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You are here: Home > Forum > A Place of Safety > General Talk > THIS is why America is so hateful...........
icon8.gif THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24821] Wed, 22 June 2005 00:46 Go to next message
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Bush Renews Call for Federal Anti-Gay Amendment
by Paul Johnson 365Gay.com Washington Bureau Chief

Posted: June 21, 2005 5:00 pm ET







(Nashville, Tennessee) President Bush called on Congress Tuesday to pick up the pace and pass a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

Addressing 11-thousand delegates at the annual Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, Bush praised the denomination for its strong "family values" and support for the amendment.

"Building a more compassionate society starts with preserving the source of compassion - the family," Bush told the convention.

"Strong families teach children to live moral lives and help us pass down the values that define a caring society. And Southern Baptists are practicing compassion by defending the family and the sacred institution of marriage. Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be re-defined by local officials and activist judges. For the good of families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage."

A proposed amendment failed last year in Congress, but was reintroduced this year. (story)

Bush also chastised Democrats for attempting to hold up Bush's judicial nominees.

"And for the good of our legal system, I will also continue to nominate federal judges who faithfully interpret the law and do not legislate from the bench," the President said.

"Every judicial nominee deserves an up or down vote on the floor of the United States Senate, and I thank you for your strong support of the fair-minded jurists I have named to the federal courts."

Bush also told the convention he wants legislation that would allow faith-based groups that receive federal money to be able to restrict workers to those only who adhere to the tenants of that faith. Such a proposal would allow groups to fire gays from jobs such as soup kitchens, HIV/AIDS outreach programs, or thrift stores that are run by churches.

"Because faith-based groups should never have to forfeit their religious liberty to get federal dollars - and that's an important concept -- we want your help, we want your love, but at the same time, you do not have to forget the mission of faith or ignore the mission of faith that calls you to action in the first place."
It was the fourth time the president has addressed the convention, which boasts more than 16-million members and more than 43-thousand churches.

The conservative Southern Baptists heavily supported the president in last year's election.

Among the motions to be discussed at this week's convention is one urging members to take their children out of schools deemed too tolerant of homosexuality. (story)
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24822 is a reply to message #24821] Wed, 22 June 2005 02:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JFR is currently offline  JFR

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The land of the free and the home of the brave?

What arrant nonsense!

America sucks. Oooooops, apparently not! Very Happy



The paradox has often been noted that the United States, founded in secularism, is now the most religiose country in Christendom, while England, with an established church headed by its constitutional monarch, is among the least. (Richard Dawkins, 2006)
icon9.gif I am so saddened...  [message #24829 is a reply to message #24822] Wed, 22 June 2005 14:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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This is what the leader of my country, which i love, is parading around and preaching???

We have one group saying there is supposed to be a separation of Church and State, and yet he is preaching to the very same, most conservative (read bigoted and homophobic) groups in this country. This is way past sad... it is just incredibly heretical and such nonsense.

When I have talked to "conservative, right-wing Christians" one-on-one, I have almost always had a very good, kind, loving conversation. However, it seems when they get together in droves, they spew hatred, anger, and homophobia. All this from a group of people who follow Jesus, the most loving, kind, and non-homophobic of all people? What happened to demonstrating the qualities of Jesus Himself??? Guess that doesn't matter, does it?

As a side note, Jesus never ever spoke against or mentioned homosexuality in the recorded Bible. The number one thing he spoke against was heresy. The top subject when he spoke was money and the abuse of it.

Are these people really afraid of us? Do they think we are going to really corrupt their kids? How can the blind lead the blind so continually??? Why don't these 'christian' groups and people try to reach out to us? Love us. Be our friends? Because they are afraid of doing what Jesus told them to do. Love. Not judge. Embrace diversity.

Those of you who know of me know I graduated from a conservative bible college, and i apologize for my soap boxing. It is just that this hits me hard, because I totally left organized religion and its abuses when i came out. They told me i was tricked, perplexed, and deceived. Little do they know.

I have never been happier in my 43 years of living... and I am truly at peace. Thank God I was able to accept that I am gay.

Thanks for reading all this.

