George Rekers Resigns From Anti-Gay Group In Wake Of 'Rentboy' Scandal (VIDEO: 'Rentboy' Speaks Out)

Prominent anti-gay activist George Rekers, who was caught last week returning from a 10-day trip to Europe with a male escort he found on Rentboy.com, has terminated his association with a major anti-gay group.

Rekers has resigned from the board of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, or NARTH, "to allow myself the time necessary to fight the false media reports that have been made against me," the retired professor said in a statement.

Once again, Rekers declined to dispute specific elements of the Miami New Times' coverage, choosing instead to contradict its obvious implications. "With the assistance of a defamation attorney, I will fight these false reports because I have not engaged in any homosexual behavior whatsoever," he said. "I am not gay and never have been."

NARTH, which advocates "therapy" to convert gays and fights scientific research suggesting that such treatment is ludicrous, attached a statement to Rekers' resignation asserting that his apparent hypocrisy does not reflect on their work. A NARTH spokesman told TPM that the extent of the organization's involvement in the Rentboy scandal is to tell Rekers "if he is innocent he needs to get a good lawyer."

Rekers is no stranger to courtrooms. As Michael Rogers notes, Rekers has testified against gay adoption on behalf of the states of Florida and Arkansas, for which he was paid $120,000 by Florida and $60,000 by Arkansas -- the latter in a settlement following a two-year court battle after he billed Arkansas for $165,000. In each case, the presiding judge called Rekers' testimony "extremely suspect" or concluded that "the court cannot consider his testimony to be credible nor worthy of forming the basis of public policy."

The escort Rekers was caught with, Jo-Vanni Roman, appeared on "Anderson Cooper 360" to talk about their trip to Europe. Roman didn't have too many new details, but he talks a bit about some elements of the contract Rekers drew up, which required that Roman spend eight hours and eat two meals with him per day during the trip.

WATCH:

Comments

[jnw147]

12:15 PM on 05/22/2010

This is good news. Now let's see if he will encourage his fellow cohorts to do the same. I am sure he knows the names of all of those that are still hiding in the closet, and spewing anti gay sentiments. The good Lord will, eventually, weed them out, also, one by one. Praise the Lord!

[Millie Lencioni]

12:52 PM on 05/15/2010

The Republicans went from the Grand Old Party to the Gay Old Party and are too busy worrying about the sex life of the Supreme Court judge appointee. Too much time being spent on sex and too little time being spent on the serious problems in this country.

[fr33d0mhawk]

08:08 AM on 05/17/2010

It doesn't help when the Catholic Church says the gravest threat humanity is facing is homosexual marriage. Forget nukes, and they never did admit to global warming, so its homosexual marriage that is far more dangerous. Forget asteroids hitting earth, because homosexual marriage is far more dangerous. Forget about the red giant phase of our sun, its homosexual marriage that is far more dangerous.

[Jack2011]

08:27 AM on 05/15/2010

Rekers said in a previous statement that he would befriend (or something like that) homosexuals so that he could talk to them about becoming straight. This interview with the Rentboy should have asked if Rekers had such a conversation with him.

[jamesmac10]

07:09 AM on 05/15/2010

The rent boy wants to be his friend? That is really weird.

[Jack2011]

08:18 AM on 05/15/2010

Free European vacations and $75/day!!! Not a bad friend to have if you dont mind giving massages.

[richdibo]

10:38 PM on 05/14/2010

New Development in the story:

Dr. Rekers has announced that he is going to sue to recover some of his $75 per hour payments to the escort. He claims that Geo's post was false and misleading. Apparently Geo did not measure up to the 8 inches and girth as he represented on the rentboy site.

[Elamdri]

06:04 PM on 05/13/2010

That guys face just screams "Who wants a mustache ride?"

[floodberg]

03:57 PM on 05/13/2010

Any 'attack' on a group espousing a valid concept always betrays the vulnerability of the attacker. Watch and learn.

The 'religious right' uses religion against homosexuals because facts and statistics don't prove their cause. Republicans attack Obama Democrats because 'big money' smelled bigger profit and promptly switched 'teams.' Obama democrats and loyal voters attack Independents and Democrat Progressives for 'disloyalty' to a man 'who is following his principles.' The offending 'former Obama voters,' the voting block that was Obama's 2008 'king maker,' see Obama's path leading to the bank instead of justice, and are thus jumping that ship en masse and being wooed by ambitious Democrats.

The Gay Rights lobby sees the vulnerability. I'd love to see a major media effort to exploit it and put forward the case for full rights, especially adoption. They have the statistics and the facts to make a devastating one-strike 'coup de feu' and the Hollywood support and talent to get the job done.

I'd love to see common sense and social justice win out over big money.

[Apollonius]

02:59 PM on 05/13/2010

I've met a number of these ultra conservitives who speak out against homosexuality and yet engage in it. Here's how they do it.
They hate homosexuals because if it wasn't for them they wouldn't be having these cravings to begin with. They aren't gay because they're married, have kids, belong to the anti gay organization, church, etc. They completely externalize this "addiction", it's the fault of "them" where "them"= anyone who is openly gay or a gay man they have contact with. By loudly bashing gays and supporting anti gay legislation, they feel that they are making up for and at the same time denying the unwanted feelings within them. They "know" that homosexuality is bad because they feel bad about their dirty little secret, even though that doesn't really count.
This process is very common and extends into many areas not connected to homosexuality. Mostly it's a mental habit of blaming something "out there" for the feelings inside. It is this process that leads to the stoning of women for adultery, witchcraft, or what ever. These people blame others for nearly everything she did it, he did it, they did it.
And yes they would be happier if they dropped the whole thing and lived life as a proud homosexual. If they did this though they would state the claim that everyone should be gay because their psychological makeup does not allow for other in any form.

