These are interesting things to debate, and for a lot of them we will need to answer “we don’t know, and we agree to disagree on our tentative opinions.”
Here’s MY pet theory. God has raised up Phil for (at least) the purpose of giving America a true conundrum to puzzle over. Both liberal America and conservative America. He’s the cash cow of a screaming liberal set. He’s said the “unthinkable” before a huge audience and is standing firm. Whaddya do? Whaddya do?
I think here is an opportunity where Christian ministry can start to break another impasse: the impasse over actually HELPING homosexuals. Maybe the Robertsons may even play a role in this; and/or God may have others lined up. I’ve been telling folks till I am blue in the face (and maybe I should add it as a section to my Freep page): homosexuality should not be that difficult a challenge for Christendom. It’s a misdirection of inbuilt love capacity. If the sin is forgiven and the faculties that were involved are presented to God for sanctification, the problem WILL be worked out. By God. And we will get a new group of manly Christians. And they will make heterosexuals jealous to see this aspect of the Lord worked out in their own life. It will be all good, if we let God have His way again. And perhaps after getting thoroughly frustrated with the dead ends of evil, we will yield to God. I pray we will.
I certainly would ask the ex-gay set, and yes it exists today: beef up your faiths, and get out there and start making yourself visible and tell what God did for you. Because God will have your backs if you do. You might suffer, but even the sufferings will be blessings in disguise.
As for recovery from homosexuality being "not...that difficult a challenge for Christendom," recall that very often it is the result of open defiance of God--see Romans 1. So, that defiance is central, and generating a turnaround in those whose hearts are so set is anything but easy. But God is still on the throne.