Hugs,
BamBam

P.S. ... and for what it is worth... I still miss Grasshopper!!!!!!!! LOL !!!!!! HUGE HUGS to him wherever he is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Celebrate your life... embrace your love... Become intimate with your place in forever !!!
icon8.gif Re: I am so saddened...  [message #24830 is a reply to message #24829] Wed, 22 June 2005 15:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Dear Bambam

AND it gets worse........Read this:http://www.myspace.com/specialkid

THIS is exactly why other nation's in the free world think that we are no better than places like Afganistan or Iraq or places similiar.

We have the "Tali-Baptists!"

They make me puke, the miserable pricks.............>Sad
Possible good news  [message #24866 is a reply to message #24830] Fri, 24 June 2005 01:23 Go to previous messageGo to next message
E.J. is currently offline  E.J.

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Tennessee investigates ex-gay camp
Teen's blog leads to outcry, charges of abuse at unlicensed facility
By EARTHA MELZER | Jun 23, 1:53 PM
Washington Blade

The state of Tennessee has begun an investigation in response to allegations of child abuse at Love in Action, a Memphis facility that advertises homosexual conversion therapy for adolescents, according to the state department of health.

K. Daniele Edwards, a spokesperson for Child Services at the Tennessee Department of Health, confirmed an investigation is underway but declined to comment on the details. She noted that she presumes the Love in Action program would require licensing by the state.

Gay activists protested outside an unlicensed 'ex-gay' facility run by Love In Action, which Tennessee officials are investigating to see if teens are being mistreated.

Love in Action is not licensed by the Tennessee Departments of Health, Mental Health, Human Services, Child Services or Education, according to Rachel Lassiter of Gov. Phil Bredesen's communications office.

Refuge, Love in Action's program for adolescents, became the focus of public concern earlier this month after a Bartlett, Tenn., teen who uses the blogger name Zach, posted online entries that say his parents had responded to his coming out as gay by sending him to a religious institution to be converted to heterosexuality.

"Emotional abuse is difficult to prove in the state of Tennessee," said Pamela Dickey, director of the advocacy center for Childhelp USA in Knoxville. "You have to document that the child is undergoing depression or suicidal ideation, that he can't sleep, or can't eat."

Officials from Love in Action had appealed for "tolerance" of their program at a June 16 news conference.

"It is our spiritual conviction that sexual behavior outside of heterosexual marriage is considered wrong in the sight of God," said John Smid, the program's director, who describes himself as "ex-gay," according to a partial transcript of the news conference.

"This program is operated on the will of the guardian or parent. We will work with the minor children as long as they are not overtly distracting to their own program or the program of others," Smid added. "If it is shown that the client is overtly treatment resistant, we will work with the parent towards alternative options for their care and overall relational health."

Blogger E.J. Friedman said that he had been corresponding with Zach via e-mail since March and became alarmed when he saw that Zach had begun to write that his world was coming to an end and that his parents were isolating him.

"When I saw Zach had written in his blog, 'all I can think of is killing my mother and killing myself' I felt that clearly something needed to be said about the program," Friedman said.

No word from teen

Word of Zach's situation quickly spread around the blogosphere. By press time, more than 1,000 messages of support had been posted to Zach's blog and an online petition demanded that he be released from Love in Action. Comedian Margaret Cho contributed a message of support.

But Zach has not posted to his blog since the first week in June and sources contacted by the Blade would not confirm Zach's full name. His parents also could not be identified.

Morgan Fox, 25, who said he was a friend of Zach's, said he believed Zach was in a two-week Refuge program.

Meanwhile, a group called the Queer Action Coalition has begun daily demonstrations in front of Love in Action offices to raise awareness of the dangers of "ex-gay" therapy.

Look for complete coverage of this story in this Friday's print and online edition.

© 2005 | A Window Media Publication



(\\__/) And if you don't believe The sun will rise
(='.'=) Stand alone and greet The coming night
(")_(") In the last remaining light. (C. Cornell)
Re: Possible good news  [message #24867 is a reply to message #24866] Fri, 24 June 2005 01:44 Go to previous messageGo to next message
NW is currently offline  NW

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E.J.
thanks so much for posting that.

