Document text
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Chad McComas By Peter Buckley Oct 09, 2022 12:00 AM A A There is a good deal of pain involved in the removal of Chad McComas as executive director of the remarkable organization he co-founded, Rogue Retreat. For anyone who hasn’t followed this story, the Rogue Retreat board of directors let Chad go following issues being raised about possible discrimination against LGBTQIA+ individuals as well as significant financial challenges the organization is facing. The pain I’m referring to is definitely evident in the guest opinion piece that Chad recently wrote for the Mail Tribune. I believe our region owes Chad McComas a huge, huge debt of gratitude for his incredible work over the past 24 years to help hundreds and hundreds of our family members and neighbors revitalize their lives. It is possible to have entirely different beliefs on issues impacting equality yet still respect and feel tremendous gratitude for what Chad has accomplished and contributed. He has dedicated his life to helping others. That, to me, is the most important thing to know about him. On the issue of discrimination, it has been reported that Chad’s ministry, separate from Rogue Retreat, had connections in the past with a group promoting “conversion therapy.” I understand the horror that the LGBTQIA+ community feels over the issue of “conversion therapy.” It is based on an idea that I vehemently disagree with — that there is something inherently wrong with LGBTQIA+ people that needs to be “fixed.” I was very glad to be able to support the bill passed by the Legislature to ban conversion therapy in our mental/behavioral health system in Oregon while I was serving in Salem. I am extremely proud of and adore the LGBTQIA+ members of my family and have great respect for the many LGBTQIA+ friends and colleagues I have worked with throughout my lifetime. And I am also extremely grateful for everything Chad has done to help so many of our family members and neighbors over the years. The controversy over this issue — even though the investigation done by the city of Medford showed that conversion therapy was never part of the organization’s work and that Rogue Retreat never discriminated in any way — has clouded discussions over Rogue Retreat for months now. I’ve heard some funders expressed reluctance to continue to support Rogue Retreat due to the conversion therapy issue as well as financial issues. I don’t know the details of any of that, but my belief is that if Chad did expand Rogue Retreat’s work too quickly, he had only one motive to do so — to help get more people off the street and find ways to help them. We can passionately disagree on issues that are very important, and on LGBTQIA+ issues, I believe Chad and I do. But I also believe that Chad McComas is a good man. I wish him nothing but the best. And I hope that our region does everything possible to continue the vital work he has pioneered with Rogue Retreat, and that the revitalization of many more lives in the future will serve as Chad McComas’ legacy. Peter Buckley of Ashland is a former state representative from south Jackson County (2005-17).