Brokeback Mountain Brokenness

This is a difficult article to write as I have lived my own version of Brokeback Mountain. It was in 1982. It was mischievous, deceptive, sinfully alluring, shameful, painful and not without huge consequences to my life and also for the man with whom I was involved. Our families were deeply hurt and continue to deal with the shame of our choices from over 24 years ago. Therefore, I am compelled to speak up about this movie, because it does not have to be this way; there is another WAY.

“Brokeback Mountain Brokenness” leaves lives devastated. This movie reveals only a part of the devastation. It did not reveal the painful rippling effects homosexuality has on the immediate and extended family. Hollywood wants people to forget this fact and focus on a love affair.

The movie is set in Wyoming and Texas and is about two sheepherding ranch hands that fall into a homosexual affair. The two men are married with children. The affair continues on and off for several years. The movie reveals only a little of the broken-hearted wife questioning her husband about his fishing trips with his friend. They are caught in their activity. This movie does not do a good job of telling the real story. Brokeback Mountain is hailed by Hollywood as a great movie! Hollywood awards the movie with accolades of wonder and astonishment with 4 Golden Globes, followed by 3 Academy Awards.1 These awarding bodies are giving honor to men who embrace sodomy and turn their backs against mainstream America; awarding men who betray their wives and children, as noted by actor George Clooney, who said at the Academy Awards, “I am proud to be out of step with this great community” (paraphrase). Clooney was referring to Brokeback Mountain and gave his whole-hearted approval as one who carries a great deal of influence.

Would God give this movie any awards? Should the Christian give this movie any awards? Will you award this movie by paying to see it or renting the newly released DVD? If you have not seen the movie, please don’t. If you feel you need to know about the story line and content of this movie you can read enough on the internet. As devoted Christians, can we not make better use of our time? I thought I would need to see the movie to speak and write about it. I received some cautions, but what really turned me away from watching the movie was when the Lord reminded me of my own past. He reminded me about how He feels about homosexuality. The nine months I was involved with a married man caused me to endure an ulcer. The pain continued, because several years later, our sin caused family members great shame. Homosexuality insults the Creator of sexuality and relationship. So, with the Lord’s reminder, I don’t want to see the movie at all, and I don’t need to see the movie. Movies catering to homosexuality propagate wounding and deception to those surrounding the issue, especially those who have actually struggled with this activity. Anyone who has struggled with homosexuality cannot benefit from seeing this movie.

Hollywood and the gay community are incensed by and totally intolerant of the fact that there are people who actually want to change their homosexuality. Ironically, the idea of someone undergoing gender reassignment through the excessive and dangerous path of surgery is embraced, even promoted, by Hollywood. Yet people who desire to change from homosexuality to heterosexuality are consistently mocked, especially if it is because of a relationship with Christ. First Stone Ministries has experienced this ridicule being on the frontlines of ministry.

A byproduct of Hollywood’s own brokenness is the acclimation of the masses to the idea that homosexuality is an alternate lifestyle that should be embraced, that even the “Marlboro-man” or the sheepherder can be gay; thus sowing deeper doubts into many wives’ hearts who are already untrusting of their husbands. “Anyone and everyone can be gay!” is their message. “Anyone and everyone who is insecure in their sexuality should question the ‘heterosexual dominance’ (the new term now used in psychology) of our culture” is the modern psychologists’ plea. Satan’s message has always been, “try it, you might like it.” The subtleness of this message brings further destruction by propagating deception into the family unit. This should be a stark wake-up call to the Church; we must understand that there are men and women who are secretly struggling with their sexual identity. They are in pain, they are in your church and they need the kindness of God that leads to turning away from this brokenness. They need hope.

We shouldn’t forget the end of this story; two men who are disillusioned by the brokenness of their attraction to one another and live life deceptively as secret unhappy lovers. The story ends in loneliness, despair and shattered families. My own journey with a married man left me feeling used and abused as he was 10 years my senior and I was naively young. Hollywood is giving the public a very distorted view of homosexual “love”. I have been there, done that and will never go back. There is a different message! Men who have lived this Brokeback Mountain experience can find freedom from the place of despair. There really is hope for change; you just have to really WANT it.

