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A new video performed by singer-songwriter Dennis Jernigan has been picked as the anthem for “Ex-Gay Awareness Month,” and Regina Griggs, of Parents and Friends of ExGays and Gays, calls it an inspiration.
“Written and sung by singer Dennis Jernigan, ‘Rise Up’ inspires the ex-gay community to speak out about change and hope for unwanted same-sex attractions. People deserve to know the truth about the many men, women, and children who made the decision to change their lives,” she said.
Jernigan knows of what he speaks.
In a testimony accompanying the video, he explains, “It is true. I once identified as homosexual. Through an encounter with Jesus Christ, I was given a brand new identity. I am tired of feeling like I have to be quiet about it in today’s culture. My story is my story … and the more I share it, the more I find a great number of men and women who once thought they were homosexual as well. It is time to rise up and declare who and Whose we are…”
“I am proud to have had this song selected as the Ex-Gay Anthem by Voice of the Voiceless,” he said.
Griggs said the video debuted at the recent inaugural Ex-Gay Dinner, at which Liberty Counsel’s Mat Staver was honored with the 2013 Ex-Gay Freedom Award. He was described as a “champion in defending the freedoms of clients who pursue counseling to overcome unwanted same-sex attractions (SSA) and has tirelessly advocated for their God-given right of self-determination…”
Jernigan, a former homosexual and now a husband and father to nine children, has composed numerous popular Christian songs, including the worldwide hit “You Are My All in All.”
“Our opponents deny that change is possible, thus they deny that we exist,” said Griggs. “Our opponents believe in exclusion, censorship, and allowing only one side of the story to be told. PFOX offers a place for help, a place for truth, and a voice in the conversation.”
PFOX is the nation’s leading advocacy organization for love, support, and positive life change for the ex-“gay” community, their families, and individuals with unwanted same-sex attractions.
