By: Esther Wallace
On a recent episode of the Jōrni Podcast, Ann Russo revisits a pivotal experience she went through over two decades ago.
Ann Russo is a queer therapist specializing in mental health issues related to Christianity and queerness. She remembers attending a Christian conference hosted by Exodus International. The focus of this event was—as they explained it—to help individuals “not be gay.”
The event, featuring speaker Joe Dallas, focused on transforming sexual orientation through Christian teachings.
During the conference, attendees heard testimonies from individuals who had previously identified as gay but had since turned “straight” after embracing Christianity. Many of these speakers linked negative behaviors with their past sexual orientation — behaviors such as excessive drinking, drug use, and anonymous sex.
The individuals further stated, through their testimony, that their issues and addiction to these vices were resolved aftery they converted and denounced their orientation.
This perspective, Ann pointed out, wrongly implied that harmful behaviors were inherently tied to one’s sexual identity.
The reflections she shares on the podcast highlight the misleading and damaging nature of this conflation. She argues that attributing negative behaviors to sexual orientation oversimplifies complex issues. It furthermore ignores the real challenges that people need to be aware of, such as rejection and stigmatization due to an unchangeable sexual orientation.
Ann emphasizes that these challenges are not limited to any specific region but are globally pervasive wherever conservative religious views dominate.
She further reiterates the importance of addressing such issues. There is a transformative power, she insists, to understanding and embracing one’s own desires and needs — and effectively communicating them in a relationship.
By embracing and understanding one’s desires, individuals can lead more fulfilling and authentic lives, free from the guilt and shame often associated with negative religious teachings about sexuality.
Ann Russo is now offering remote consultation services and providing CE training for mental health providers. Her goal is to collaborate with professionals to be more inclusive and supportive, focusing on understanding and empathy rather than stigmatization.
This extension of her services aims to help providers better support individuals navigating the intersections of sexuality, identity, and mental health — especially in underserved communities.
Ann’s consultations and trainings are designed to equip mental health professionals with the tools and knowledge they need to offer compassionate and effective support to their clients.
Ann further elaborates her insights regarding the Exodus International conference by exploring the impact of such experiences and their relevance to contemporary mental health discussions. She uses her episode on this podcast as a platform for a deeper examination of these themes and their implications — particularly with regards to how women are viewed due to biblical influence.
Ann actually covers related topics in her upcoming book, where she points out how outdated views stemming from biblical characters still permeate modern society, affecting women’s self-perception and their treatment by others.
She points out the “beliefs around certain women in the bible” and chooses the parallel of “the virgin Mary being upheld a certain way versus Eve” as an example.
These figures are often used to set unrealistic standards and moral judgments about women’s roles and behaviors in society. Ann’s analysis reveals how these dichotomous representations have historically shaped and continue to shape societal attitudes towards women, contributing to a culture of sexual misogyny.
“I talk about how these dichotomies really impacted the way we view women from thousands of years ago,” Ann points out. “And it’s just been in our culture, seeped in so deeply, that we don’t even realize that we are living and breathing this sexual misogyny around women.”
This deep-seated misogyny, she argues, is not just a relic of the past but an ongoing issue that needs to be actively challenged and dismantled.
To hear the full discussion alongside Ann Russo’s perspective, listen to her podcast episode on Female Sexual Empowerment. This episode not only delves into these critical issues but also offers insights and strategies for empowering women and promoting healthier, more equitable views on sexuality and gender roles.
Published by: Holy Minoza
