September 1, 1998: John Paulk and the "ex-gay" ads hit national media.

In September of this year ex-gay spokesman John Paulk was caught patronizing a Washington, D.C., gay bar. Just two years ago, as Advocate reporter Bill Ghent wrote, "Religious conservatives ran a series of ads calling for a new national discussion of homosexuality.'" The ads, coordinated by 15 religious right groups, featured Paulk and his ex-lesbian wife, Anne, and proclaimed that gay men and lesbians can be "cured" through the "truth of God's healing love.'

Ghent wrote that "the advertising campaign followed ... a meeting between congressional Republican leaders and the heads of major religious groups, who were upset about what they saw as waffling on key social issues." However, the article pointed out that a poll commissioned by the Republican Leadership Council found that "aside from a core of conservatives, most voters have little appetite for the antigay rhetoric and indeed could abandon the party because of it." Washington and Lee University professor of American politics William Connelly said, "By attempting to appeal to particular elements and factions, Republicans may alienate a lot of average Americans."

Find this 1998 Advocate article in its entirety on www.advocate.com