The other day, Cookie saw something on Politico, the pseudo news web site that gave Cookie cause for concern.
John Paulk, the former head of Exodus International, being featured in his first public feature - a self written piece - was telling the world what life for him has been like since he recanted his claims that reparative therapy works.
You see, much like an alcoholic needs a drink, Paulk needs to be the center of attention.
In undergraduate school when he and I would hang out together - and don't get me wrong, John was a lot of fun until you discovered the knife in your back - John was in vocal studies at The Ohio State University in vocal music. He is a performer.
He performed when he was in school.
He performed when he was a prostitute.
He performed when he morphed into "Candi" the drag queen (and wore his mothers clothing, without her knowledge) at the Ruby Slipper in Columbus.
He performed when he claimed to have discovered God.
He performed when he became the face of Exodus International and held sway over audiences at his forums.
He performed as "John Clint" in Mr. P's bar and grill in Washington DC when he was trying to hustle drinks from men.
And he performed when he was confronted by Wayne Beeson that night in the bar and lied about who he was.
And he tried to perform for James Dobson when confronted about his behavior.
But Dobson wasn't buying it.
Since his fall from grace, he's been performing on Oregon TV stations as "Chef John"; he is a restauranteur, still married and the father of two.
But it took him until last year, where in a short apology, he admitted that reparative therapy does not work, and that he identifies as a gay man. He also is a victim - the same type of victim as the others who was fooled by the intoxicating sirens call of redemption from homosexuality.
Now, in the Politico piece he is attempting to reform his image.
While he can be contrite, and claims that one cannot undo their sexual identity, the same is true of his pathology: you can not reform a manipulator.
Like a leopard never can change their spots, narcissist is what they are to their very marrow, and despite what they say, the narcissist does not change.
Cookie has never believed a word out of Paulk's mouth. To Cookie, Mary McCarthy's critique of Lillian Hellman applies to le Paulk.
But the gay community cannot afford to embrace John Paulk.
As Cookie wrote in 1998, "If the Christian right wing sleeps better at night safe in the comfort that people like John Paulk are there to defend their ideals and promote the "Exodus cure," then I would advise them to start sleeping with one eye open. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I predict that John Paulk will yet recreate himself again when this folly, like the ones before, runs its course."
While what he writes and what he says appear golden, never forget that his words coming out of his smiling face are nothing more than iron pyrite. John Paulk is of dubious value to anyone foolish enough to trust him.
And there have been people in the gay community who are willing to let bygones be bygones. To those who choose to trust Paulk on this latest caprice, Cookie warns you to sleep with one eye open. He has a way of swinging to and fro. His well documented track record if proof of that.