Although it looks as though Zach himself is probably still in the hands of the evil-doers, it's a relief to know that an investigation has been started, which may end in the closure of the Love-in-action camp and therefore save other kids.

It would be nice to think that this action was genuine concern by the authorities, but I rather suspect that the high level of lobbying to the press, the ACLU, and to state officials by concerned citizens from all over the US and beyond may have swayed their decision slightly !



"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. ... Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night devoid of stars." Martin Luther King
Re: Possible good news  [message #24870 is a reply to message #24867] Fri, 24 June 2005 05:50 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Well, isn't THAT interesting.........It seems as though young Zach's MySpace account was deleted. Gee, I wonder why? I'll bet his parents forced him to do that or a lawyer for them or the Ex-Gay Ministry threatened to sue.

How fucking typical.........WHAT A CROCK!>Sad
Re: Possible good news / Zach / QAC  [message #24872 is a reply to message #24870] Fri, 24 June 2005 09:10 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Zach's original blog is actually still up (but for how much longer no-one knows, of course). At least, I could still access it at 1000h (UK time) today - it remains unchanged with a last entry of 3rd June, although the number of comments has grown to nearly 1300.

But myspace have been doing maintenance work for the past few days on the 'profiles' section of the site, and several people have had difficulty with their blogs: error message of "Invalid Friend ID. / This user has either cancelled their membership, or their acccount has been deleted." I;'m guessing this is what has been happening when people have tried to access Zach's blog recently.

A couple of the supporting sites are down - or at least, I can't get them, but the Queer Action Coalition (http://fightinghomophobia.blogspot.com/) is still going strong. Public protest called again for coming Monday 27th June. (And QAC are now accepting PayPal donations).



"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. ... Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night devoid of stars." Martin Luther King
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24874 is a reply to message #24821] Fri, 24 June 2005 10:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Don't let this begin a paranoia storm....

Firswtly, is there any evidence that this Zach is actually real?
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24875 is a reply to message #24874] Fri, 24 June 2005 11:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
NW is currently offline  NW

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Marc wrote:
> Don't let this begin a paranoia storm....
>
> Firswtly, is there any evidence that this Zach is actually real?

A question I've considered. And I don't think that it's possible for those of us who live at a distance of several thousand miles to state categorically that he is - especially given the understandable need for privacy / confidentiality for someone in his (apparent) position.

BUT available evidence does lead me to believe that he is real:

- his blog has a number of entries documenting his progress, and there are messages of support from other bloggers who claim to know Zach in real life. (All these could of course be faked by one person).

- The links on the Queer Action Coalition site to performances by a former Ex-Love in Action "client" check out with his website, and with the Memphis Media Co-Op site.

- The protests appear to be very genuine - links to WMCTV check out, and have stories on the protests. If "Zach" was NOT real, I would certainly have expected spokespeople for Love In Action to point this out strongly, as it would clearly very much discredit the protesters. LIA have not done so.

- People I know who have written to the ACLU & state officials etc have not - so far- recieved denials of Zach's existence (but neither have they received confirmation: the matter is 'being investigated').

None of which is completely definitive. But it's good enough for me to take it as real until something comes along to show otherwise.

NW



"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. ... Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night devoid of stars." Martin Luther King
Re: Possible good news  [message #24876 is a reply to message #24870] Fri, 24 June 2005 12:17 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Myspace.com has a reputation for being slightly more stable than VOY.com. His site was there when I tried....If you get an error message, just try back latter.

Latest page on the blog:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=7428306&blogid=29364299&page=25



(\\__/) And if you don't believe The sun will rise
(='.'=) Stand alone and greet The coming night
(")_(") In the last remaining light. (C. Cornell)
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24877 is a reply to message #24875] Fri, 24 June 2005 14:57 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Groups like The Queer Action Coalition tend to collect donations best when there is an "emergency issue" on the slate.

Emphasis on the donations and less as to solid facts tend to ring alarms for me.

If this is a bonifide service group then good for them, but if it is a gaggle of suedo do gooders making for themselves a job and promoting donations to provide an income for themselves then I am forced to raise at least one eyebrow.
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24878 is a reply to message #24877] Fri, 24 June 2005 15:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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http://awesomedude.com/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=9&sid=768c3d32f2fb0cf6a22b8582ff11f56a

There are 2 threads devoted to this ON TOP of which Tennessee Authorities are investigating. Marc, this kid is in fact real and that was verified by the press including the Washington Blade. Go take a look for yourself.
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24879 is a reply to message #24878] Fri, 24 June 2005 15:21 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Don't panic.....