This kind of story is being lived out all over the world. It is in the secret lives of men who are struggling with homosexuality. However, this secret lifestyle is not because of societies’ pressures of “something withheld”, as Hollywood or gay activists would have you believe. Very simply, homosexuality is morally wrong, it is a broken identity, and it is demeaning. Homosexuality is a distortion of God’s divine intention for sexuality. I can totally relate; I have lived in this brokenness. I truly sympathize and offer compassionate hope. Gay activists, their sympathizers and modern day psychologists tell us this struggle is due to the “oppression” of “heterosexual dominance”, communicating that the men in this film were somehow “oppressed by the cultural status quo.” They want us to believe that this “oppression” caused their unhappiness. This “oppression” was communicated at the Academy Awards and the so-called “good difference Brokeback Mountain brings.”

Thank God that there is still a Judeo-Christian influence left in the world which prevents the wholesale embrace of homosexuality and sexual perversions of every sort. How long will this last? With the erosion of the family and godly character, the end could be sooner than expected. The divorce rate among evangelicals is over 50% which is devastating our children. Fathers are busier than ever! Families are divided in the American pursuit. Our neighbors to the north, in Canada, now have laws restricting free speech about homosexuality; interpreting it as “hate speech.” We need a real revival of ongoing consecrated prayer; discipling godly character that produces good and lasting fruit in all our lives. We need accountability, honesty, integrity and vulnerability in our relationships, in our homes and in the Church. We need a powerful visitation of the Holy Spirit to STAY BACK the lies of Satan; his lies are instilling gender deception and confusion in the hearts of little boys and girls, causing them to believe this satanic lie that they are “gay.” Many elementary students now understand “being gay” and are adapting to homosexuality as normal. The Church at large must be equipped to minister and give the transforming power of Jesus Christ to serve those who are coming from shattered families, homes that are giving way to this “Brokeback Mountain Brokenness”. There is hope. Thousands have made an exodus from homosexuality and they are in the local church. They are walking in freedom.

You may not like the movie Brokeback Mountain, I certainly don’t. I abhor the message given by well-meaning, educated people who are brokenly deceived, once more, attempting to socially engineer the USA and world to homosexual acceptance. The director of this movie, Ang Lee, was very proud to present this deceptive, false hope. Homosexuality strikes at the heart of God’s Creation. I grieve as I hear these deceived ones trying to redefine marriage, when so many have found lasting freedom from homosexuality. Yet, we must remain contrite and compassionate for those struggling and in great need of support. I will not forget those who are in deception as I was 24 years ago. I will not forget the broken, molested children who have now grown up into sexual brokenness, because the only way out of this darkness is by God’s grace. Are you ready to make a difference? It begins with the Church of Jesus Christ. It begins with you and me. It starts within our own hearts and our own walk of integrity. We must, once again, be the salt of the world and reveal God’s extravagant love which transforms the hearts of broken lives through bringing His gospel.

Many concerned family members contact our ministry for help. They ask, “how can we stop this title-wave? How can I help my loved one?” Several have told me that they are angry with this onslaught of sexual brokenness and Hollywood’s propaganda. I have to ask, “Are you making moral compromises in your life? Are you telling gay jokes, Brokeback Mountain jokes and laughing at the expense of broken lives? Are you watching movies no one should watch and calling it your own private “adult” time? Do you justify it just because it’s a heterosexual movie? Does your life reveal godly character and love, or at least the humility to say “I am wrong”? OR… Does your life reveal compromises before the on-looking eyes of those who secretly struggle, deeply wounding their trust?” It begins with us living a godly life, giving hope to those who are in deception. It begins with us stopping the judgment–the homophobia–and instead, giving God’s loving grace and hope. It begins with our own integrity–being holy in our private world. This is not about giving the homosexual a church, a religion, a bible and a lecture, but hope through holy relating; hurting people long for healthy relating. We will see the end of this brokenness as we personally pursue Jesus Christ, who is Love, and manifest Him through holy relating. Manifesting Him, the Christ, in honesty and integrity to those who are longing for real intimacy. God help us all!

Stephen Black is an ordained minister and has been ministering to people leaving homosexuality since 1984. He served on staff with First Stone Ministries from August 1993 to July 2023. For twenty of those years, he served as Executive Director.