Radio show tells gay caller to get “cured”

By Ruth Schneider @ 365gay.com
04.14.2010 1:00am EDT

Syndicated radio host Dawson McAllister is under fire after undercover phone calls revealed his call-in show compares homosexuality to “adultery, theft or murder” and counsels callers to seek a cure.

Dawson McAllister Live, which broadcasts on more than 160 stations nationwide, is a call-in show that alleges to help youth deal with any personal issues. Greg Kimball at KnowThyNeighbor.org reported he called McAllister’s show to find out how it handles youth questioning their sexuality. Pretending to be a 16-year-old, Kimball (who is really 22), was told he needs to find a cure by one of the show’s representatives.

“The first thing he told me … is that they get a ton of calls like this,” Kimball wrote. “He then asked if I had been raised religiously. I told him no, and that is where things began to explode. He told me that it is common for ‘children raised with no God to question their sexuality.’ He went on to say that ‘if I embraced God, I could be cured.’

“He continued, comparing homosexuality to ‘alcoholism or pornography or drug addiction.’ He said that ‘homosexuality was not natural.’ He then quoted several Bible verses, saying that homosexuality was just as bad as ‘adultery, theft, or murder.’ He agreed that I was ‘broken and needed to be cured.’

Hoping the call was an anomaly, Kimball called again later with the same story. During the second call, he was referred to ex-gay groups such as Exodus International that counsel gays on how to cure their homosexuality.

Kimball also points out that McAllister partners with a handful of conservative groups including Focus on the Family and Aglow International, which is described on McAllister’s site as “prayer warriors.”