The point I was making was that unless there is solid evidence to his existance there is room for doubt.

The link you provided has no validity in proving anything other than someone put that information on the net.

News papers are no indication of validity either unless they can produce the youth in corporial form.
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24880 is a reply to message #24879] Fri, 24 June 2005 15:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Marc wrote:
> Don't panic.....
>
> The point I was making was that unless there is solid evidence to his existance there is room for doubt.
>
> The link you provided has no validity in proving anything other than someone put that information on the net.
>
> News papers are no indication of validity either unless they can produce the youth in corporial form.

Of course there's room for doubt - there always is.

But the weight of the evidence seems to support the veracity of the claims. And I think you overstate your case a bit when you require the youth to be produced in evidence: after all, I do not seriously doubt that a number of (possibly innocent) people are being held in Guantanamo Bay, but no newspaper (or in some cases Consulate / Embassy, even) has been able to produce them in evidence!
And yes: I do see the situations as exactly analogous - people incarcerated without justification or access to legal representation, on a "might-is-right" basis by those who claim a spurious moral authority.




"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. ... Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night devoid of stars." Martin Luther King
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24881 is a reply to message #24880] Fri, 24 June 2005 15:56 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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The weight of the allegations prove nothing more than there are alot of people who get drawn into these webs.

The alegations are by no means proof to an end.

But all that is neither here nor there.... because there will seldom if ever be any proof provided and this issue will slip away into oblivion just as the throng of issues previously encountered.

If the state closes this facility another will be opened within the week... you can bet the farm on that...

As long as there are parents with religion then there will be places like this.

Also, as long as there are places like this there will be people waiting to wring profits for themselves from unwitting, suedo caring individuals with too much spare change in their wallets.
Oh.... and one more thing........  [message #24882 is a reply to message #24881] Fri, 24 June 2005 16:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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The parents would be as adamant on a cure if the teen opted to convert to Judaism or Islam.

See....... It is NOT a gay thing...... It's a GOD thing...... and the control the church has on it's followers.
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24883 is a reply to message #24879] Fri, 24 June 2005 18:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
timmy

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Wholly valid points. What I hope is, in a way, that he does not exist, because what is happening is shameful if true

If he is real then it appears that his is "the property of his parents" and they can have him "treated" in any way they see fit.

In either case there is an investigation.



Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24888 is a reply to message #24883] Fri, 24 June 2005 19:26 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Make no mistake...... It does happen......

Sometimes in the name of God......

Sometimes even by judicial mandate......

Whether This boy is real no not.....

It happens
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24889 is a reply to message #24888] Fri, 24 June 2005 19:28 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Oh and this assessment is based on experience not internet based conjecture.
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24891 is a reply to message #24889] Fri, 24 June 2005 23:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Marc~ NOT everything is loosely based on conjecture or Internet gossip and rumors. The problem with this child, aside from the fact that he is either real or not, is that this is a PRIME example of the knee jerk reactions of the Tali-Baptists and other "fundies" that have polluted the airwaves, the pulpits, the press, and the politics of this nation since that jackass got elected, (or selected) back in 2000.

This stains our culture and makes it seem as though we as a nation are no better off than the Religious Crazies in the middle east.

I choose to believe that "Zach" is real, all evidence may be to the contrary but, hey............
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24892 is a reply to message #24877] Fri, 24 June 2005 23:29 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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The Queer Action Coalition was formed specifically to organize protests about Zach, supposeedly by friends of Zach.

Marc, I'm wondering what would satisfy you as proof of Zach's existence?



(\\__/) And if you don't believe The sun will rise
(='.'=) Stand alone and greet The coming night
(")_(") In the last remaining light. (C. Cornell)
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24896 is a reply to message #24891] Sat, 25 June 2005 00:13 Go to previous messageGo to next message
marc is currently offline  marc

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Ahhh.... Now this is something I can sink my teeth into....

