Amazon recently announced that they are allowing scholar Ryan Anderson’s book When Harry Became Sally, which is critical of transgender ideology, to be sold on its platform, after censoring it for years.
It seems it’s a result of Trump’s re-election and the shifting ideological winds. But the online retail giant continues to censor books, under its politically correct policy.
As a pastor and a Christian who has walked a path from identifying as “gay Christian” to living faithfully as God desires, I’m troubled by the ongoing censorship of Christian ex-LGBT testimonies like mine in the digital public square. My journey is one of transformation and redemption, marked by a deep conviction that homosexual desires and behaviors are sinful, which then led to repentance and eventual marriage to my wife, who was identified as queer when we first married. Our marriage, an act of faith, has endured for 19 years, and we have found strength and guidance in the church that loved us as we sought God’s truth.
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As I grew in my knowledge of God, I came to realize the traumas and lies I believed as a child. The truth of God’s Word broke those lies and brought healing to my broken heart — He set me free from the shame of being “less than” other men. At the same time, growing in intimacy with my wife, and in brotherly affection for my male friends, I found romantic and sexual desires for men disappeared.
In 2017, I became president of Voice of the Voiceless, a nonprofit organization and ministry dedicated to amplifying the voices and testimonies of formerly LGBT-identifying individuals and advocating for their rights in the public domain.
Despite President Donald Trump’s latest great moves such as the appointment of Attorney General Pam Bondi (and her subsequent announcement of a task force exploring anti-Christian bias) and the restoration of Anderson’s book to Amazon’s platform, LGBT activists still maintain their grip on the cultural discourse and many platforms. The exclusion of the ex-LGBT community and our testimonies is not just a matter of oversight; it is a direct affront to the principles of diversity and inclusion that these platforms purport to uphold. It was the work of a single homosexual activist on change.org to appeal to Amazon to delete the books of those who left the LGBT identity and life behind, even though he admitted that he never read them. A campaign that I ran in response to this to have our books restored was met with silence, highlighting the hypocrisy of those who preach inclusion but practice exclusion when it comes to voices like ours.
And despite Mark Zuckerberg’s recent pivot, our organization’s social media accounts are still gone. Meta deleted our Voice of the Voiceless Instagram account in June of 2023 after we started sharing testimonies from the ex-LGBT community, including detransitioners who were restored to their biological sex through faith in Jesus. Meta also deleted Restored Hope Network’s page, a network of Christian ministries that disciple those individuals and their families touched by an LGBT past. Many more have gotten the axe and haven’t been restored.
This issue transcends mere censorship; it is a matter of religious liberty and freedom of speech. The ability to share our testimonies and lived experiences with Jesus Christ is integral to our faith and our mission as Christians to evangelize and disciple and is protected by the Civil Rights Act and the First Amendment. By silencing our stories, our books, and our community, these platforms are not only stifling our voices but also undermining our civil rights as well as the fabric of religious freedom in this country.
If our voices can be silenced, it sets a dangerous precedent for the censorship of all Christian testimonies. The selective restoration of certain Christian books while others remain banned is a clear indication of a biased agenda that seeks to marginalize and invalidate our experiences.
True diversity and inclusion mean embracing all voices, even those that challenge popular narratives. Our stories of transformation and redemption through faith in Jesus Christ are powerful testaments to the work of God’s grace in our lives and hope to those seeking freedom in Christ. They deserve to be heard and shared, not hidden away, ignored, censored or shadowbanned.
We must hold online platforms like Amazon, Meta, and others accountable for their actions of discrimination to ensure that the principles of diversity and inclusion are applied fairly and consistently.
Daren Mehl is President of Voice of the Voiceless, a 501c3 ministry amplifying the ex-LGBT Christian testimony in the public square. Daren once lived as a “gay Christian” but has been set free by Jesus. He has been married to his wife Rhoda for 19 years and has two children. Daren and Rhoda have been called to Christian ministry full time. Daren is a Pastor at Warroad Community Church, Co-Founder of Made Free Ministries, Associate Director of Agape First Ministries, on the Board of Association of Christians in Health and Human Services, Operations Manager for The Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity, and a frequent guest or keynote speaker at churches and conferences. Daren has written a 12 Session Study Guide called “From Conformed to Transformed” exploring his testimony and 4 distinct doctrines related to LGBT. Daren can be reached at https://linktr.ee/darenmehl.
