FAITH & VALUES
Dobson leaves leadership role at Focus
Anti-gay leader will keep radio show,
speaking appearances
by Matt Comer . Q-Notes staff
It could be the end of an era, as evangelical
leader James Dobson leaves his post at the
anti-gay Focus on the Family.
On Friday, Feb. 27, the Colorado Springs,
Colo.-based fundamentalist group announced
Dobson’s resignation in a monthly worship
service for their 950 employees.
Dobson, 72, will step down as chairman of
the Focus on the Family board, but will remain
as host of group’s popular radio show. He’ll also
write a monthly newsletter and be available for
speaking opportunities, according to Jim Daly,
Focus president and chief executive officer.
The resignation is the latest in a series of
events in a succession plan that began more
than six years ago when Dobson stepped
down as president and CEO. Dobson’s wife,
Shirley, will also step down from her post on
Focus on the Family’s board of directors.
“One of the common errors of founder-presi
dents is to hold to the reins of leadership too
long, thereby preventing the next generation from
being prepared for executive authorit)^’ Dobson
said in a statement, published by The AE “...
Though letting go is difficult after three decades
of intensive labor, it is the wise thing to do.”
LGBT leaders and activists were quick to
praise Dobson’s departure.
“James Dobson’s legacy of lies has caused
significant pain for gay and lesbian people and
their families,” said author and syndicated
columnist Wayne Besen, executive director of
Truth Wins Out. “We hope his departure will
eventually signal a shift in tone and end Focus
on the Family’s destructive attacks against gay
and lesbian Americans.”
Neil Giullano, president of the Gay and
Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said it
is “important to remember [Dobson’s] history
of false and defamatory claims about our
community^’
He added, “For more than 20 years, James
Dobson has used his expansive, well-funded
media platform to promote defamatory and
false information about the lives of lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender people.”
Giuliano urged the media to “not allow
Dobson to turn [the news of his departure]
into yet another media platform for him to
advance his intolerant divisive attacks on gay
and lesbian Americans and their famOies.”
Besen said it is time for Focus on the
Family to abandon their anti-gay programs.
including the “ex-gay” Love Won Out confer
ence, which recently stopped in Charlotte for a
one-day event (see story on page 7).
In a humorous response to the news,
Durham, N.C.-based blogger Pam Spaulding
posted a YouTube video of the one-hit wonder
band. Steam, singing the 1969 hit“Na Na Hey
Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.”
“The old man who has spent his adult life
trying to turn the U.S. into a theocracy is
finally throwing in the towel,” she
wrote. “I guess after blowing the
coffers on Prop 8 and having to
lay off staff, it’s time to exit. It’s
just a part of the'sticcession plan’
they say”
Progressive leader. Rev. Barry
W. Lynn of Americans United for
the Separation of Church and
State, said he doubted Dobson’s
resignation would “make much of
a difference in the day-to-day
operations of that organization.
“For years, FOF has been the
leading voice of religious extrem
ism and intolerance in America. It
has led the attack on the legal
rights of gay and lesbian Americans, worked
assiduously to undermine reproductive rights,
assaulted the religious neutr^ty of public
schools and labored to replace science with far-
right, fundamentalist dogma,” Lynn said.
“Despite my differences with him, if Dobson
were truly retiring, I would wish him well. But I
know that Dobson and so many other leaders of
the Religious Right intend to remain active,
working to force their exclusionary worldview
onto the rest of us.”
Lynn said that Focus on the Family “is
merely rearranging the deck chairs on its big,
intolerant ship.”
Dobson’s departure comes at a time when
Focus on the Family finds itself at a crossroads.
According to The AP, Focus on the Family offi
cials have admitted the
group is facing difficul
ty raising money and
support from young
families, a key con
stituency if Focus is to
remain active and sol
vent. Just last fall. Focus
on the Family laid off
200 employees, the
group’s largest employ
ee cutback ever.
Retired Air Force
Lt. Gen. Patrick P.
Caruana, a longtime
Focus board member
and a former executive
with defense contractor Northrop Grumman,
will replace Dobson as chairman of the board.
“I don’t see any dramatic departure from
what Focus stands for,” Caruana told The AP
of Dobson’s leaving the board. “There are
obviously younger people the ministry would
like to reach, and we’re on track to do that.” I
Pf
* Y James
Dobson
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