We don't "seem" to be no better than the states of the niddle east.... We are far worse....

They only want to be left alone without western influence foisted into their culture.

That is all they ever wanted.....

We however seem hell bent to make the world march to the beat of our drum.

Wether they want it or not....

Also,,,, The problem this youth faces is not a new idea.... It has been happening for a very very long time....

Long before GW Bush was a dribble on his daddy's sheet.



Life is great for me... Most of the time... But then I meet people online... Very few are real friends... Many say they are but know nothing of what it means... Some say they are, but are so shallow...
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24897 is a reply to message #24892] Sat, 25 June 2005 00:22 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Well like I said previously....

Produce him.... Expose his family....

Otherwise it is just another case of a group that collects money (there are several donation links scattered about the entire QAC network) without a clear indication as to where it is actually going.

If he needs legal defense there is the ACLU.... If he is in physical danger then there is the Child Protective Services in his home state. If I took the time to think further on the subject reguarding judicial intervention either on the state or federal level I am sure I could find a few more examples of help for him.

So where is this money going?



Life is great for me... Most of the time... But then I meet people online... Very few are real friends... Many say they are but know nothing of what it means... Some say they are, but are so shallow...
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24900 is a reply to message #24897] Sat, 25 June 2005 04:05 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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Marc~

Even if "producing" Zach was an option, which at this point most likely isn't. The main drive and focus here is to cast light on the repressive and neo-facist ways of the far right. THIS is why other civilized nations view us with such disgust.

Then too........Marc? THE POINT, my fellow countryman, is to make as much noise as possible, bang the gong as loudly as needed to wake up what President Richard Nixon once referred to as; "The Silent Majority."

Change, progress, whatever you wish to label it only comes at great cost and greater effort by the populace to effect it. IF, even one thin dime was used to contribute to that effort, Marc? I am all for it.
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24901 is a reply to message #24900] Sat, 25 June 2005 04:12 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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And furthermore.......This is from the Associated Press................
(Memphis, Tennessee) Tennessee is investigating an abuse complaint against a therapy group in Memphis that claims to turn gay teens into heterosexuals.

The Department of Children's Services says it received a complaint about Love in Action, which runs an outpatient therapy program. The complaint was screened and enough substance was found to open an investigation, state officials said.

All other details are confidential and the state can't specify the nature of the complaint or investigation, K. Danielle Edwards, a DCS spokeswoman, said yesterday.

Love in Action, which runs a program for children and teens called Refuge, said the investigation is without merit and was filed anonymously by someone with little knowledge of the program.

"The Internet accusations on holding kids without their permission ... and the other crazy allegations are ridiculous," said John Smid, the group's executive director.

The group's work has been the focus of protest by gay advocacy groups, who say it is dangerous and irresponsible to engage in so-called ex-gay therapy.

Earlier this month, a Web logger going by the name of "Zach" said his parents were sending him to a religious organization that would try to convert him to heterosexuality.

The teen identified himself as a 16-year-old from Bartlett, Tenn., and said his parents "tell me that there is something psychologically wrong with me. ... I'm a big screwup to them, who isn't on the path God wants me to be on. So I'm sitting here in tears ... and I can't help it."

Edwards said DCS can't say if its investigation is related to that boy's situation, or even specify when the complaint was filed.

But Smid says it is connected. He said the accusation was probably filed by someone who read the blog and used it "as a foundation to stir up a bunch of stuff."

"The doors are not locked down and the kids are not required to be here, and they come here with their parents," Smid said.

The Web site for Refuge states it offers programs ranging from two to six weeks. The group says it "is a ministry designed to be a safe place for young people and their families to find true freedom from addictions through the power of Jesus Christ."

It says it can fix "addictive behaviors" such as pornography, drugs, sexual promiscuity and homosexuality.

The cost runs from $1,500 to $4,000, the Web site says.

©Associated Press 2005
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24906 is a reply to message #24901] Sat, 25 June 2005 09:39 Go to previous messageGo to next message
marc is currently offline  marc

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Well,

I never doubted the existance of the "love in action" program.....

What I do doubt however is the validity of the "Queer Action Coalition" along with their motives. The QAC website is designed to cause unwitting suedo-dogooders to open their wallets and pour forth donations.

