A man who survived the attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando two years ago and later changed from homosexual to heterosexual says that the media coverage about the dangers of conversion therapy is "fake news."
Luis Javier Ruiz, who was at the LGBT nightclub when a gunman shot 49 people dead on June 12, 2016, has recently drawn headlines after he proclaimed that he has been "changed" and is no longer a homosexual.
Following the announcement, he drew criticism from social media users for his alleged support of gay conversion therapy.
In an interview with The Christian Post at the Freedom March last Saturday, Ruiz was asked what he thought of the media coverage about his decision to no longer identify as gay, along with reports highlighting the harms caused by conversion therapy.
"Honestly, I don't know what that is. I've never been through conversion therapy. I've been through Holy Spirit therapy. That's the only [kind] I know. All they are trying to do is, I think, it's lies. It's fake people and fake news," he replied.
The Freedom March, held at the National Mall in Washington D.C., was organized by Jeffrey McCall, who once worked as a gay male prostitute. The event featured some Christian speakers who shared their testimonies of how they left their homosexual lifestyles.
Ruiz opened his speech by kneeling down and asking forgiveness for the Church's exclusion of LGBT individuals in the past.
"I come as a pastor's child to ask forgiveness of the Church. Because we have kicked out, we have thrown [LGBTQ persons] out, including myself, and I want to ask [for] forgiveness, and I want to welcome the LGBTQ, I want to welcome anybody to come into the Church, to come worship in a safe place," he said.
Ruiz said that the shooting incident at Pulse was one of the scariest events of his life and noted that he had lost many friends in the massacre.
He later explained that the people displaying signs that express hatred for homosexuals are "not us."
"We love, and the same love that Jesus gave us when He forgives us on the cross, He also does the same for anybody," he added.
Ruiz further stressed that people who took part in the march are proclaiming their freedom not just from homosexuality, but all kinds of sins.
He went on to pray to God to raise up men and women who would boldly proclaim the teachings of Christianity without compromising or watering it down. He also prayed that a revival would soon take place in Washington, D.C.