[Jerrobbin]

03:12 PM on 05/13/2010

I known just as many gay bashing liberals as I have conservatives. In public the liberals are a little more restrained, but in private both groups tell the same jokes and express the same opionions. I have also noticed that the number of closet gays doesn't seem to take political preference into consideration.

[M A Ross]

09:52 AM on 05/14/2010

I agree...
I've always said that the only difference between a Republican and a Democratic homophobe is that at least the Republican will say it to your face and not hide it behind closed doors.

[whatthel]

02:57 PM on 05/13/2010

Florida AG Bill McCollum (GOP candidate for governor) paid this guy $120,000 to be an expert witness, to defend Florida's ban on gay people adopting.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/mccollum-requested-antigay-expert-now-embroiled-in-scandal-for-gay/1094157

[JFaye]

12:32 PM on 05/13/2010

If I were Rekers' attorney, the defense in a possible slander suit ... let's see .. RESEARCH; he was collecting research for a study on teabaggers.

[Apollonius]

03:02 PM on 05/13/2010

Now that's just funny!

[nimblehuman]

10:38 AM on 05/14/2010

Hahahahahaha, that's awesome, you just earned another fan!

[BoshSpong]

12:15 PM on 05/13/2010

Why is it that so many of these right wing "conservative" family values politicians reveal themselves to be involved in the very same activities that they so strenuously oppose?
What is sooo wrong with HONESTY?

A virtual slew of GOP luminaries: Ted Haggard, Mark Foley, Richard Curtis, Larry Graig - to name a tiny few of the horde of "offenders" - reveals a deeply troubling trend among the GOP - it makes one wonder..... Yet they continue on, are their supporters and abettors blind? yet after each "outing" the hypocritical GOP "morals and family values" continues on, blindly stumbling along..............

[roc-o-rama]

01:39 PM on 05/13/2010

The reason is "latent homosexuality" most of these bozo's were struggling with their homosexuality all their life. They believe it to be a "sin" and therefore speak loudly against it all the while secretly being involved in their so called "sinful" lifestyle, rather than just embracing it and coming out. It's pitiful to see these guys bashing gays and condemning them for something they do behind closed doors. But I guess we really wouldn't be human if we didn't possess hypocrisy. So if your hiding that your gay what better party to be affiliated with than the one that one that opposes giving equal rights to them. I'm not trying to defend this buffoon's actions just shedding some light on their apparent reasoning. Seems most of the strongest homophobes I've met in life were gay and just couldn't accept it.

[stonelaw]

03:03 PM on 05/13/2010

Not disagreeing with you at all in your assessment. I'd have problems writing it so clearly. But here's the chicken or the egg question: who came first in the ultra-right, anti-gay fringe (yea, a large fringe, at that) of the GOP? 1. those who are not gay, but hate them, or 2. those who are closet gays and are coming out so aggressively to condem other gays they can not admit to being themselves.

[Millie Lencioni]

11:45 AM on 05/13/2010

George Rekers is a pathetic human being. Even after being caught, he continues to lie and has hired an attorney for a potential slander case. If he is innocent of wrongdoing, I wonder why he hasn't hired this young man for his travels in the states. By going to Europe he thought he could get by unnoticed. You can't blame the young man, he was just doing the job he was hired to do. He had no idea Rekers was a huge hypocrite.

[General Armchair]

09:51 AM on 05/17/2010

The threat of slander case reminds me of Oscar Wilde. Rekers might want to look into how that all turned out for Wilde.

Is Rekers a Somdomite? Or merely posing as one?

[blueken]

09:57 AM on 05/13/2010

"Rekers has testified against gay adoption on behalf of the states of Florida and Arkansas, for which he was paid $120,000 by Florida and $60,000 by Arkansas -- the latter in a settlement following a two-year court battle after he billed Arkansas for $165,000" It's all about the money. It's always about the money with these bible thumping hate mongers. It's always about the money.

[CMarks]

06:21 PM on 05/13/2010

Actually Rekers billed Arkansas $200,000 because they failed to pay the first bill he added $35K for interest, late fees and penalty - settled in court he only received the $60K and even then the judge questioned the accuracy and reliability of the information Rekers provided the state.

[Carolyn LeBeauf]

09:49 AM on 05/13/2010

Rekers and all those so call anti-gays should just be honest with themselves.There is no law against being gay, so why the protesting. They are not honset enough with themselves to admit who they are, so they hate they ones who live their lifes with honesty. I say in a few months REKERS will be coming out with the truth after theorpy. I think it would help him if his cohort Tony Perkins would come out. No one can tell me Perkins is not a closet gay,

[Apollonius]

03:05 PM on 05/13/2010

Just so you know, there are still several states where there is a law against being gay. It's sad but true.

[SchmataHari]

09:35 AM on 05/13/2010

The real victims in this story are all the Red Caps, Sky Caps, Porters, and Bellhops. Tens of thousands worldwide whose sole purpose is to carry bags. You can't tell me that Mr. Rekers didn't know about them. A couple of bucks in tips per day is alot cheaper than rentboy and dinners. Oh and don't get me talking about all the poor masseuses out there..... Rekers isn't gay. Rekers is queer by the more traditional definition.

[Carpool Kathleen]

03:45 PM on 05/13/2010

I know. And what about the European economy? In addition to personal luggage lifters, are we going to start bringing our own cooks, dry cleaners and tour guides over with us? Like we really need to be MORE unpopular overseas??

[Americulchie]

03:52 AM on 05/16/2010

Whatever else he is he is not a cheapskate;a creep yes cheapskate no.