Nothing more.

It is the QAC that I have a problem with....



Life is great for me... Most of the time... But then I meet people online... Very few are real friends... Many say they are but know nothing of what it means... Some say they are, but are so shallow...
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24907 is a reply to message #24906] Sat, 25 June 2005 10:23 Go to previous messageGo to next message
timmy

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It took me a while to find the site at http://www.qaconline.org/

What do you see that is harmful or sneaky here? I am as big a cynic as you, but I can't spot it



Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24908 is a reply to message #24907] Sat, 25 June 2005 14:39 Go to previous messageGo to next message
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I too went and looked at the website for those folks and one of the things that leaped out at me was the disclaimer that they are not a 501(c) or other type of Not-for-Profit org. and that any contributions will not be tax deductible. The other thing that struck me is that they are a start up Activist Group, which means that "growing pains" are going to occurr as they get better organized.

Sometimes one needs to consider that even older and better established org's like say HRC or Lambda Defense all got their start in much the same way as a grass roots effort founded and propelled by the events of their time which caused their creation. I for one, am inclined to give these folks the benefit of the doubt until they prove otherwise.

Marc~ My primary concern is getting the word out and as far as I am concerned, the more the merrier. Sometimes it takes grass roots groups like QAC to get the ball in motion.

Money and funding is ALWAYS an issue, even with long established PAC's and orgs, I do not see this as any different. But at the very least, sure, if they are legit, then I would imagine that they are quite willing to disclose certain facts, maybe all it would take is some carefully crafted emails expressing that. In the meanwhile..........let's wait and see before we pass judgement.
Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24909 is a reply to message #1119735163] Sat, 25 June 2005 21:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
timmy

Has no life at all
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13780



I have no knowledge of it, nor of its activities. But what you allege, unless you can back it by facts, is a libel.



Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
icon4.gif Re: THIS is why America is so hateful...........  [message #24910 is a reply to message #24909] Sat, 25 June 2005 21:55 Go to previous messageGo to next message
timmy

Has no life at all
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13780



Back the allegations with facts. I will not allow the messages to remain otherwise



Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
I suppose that I should not have expected a different result  [message #24960 is a reply to message #24866] Tue, 28 June 2005 12:11 Go to previous messageGo to next message
E.J. is currently offline  E.J.

Really getting into it
Location: U.S.
Registered: August 2003
Messages: 565



Investigation Into Ex-Gay Camp Ends
by The Associated Press

(Memphis, Tennessee) The state of Tennessee said Monday it has found no evidence to support child abuse allegations against a Christian group that tries to "convert" gay teens to heterosexuality.

The group, Love In Action International, says it believes that instilling strong Christian beliefs can keep gays from acting on their homosexual desires.

The group, which also works with adults, has a program called Refuge for teens 15 to 18 years old.

The state Department of Children's Services said last week that it was looking into a report of child abuse at the Refuge program. (story) The program drew protests earlier this month from homosexual advocacy groups.

"DCS dispatched its special investigations unit to the facility, and after conducting a full investigation, determined that the child abuse allegations were unfounded," said Rob Johnson, an agency spokesman.

John Smid, executive director of Love in Action, said the allegations were never described to him but he assumed they involved a complaint of psychological abuse.

The program, Smid said, "is to help kids to grow in their relationship with Christ."

"We understand people don't have control over what they feel, but we teach them they are able to control what they do," Smid said. "We don't have to act on those desires, even if we feel them."

The group's work has been the focus of protest by gay advocacy groups, who say it is dangerous and irresponsible to engage in so-called ex-gay therapy.

Earlier this month, a Web logger going by the name of "Zach" said his parents were sending him to a religious organization that would try to convert him to heterosexuality.

The teen identified himself as a 16-year-old from Bartlett, Tenn., and said his parents "tell me that there is something psychologically wrong with me. ... I'm a big screwup to them, who isn't on the path God wants me to be on. So I'm sitting here in tears ... and I can't help it."

The Department of Children's Services did not say whether it found "Zach" or if it determined he ever existed.

Love In Action is one of several so-called ex-gay organizations throughout the country.

