“Repeat After Me”: The Reparative Therapy Echo Chamber
The April 2008 edition of the pay-to-publish vanity journal Psychological Reports featured a new report from NARTH. Written by NARTH president A. Dean Byrd, past president Joseph Nicolosi, and Richard W. Potts, the report carries the unwieldy but self-descriptive title, “Clients perceptions of how reorientation therapy and self-help can promote changes in sexual orientation.” While the title describes what the authors meant to show — how clients describe the benefits of reparative therapy — the report itself actually illustrates something very different: the ex-gay movement’s remarkable ability to instill an almost robot-like parroting of ex-gay rhetoric among their clients.
The Toronto Star said that a new study “discover[ed] a new strain” of a super-bug “hitting gay men.” Headlines in Britain screamed, “Flesh-eating bug strikes San Francisco’s gay community,” and anti-gay extremists across America spread the alarm that gays were introducing another plague into “the general population.” But there was a small problem with all of this: None of it is true!
In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.
From the Inside: Focus on the Family’s “Love Won Out”
On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.
Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!
Testing The Premise: Are Gays A Threat To Our Children?
Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.
Straight From The Source: What the “Dutch Study” Really Says About Gay Couples
Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.
Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.
When Karla Jay and Allan Young published The Gay Report in 1979, it quickly a favorite source of statistics for many anti-gay extremists. But before you accepts these statistic at face value, you should examine the inner workings of this survey very carefully. What you learn might surprise you.
The FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.
One of the defenses made in support of continuing the military’s anti-gay Don’t Ask - Don’t Tell policy is that senior military strategists oppose gay soldiers from serving openly. Well, it doesn’t get more senior than the Chairman of the Joint Cheifs of Staff.
Speaking at West Point this weekend, Admiral Michael Mullen was asked his opinion about the impact if the incoming administration were to be supportive of gay servicemembers. According to PinkNews,
Speaking to graduating cadets at West Point military academy on Sunday, Admiral Mike Mullen said that the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy enacted by Congress in 1993 is a law that the Armed Forces follow.
“Should the law change, the military will carry that out too,” he said.
This is the second time that Mullen has appeared unfazed by the notion of openly gay soldiers. During his confirmation he told the Senate,
“I really think it is for the American people to come forward, really through this body, to both debate that policy and make changes, if that’s appropriate.
“I’d love to have Congress make its own decisions with respect to considering repeal.”
Without the public support of military leaders or prominant politicians, it is surely only a short time before this misguided policy is scrapped for good.
I was thinking the other day, why the Senators didn’t follow up when he said that he favored the expulsion of gay soldiers because of his ‘upbringing’. Since he railed against all sex outside of marriage, he should have been asked whether he also favored expelling soldiers with girlfriends. If he doesn’t, he is a hypocrite, then he favors wrecking the military as well as being a hypocrite, because he never brought up that subject, and I bet it’s more common.
They should have gone for the kill, but they were too incompetent, so it seems. Ah, these politicians. I appreciate that they brought it up though.
During his confirmation hearings last August, Adm. Mullen was questioned about gays in the military by Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and said, “I really think it is for the American people to come forward, really through this body, to both debate that policy and make changes, if that’s appropriate.”
This most recent statement is even more direct and clear-cut showing what the admiral’s beliefs are. Good change often comes slowly.
When Adm. Mullen gave his speech, he also commented, “You are joining a military that is more diverse, more representative of our country than any military we’ve ever had. There is great strength in that, great benefits. And we are a military that must represent our country.”
This confirms what he meant about changing DADT and is a great indicator of how far our military, and even society, have come regarding race, ethnicity, color, sexual orientation, etc. Of course, there is always more work today.
Personally, I hope the policy will stay, because I have this wonderful idea to satirize it (think: the natural extension of ST:VOY 5:04, together with standing orders in Starfleet dating from the Dominion War.) But it does look as if “Don’t inquire, don’t inform” will be outdated if it ever reaches the screen. Satire has such a short shelf-life.
News, analysis and fact-checking of anti-gay rhetoric
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The FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.
One of the defenses made in support of continuing the military’s anti-gay Don’t Ask - Don’t Tell policy is that senior military strategists oppose gay soldiers from serving openly. Well, it doesn’t get more senior than the Chairman of the Joint Cheifs of Staff.
L. Junius Brutus
May 8th, 2008 | LINK
A welcome change from that Peter Pace fool.
I was thinking the other day, why the Senators didn’t follow up when he said that he favored the expulsion of gay soldiers because of his ‘upbringing’. Since he railed against all sex outside of marriage, he should have been asked whether he also favored expelling soldiers with girlfriends. If he doesn’t, he is a hypocrite, then he favors wrecking the military as well as being a hypocrite, because he never brought up that subject, and I bet it’s more common.
They should have gone for the kill, but they were too incompetent, so it seems. Ah, these politicians. I appreciate that they brought it up though.
Pepe Johnson
May 8th, 2008 | LINK
During his confirmation hearings last August, Adm. Mullen was questioned about gays in the military by Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and said, “I really think it is for the American people to come forward, really through this body, to both debate that policy and make changes, if that’s appropriate.”
This most recent statement is even more direct and clear-cut showing what the admiral’s beliefs are. Good change often comes slowly.
Pepe Johnson
May 8th, 2008 | LINK
I found this today:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=49771
When Adm. Mullen gave his speech, he also commented, “You are joining a military that is more diverse, more representative of our country than any military we’ve ever had. There is great strength in that, great benefits. And we are a military that must represent our country.”
This confirms what he meant about changing DADT and is a great indicator of how far our military, and even society, have come regarding race, ethnicity, color, sexual orientation, etc. Of course, there is always more work today.
Duncan
May 9th, 2008 | LINK
Personally, I hope the policy will stay, because I have this wonderful idea to satirize it (think: the natural extension of ST:VOY 5:04, together with standing orders in Starfleet dating from the Dominion War.) But it does look as if “Don’t inquire, don’t inform” will be outdated if it ever reaches the screen. Satire has such a short shelf-life.
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