His job entailed nothing short of convincing young people that gay people were wrong and that they could right that wrong through ex-gay reparative therapy.  Unfortunately for him, and fortunately for his young wards, he was laid off in 2008 and disappeared from the activism map.

Where did he go?  Well, Truth Wins Out, an organization formed to combat the "ex-gay" movement, found him.

Mike Ensley as Muscleman Photographer Phillip Michael.

Meet Mike Ensley now-- a homoerotic photographer known as Phillip Michael in Orlando.  Via TruthWinsOut, here is an excerpt from his bio on his webpage:

"I’m a freelance artist living in Central Florida. I discovered my passion for photography several years ago on a road trip across the United States. Since then the train has never stopped rolling."

He naturally doesn't make any reference to the time he spent emotionally scarring youth into hating themselves.

I have to wonder, has Mike Ensley found peace?  He seems to have finally found his sexuality.  I would hope his life would be happier and that he could come to terms with his past, but he doesn't seem to have done so.

When contacted by Truth Wins Out, Ensley stammered on the phone that he didn't want to talk to the writer and hung up the phone.  Not only has "Phillip Michael" changed his name, but he seems determined to bury his past.  What he doesn't know is that his past is invaluable to people like him who went through the "ex-gay" bullshit-- his story about finding himself and rejecting those gross lies could help others.

I hope that Mike Ensley-- or Phillip Michael-- decides to help youth in a much different way than he did before.

[TruthWinsOut]