The American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association both have said such therapy can be emotionally harmful, leading to depression and self-destructive behavior.

Smid described Refuge as a two-week program, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, in which teenagers meet with counselors and in group sessions to talk about their sexual desires.

"The parents bring them and take them home," he said. "We work with the parents also."

©Associated Pres 2005



(\\__/) And if you don't believe The sun will rise
(='.'=) Stand alone and greet The coming night
(")_(") In the last remaining light. (C. Cornell)
Re: I suppose that I should not have expected a different re  [message #25057 is a reply to message #24960] Fri, 01 July 2005 23:14 Go to previous messageGo to next message
John_W is currently offline  John_W

Getting started
Location: Wilmington NC
Registered: October 2004
Messages: 13



It ain't over yet!
http://www.washblade.com/2005/7-1/news/national/tenopen.cfm

[Text below added by editor}

NATIONAL NEWS

Tenn. opens new probe of ‘ex-gay’ facility
Experts say children should not be forced into counseling

By EARTHA MELZER
Friday, July 01, 2005

The state of Tennessee continues to probe Love in Action, the Memphis facility that has drawn protests since a 16-year-old known as “Zach” blogged that his parents were sending him there for treatment intended to change his sexual orientation.

The Tennessee Department of Health has sent a letter to Love in Action notifying the group that it is suspected of operating illegally, according to Andrea Turner, communications director for the department.

Turner said that if the program is strictly faith-based it would not require licensing by the state, but that according to the group’s Web site, Love in Action has licensed counselors and provides services related to alcohol and drug addiction on site.

“If this is the case, they are required to be licensed as a drug and alcohol treatment facility in Tennessee,” Turner said.

If employees there are providing counseling on homosexuality, it is possible that they are operating outside their area of expertise, Turner added.

Legislation giving the health department the authority to issue cease-and-desist orders to unlicensed alcohol and drug treatment facilities goes into effect July 1. Turner said that the health department is considering whether the Love in Action facility is causing harm.

Rachel Lassiter, of Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen’s communications office, said that the Department of Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities has also begun research on Love in Action and is writing a letter of inquiry to the facility to determine whether an official investigation is warranted.

Lassiter said that only licensed professionals should provide mental health care in Tennessee and that the state has an interest in making sure that whatever services are offered are beneficial.

Last week, the Department of Child Services investigated allegations of child abuse at the facility and determined that the allegations were unfounded.

Dr. Warren Throckmorton, a psychologist at faith-based Grove City College in Pennsylvania and a leading advocate for the view that sexual orientation can be changed, said that he believes that Love in Action is mixing ministry with treatment and that people can be damaged by sexual reorientation therapies offered by unprofessional practitioners.

Throckmorton emphasized that while a parent might compel a teen to attend church, a professional counselor is bound to obtain informed consent from a client and should not treat a minor solely because his parents are upset about his sexual orientation.

Love in Action advertises a therapeutic environment in which professional counselors help people overcome “addictive behaviors including homosexuality.”


Insurance covers ex-gays?
Throckmorton serves on the professional advisory board of Magellan, the country’s largest behavioral health insurance manager. Magellan handles behavioral health coverage for hundreds of health care plans and Medicaid.

This year, Magellan removed Throckmorton from his advisory role after critics expressed concerns about Throckmorton’s efforts to advance the idea that sexual reorientation counseling should be available to gays.

Magellan restored Throckmorton to his post after pressure from LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, a Christian products and services company based in Nashville. Throckmorton said that he believes the fact that he was reinstated means that Magellan would cover patients’ costs associated with sexual re-orientation therapy.

Although homosexuality is not an illness, Jack Dresher, chair of the American Psychiatric Association’s Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual issues Committee, said that he believes some counselors offer therapies intended to reorient gays and bill insurance companies with the diagnosis “sexual disorder not otherwise specified.”

It is not clear how widespread this practice is. Magellan could not provide statistics on how frequently people are diagnosed with “sexual disorder NOS.” Some providers, including Throckmorton, do not accept insurance, and therefore would not be subject to monitoring by managed health plans.

Throckmorton said that most people who seek reorientation counseling are referred to practitioners through Exodus International, an umbrella group for “ex-gay” projects.

