BURLINGTON, Vt. – Truth Wins Out, a non-profit advocacy group that fights anti-LGBT extremism, announced Sunday that it plans to launch a defamation lawsuit against Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) as a result of PFOX President Greg Quinlan’s comments in a television interview where he claimed that TWO Executive Director, Wayne Besen, tried to have him murdered.
Quinlan, a lobbyist for the New Jersey Family Policy Council, appeared in an interview with Mark Segraves on WDCW-TV in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 7.
Throughout the show, “Quinlan distorts reality and flat out dissembles on several subjects, and fabricated an alleged hit on his life,” said Truth Wins Out, in a statement back on Nov. 23, after first becoming aware of the broadcast.
“We are preparing a lawsuit and PFOX will soon realize that this is no bluff,” said Besen. “PFOX will not be able to pray away this lawsuit any more than they can pray away the gay. The outcome of this disturbing matter will be settled in a court of law.”
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Truth Wins Out said it sent PFOX a letter last week giving them an opportunity to apologize for their “smear campaign.”
But instead of expressing regret for what Truth Wins Out called “false and misleading statements,” Quinlan lashed out with this response:
“Once I was able to stop laughing and realized that the letter wasn’t intended to be parody, I thought: Okay; Wayno wants a response to his list of comical demands? Here’s my formal response: Grow up.
[…]
So, Wayne, if you really feel you must waste money you could be using to bash ex-gays, bully Christian churchgoers and spread the lie that people who are trapped in unwanted homosexuality can never escape it, I say knock yourself out. We’re happy to countersue and expose the hundreds of smears you and TWO have lodged against me and other pro-family advocates. Smears that actually amount to defamation. Little man, I’m calling your bluff.”
Besen said that Quinlan’s “bizarre response” also defended his original character assassination, and falsely claimed that Besen was fired from the Human Rights Campaign, where he served as Deputy Director of Communications from 1998-2003.
In his repsonse, Quinlan said that Besen “blatantly mischaracterized” what was actually said on the program
“As for Quinlan’s clear statements being ‘mischaracterized,’ people can watch the show and see with their own eyes that Quinlan is being less than honest,” said Besen, in a statement. “I challenge Quinlan to a lie detector test to see who is telling the truth. I seriously doubt he is willing to take one, while I am.”
