.

Juanita simply cannot believe that a man so obsessed with homosexuality can possibly be straight.

In the wake of a number of gay students’ suicides this fall, and a national conversation about bullying, Exodus International, a group dedicated to “freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ,” announced that it would no longer sponsor The Day of Truth. An annual event that encourages students to “counter the promotion of homosexual behavior,” The Day of Truth has been organized as a counter-event to the much larger, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network-sponsored Day of Silence held every April.

But The Day of Truth is not going away. The James Dobson-founded Christian ministry Focus on the Family has stepped in to replace Exodus International as the event’s sponsor, and has re-branded and re-framed it The Day of Dialogue.

“There are whole months that I go without thinking about how gays are different than I am,” Juanita admits.  “James Dobson cannot go 5 minutes.  Bless his heart, that just really takes a lot of energy.”

“So, I was thinking.  Maybe if we could re-direct all of James’ anti-gay energy into something productive, we could get something worthwhile accomplished.  I mean, that kind of energy could cure cancer, clean pollution, find a renewable energy source, and fix facial wrinkles.  But, no matter how hard you try, you ain’t getting Carol Ann out of combat boots.”

“I am also worried,” she says, “that maybe James ain’t as straight as he wants you, or even himself, to think.  Personally, I think the man can smell the bacon, but he can’t find the breakfast table.”