There is no referral system that guides people to professionals that specialize in sexual reorientation counseling. No schools provide specialized training in this area and so it is outside the area of expertise for most professionals.

Sexual reorientation and reparative therapy counseling presents ethical, legal and regulatory challenges.

The idea that sexual orientation is changeable is advanced by conservative groups like Exodus International and Focus on the Family.

In “Calculated Compassion: How the Ex-Gay Movement Serves the Right’s Attack on Democracy,” Surina Khan writes that the ex-gay movement provides political cover for anti-gay campaigns by repackaging them in kinder, gentler terms and attempting to ally itself with religious groups.

“The ex-gay movement is an integral part of the Christian Right, which promotes Christian nationalism, an ideology that seeks to use government laws and regulations to impose fundamentalist Christian values on the entire nation.”

Indeed, money from James Dobson’s Focus on the Family has funded both Exodus and the Alliance Defense Fund, a leading legal group opposing recognition of gay relationships. In her 1998 report Khan points out that Robert Knight of the Family Research Council has characterized the beginning of a major ex-gay publicity campaign as “the Normandy landing in the larger cultural wars.”


Ex-gays backers oppose forced treatment
But not even those who support making sexual reorientation available to adults believe that it is right to coerce a minor into undergoing such treatment.

Dr. Mark Yarhouse is often cited by the ex-gay movement. Yarhouse runs the Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity at the religious Regent University in Virginia Beach. Yarhouse said that it is unethical to treat a minor against his or her will.

Arthur Goldberg is a board member of the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality and co-director of Jonah, a Jewish ministry that addresses unwanted same-sex attraction. Goldberg said, “We tell parents that unless someone is motivated to want to change, they are wasting their money.”

Shannon Mintner, a lawyer with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, has worked on hundreds of cases in which teens are forced into various types of treatment scenarios because their parents disapprove of their sexual orientation.

Mintner first became aware of this phenomenon when he was contacted by a teenage girl who had escaped from a psychiatric facility where she was undergoing forced treatment for lesbianism. Mintner was able to help the girl find an adoptive home with a San Francisco lesbian couple.

Mintner said that Love in Action’s attempt to reorient kids is unique only in that they are so open about what they are trying to do.

In 1995, Mintner was involved in a case in Memphis in which the group Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays helped a 16-year-old gay male seek emancipation from his parents because they were forcing him to attend reorientation counseling with a Memphis psychologist, Dr. Duff Wright, and planned to send him to either Love in Action, or another similar program.

Minter said that the Memphis Circuit Court judge agreed that the boy would be harmed by this treatment and indicated that he would sign the emancipation order. In a settlement agreement, the parents abandoned plans to send the boy to reorientation treatment.

In April, the Tennessee Department of Health permanently revoked Dr. Duff Wright’s license to practice as a psychologist, due to alleged ethics violations.

Mintner said that while he has been able to help young people on a case-by-case level, “What we have not yet been able to find a way to do is to develop a systemic response that would get at the heart of the issue.”

Discussion of Love in Action has permeated the Memphis media in recent weeks and Alex Polotsky of the Queer Action Coalition said that the group will continue its campaign of demonstrations against Love in Action.

“We want every person in America to know about this. No reasonable sane person would support this program,” he said.

Twenty-one-year-old J.M., who spoke on condition on anonymity, said that he was sent to Love in Action by his parents at the recommendation of a Christian counselor when he was 17.

“The place was like a Nazi camp. I lost faith in God, friends, family.”

J.M. said he is glad that Love in Action has come into the spotlight.

“I am optimistic for some point in the future, I’ve lived for brief periods in New York, New Jersey, Philly. They are not as close-minded about this; it is not as cruel,” he said.

[Updated on: Sat, 02 July 2005 09:47] by Moderator




John
Re: I suppose that I should not have expected a different re  [message #25058 is a reply to message #25057] Fri, 01 July 2005 23:28 Go to previous message
NW is currently offline  NW

On fire!
Location: Worcester, England
Registered: January 2005
Messages: 1560



Stunning news.

Thanks for sharing it.

It is - quite literally - something that I have prayed for.

NW



"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. ... Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night devoid of stars." Martin Luther King
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