Noble Park ex-gay meeting cancelled

Updated April 1, 3.55pm

The Greater Dandenong Council has now also refused to allow Adam Hood to speak at the Council-owned Jan Wilson Community Centre in Nobel Park on Sunday.

The news follows a decision by Stonnington Council and a catholic college in Queensland to refuse Hood a venue to speak about his ‘conversion’ from being gay to straight.

Following request for comment from the Star Observer this morning, Greater Dandenong Council said the church group staging the event – the Miracle Christian Centre – uses the venue regularly, however due to the level of community complaint over the event, the Council would withdraw use of the venue.

“The church group is a regular hirer of this facility, and has a normal booking agreement with Council which we will uphold,” a Council spokeswoman said.

“The speaker has been independently hired by the group to address their congregation, and Council does not support nor endorse any of the group’s chosen speakers or the topics they discuss.

“On this occasion however, given the number of concerns raised, we have asked them to cancel the event.

UPDATED April 1, 2.50pm

City of Stonnington has informed the Star Observer the Adam Hood ex-gay speaking event to take place on Saturday night has been cancelled.

“Whilst Grattan Gardens Community Centre is owned by Council, bookings are made and managed through the New Hope Foundation which manages and operates the facility, so Council was not aware of the event taking place until it was brought to our attention by the community,” the Council said in a statement.

“The City of Stonnington is a supportive, inclusive and vibrant municipality that embraces diversity.

“Given the nature of the event and the safety concerns that have been raised, Council has requested that New Hope Foundation cancel the event. Council understands this has occurred.”

UPDATED April 1, 10.00am

St Columban College in Caboolture, Queensland has cancelled Adam Hood’s speaking event, which was due to take place in their school hall.

College principal Ann Rebgetz said in a statement the Catholic school was not informed of the content of the speaking event and have withdrawn use of the venue because the event is “not in line with the college’s Christian values.”

“Executive Director of Catholic Education, David Hutton, said the Catholic Church abhors all forms of homophobia and will not provide a venue for homophobes to spout their views,” Rebgetz said.

Miracle Christian Center president Dorian Ballard told the Courier Mail the event was not homophobic.
“We are not homophobic, many of us have come out of the homosexual lifestyle… We are not afraid of homosexuals; we love them, we’ve ministered to them for years,” he said.

The Star Observer is awaiting comment from Stonnington Council if similar action will be taken in Melbourne.

An event encouraging gay men to convert to heterosexuality will take place in  Melbourne’s gay heartland this weekend and move on to Queensland next Tuesday.

Self-described ex-gay Adam Hood from the US is set to speak to a Melbourne audience about how he found God and ‘overcame’ his homosexuality.

An advertisment from the Miracle Christian Centre — which has a base in Noble Park — says Hood is a “straight man who used to be a homosexual”.

“Can a homosexual be free from same sex thoughts, attractions and feelings,” the advertisement said.

“Adam Hood says ‘yes’, so come and hear Adam tell his story of how he was set free from homosexuality and now leads a strong Christian life with his wife and family.”

The event, which has been advertised in Leader newspapers, is set to take place this Saturday, April 2, at Grattan Gardens Community Centre in Prahran.

Hood is also scheduled to speak at an event in Noble Park and in Queensland.

Hood made headlines last year when a video of him discussing his ‘conversion’ was posted online.