Demonstration Planned For “Ex-Gay” Conference
Travis Swanson Also Updates Quest On His Search For Bryce
Green Lake - Troubled Christians hoping to “pray away the gay” at Exodus International’s Fall North Central Conference at the American Baptist-owned Green Lake Conference Center October 30 through November 1 will find a refreshing viewpoint as they enter or leave the gated compound over the weekend. LGBT and allied demonstrators are planning to share the “good news” that it’s okay to be gay at various times during the conference.
  The demonstration largely is the work of one young gay man: Travis Swanson. Travis has had his life turned upside down by those who practice the twisted tenets of fundamentalist Christianity. Last Spring Travis’ relationship with Bryce Faulkner was abruptly aborted after Faulkner’s parents coerced Bryce into entering Exodus International’s 14-month “reparative therapy” program.
  Swanson’s quest to speak directly with Bryce captivated the gay online community throughout the summer of 2009, generating Facebook groups and YouTube videos. The Faulkner family’s attempts to speak for their sequestered adult son even got the brief attention of the “fair and balanced” cable news giant Fox News.
  Like recent Autumn weather, gay interest in Bryce and Travis’ plight has also cooled. After Facebook pulled several “Where Is Bryce?” pages from their website at the family’s insistence, supporters of the young same-sex couple have established a presence on the gay-friendly Ning social networking site, though registration requirements for both the website and the “Friends of B.R.Y.C.E” network makes casual access difficult.
  Quest’s Mike Fitzpatrick caught up with Travis just days after he had returned from the National Equality March in Washington DC to find out the latest news on the search for his partner and the upcoming protest event.

Quest: The official estimates for the National Equality March have varied from 50,000 to 150,000. How big do you think the march was?

Travis: I think was about 125,000 to 150,000. I think that’s pretty accurate. I know when we first got there -and we were there for the very first speaker - the lawn in front of the Capitol was just completely packed full. Our group ended up getting separated. That sort of thing just happens at those types of things. The lawn was completely packed and (the speaker) said the marchers were still seven blocks deep on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Quest: I understand that you have actually had a phone call from Bryce?

Travis: I had a voice mail. He said that the decisions he made were his, and that me getting involved with his family was wrong, that I was harassing his family and that I needed to quit harassing his family.

Quest: Do you think that it was a legitimate message, or do you think he was coerced into doing a voice mail?

Travis: It sounded very coursed, it sounded very rehearsed. It sounded scripted, like it was being read from a piece of paper. What I want to point out about that phone call - never once in it did he say anything like “leave me alone” or “I don’t want to have anything to do with you, back off.” It was all about “my family.” You know, “you’re hurting my family, stop doing this to my family.”
  There was never anything about me... So it makes sense, if it was scripted, it would have been (about family). I feel like his mother feels that she has been harmed at this point. Now she wants to try and get her name back. So if she wrote that out for him, it would be “all about my family.” And about her. She’s making everything about her.

Quest: So you think that he’s doing everything under duress at this point?

Travis: Well I think if anything, that phone call just confirms that (he’s under duress) even further. It helped cement my belief in that. The call (was) using words that I never heard or known him to use.

Quest: When did you get that call?

Travis: That was the last Tuesday of August (August 25). Nothing since. Though two days after the phone call I got a call from a police officer at the Oshkosh police department. He told me that he received a phone call from Bryce, that I was harassing him and that it needed to cease immediately or I would be arrested. I asked him if this was a civil matter or a criminal matter. He said it was a civil matter. To me that sounds like a situation with a crooked cop, because there is no such thing as arresting somebody on a civil matter.

Quest: Did you get his name or file a complaint with the police department?

Travis: He said his name three times. But every time he said it I couldn’t understand it. It started with a Z, but I could not get it. His demeanor was very much talking down to me, saying I was responsible for “all this” even though I do not own the (“Help Save Bryce”) website. His demeanor did change when I mentioned that I was a card carrying member - and this is the truth - of the ACLU. He became not as demanding and not trying to intimidate me after I mentioned the ACLU.

Quest: But how did this officer know he was even talking to Bryce? How did he verify that alleged original complaint?

Travis: Those are the kinds of questions that went through my head after I got off the phone with him. But the semester’s been so busy for me. I was actually going to make an appointment with the campus attorney to talk to him about possibly filing a complaint. I think I’m still gonna do that.

Quest: Well my crap detector is up around an “eight” right now.

Travis: Exactly. And he said that if I did not cease immediately, all these things would happen to me. Well, that was the last week of August and I’ve yet to hear anything else from the Oshkosh police department.

Quest: So where do you think Bryce is now?

Travis: I’m sure that if he was in Florida, they’ve probably moved him. All the (“Help Save Bryce”) websites said that he was in Florida. I do believe very much that he is in a facility somewhere.

Quest: At some point they’re going to have to let him out and breathe the air of the free. What do you know about these “conversion” processes? When do they give up? What’s going to happen?

Travis: Basically they say you’re “cured” after you’ve put in the time that you’ve paid to be there. From what I’ve been told, it’s a 14-month program so he’s scheduled to come out in August of next year. And he can’t be hidden forever. They know that.

Quest: Has anyone tried to make contact with Bryce on the inside?

Travis: I’ve talked with Truth Wins Out in Brooklyn. You’re the one who suggested that I contact them. I talked to Wayne, They could try to reach him but they have to know where to look - that’s the thing.

Quest: Has the heat from the larger gay community cooled down?

Travis: There’s not as many posts in the guest book. But there are people on Facebook who use the “Where is Bryce?” Facebook picture posted as their profile picture. We’ve created a site on Ning.com (friendsofbryce.ning.com).

Quest: Well it’s important to remember that while people are going on with their lives, there are others like Bryce still going through this personal Hell. It’s important to remind people that this isn’t a story that you are going to let go away.

Travis: Exactly. If all this were true, why would Bryce just do a press release? He could have made all this media attention go away. Nobody would have an interest in doing a story if the person who the story about came forward and said “This is not true.” But its always a spokesperson saying that.

Quest: And you’ve got something coming up to get people involved in Wisconsin. Tell me about that.

Travis: Exodus is holding their regional conference in Green Lake at the Green Lake Conference Center on Highway 23 west of the city. We haven’t finalized plans but we’re looking at having a demonstration on Saturday, October 31. That is when most people are able get there. Some friends and I may go out Friday night (Exodus lists the Green Lake conference registration from 5-7 PM on their website). But the big protest will be on Saturday because so many people are coming in from out of town.

Quest: One of your problems is that so many of the people who are attending these conferences are already brainwashed. Is the purpose of the demonstration to reach the conference attendees or to raise public awareness that this kind of programming is going on?

Travis: The main purpose is to bring attention. If you have an extreme view on something, you’re not going to change your mind. It’s the middle of the road people we’re trying to reach the most. They’re the ones who might think “maybe (Exodus International) is right, maybe they’re wrong.” Parents of people who might consider sending their child there. That’s who we want to reach out to.

Quest: How can people get ahold of you to get the latest information if they want to join the demonstration?

Travis: We have the demonstration posted as an event on Facebook, and they can email me from there as well.

Quest: How many people do you hope to get for this protest?

Travis: The Facebook page has 131 confirmed guests who way they are coming. Some will likely not show up, but with that many committed we expect a decent turnout.

To learn more about the planned demonstration at the Exodus International conference in Green Lake, visit Facebook and search for the “Protest Exodus International/Ex-Gay Therapy”event page or contact Travis Swanson directly via his Facebook profile page.