Box Turtle Bulletin

Appearance on Sirius OutQ 109 Monday Morning

Jim Burroway

October 5th, 2008

I will appear on Sirius Satelite radio’s OutQ 109 tomorrow morning with Larry Flick to talk about Arizona’s campaign to defeat Prop 102. My segment is set to begin at 8:00 am EDT — 5:00 am PDT, which is local time for me here in Arizona. That slurping sound you’ll hear will be me hitting the coffee. Hard.

If you’re not a Sirius subscriber, you can listen online by signing up for a free 3-day trial.

Radio Appearance on Larry Flick’s “OutQ In the Morning”

Jim Burroway

October 1st, 2008

I will appear on Sirius Satelite radio’s OutQ 109 tomorrow morning with Larry Flick to talk about Arizona’s campaign to defeat Prop 102. You may recall, Arizona became the first state in the nation to defeat one of these so-called “marriage amendments” in 2006. Now they’re back trying for a do-over after voters already said no once.

I will be on “Out Q in the Morning” with Larry Flick and crew beginning at 9:05 am EDT. That’s 6:05 am PDT, which is local time for me here in Arizona. Wish me a whole lotta luck on that!

If you’re not a Sirius subscriber, you can listen online by signing up for a free 3-day trial.

Update: Due to a scheduling conflict, they weren’t able to have me on the program this morning. I’ll let you know when we reschedule.

New Website Featuring Histories of Treatments for Homosexuality

Michael King

September 22nd, 2008

A group of researchers at University College London (UCL) have recently established a website about use of treatments to try to make homosexual people heterosexual.

The work led by Michael King arose from research funded by the Wellcome Trust from 2001 to 2004 into the oral history of such treatments in Britain since 1950.  During this research a number of oral histories were collected from LGB people who had undergone treatment and the professionals who had developed and provided the treatments.

The group now wants to expand the work on the website by asking for contributions from people around the world who may have undergone a treatment to attempt to become straight.  This might have been hormone or other medical treatment, psychotherapy, aversion behavior therapy, and various forms of reparative therapy.

Their stories can be posted on this website.  Friends or relatives of someone who has received or is receiving treatment may also want to give their stories.  The group is also eager to hear from professionals, be they doctors, psychotherapists, counselors or psychologists who may have undertaken these treatments at any time in their career.

You can send your account in written, audio or video format.  If it is suitable it will be added to the stories already on this website.

See also from BTB’s “Today In History” series:
“Aversion Therapy for Sexual Deviation”
A Simple Technique To Cure Homosexuality

Appearance on Michelangelo Signorile’s Show

Jim Burroway

September 17th, 2008

I will be on the Michelangelo Signorile’s radio program on Sirius OutQ 109 this afternoon, beginning at 3:30 EDT (12:30 PDT) to talk about Arizona’s Prop 102, the so-called “marriage amendment.” I will be talking about the challenges our campaign faces in getting the message out and why Arizona’s ballot battle is important.

If you don’t have a subscription to Sirius satellite radio, you can listen on the web by signing up for a free three-day trial at http://www.sirius.com/outq.

I’ve Arrived…

Jim Burroway

August 20th, 2008

…in Washington, D.C., for the annual conference of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) — a group that just happens to be very open and welcoming to those among us who practice those alternative journalism-styles you’ve heard rumors about (i.e. “bloggers”). I’ll be here to participate on a panel discussion on scientific research and journalism:

Lies, Damn Lies & Statistics: Writing On Research
Increasingly, reporting scientific research can be like walking through a minefield. Advocacy groups are interpreting research findings for their own political ends and some are even creating research to support their positions. This session will provide advice on how to win the science spin game.

* Moderator: Rick Moore, Director of Communications, Rockway Institute
* Cindi Creager, Director of National News, GLAAD
* Jim Burroway, Editor, Box Turtle Bulletin
* Neil Savage, Freelance Science & Technology Writer

For readers who happen to be in the area, stop by and say hi. I’ll be the nerdy-looking one.

Jesse Helms Dead at 86

Jim Burroway

July 4th, 2008

Former Republican Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina died today. He was 86.

You can search the archives of this web site and see that I have never before called anyone a bigot. It’s just something that I generally don’t do. But the word was coined precisely to describe people like Helms. He was a genuine, unabashed bigot, and he made his bigotry a hallmark of his career. Now that he is dead, his bigotry will be enshrined as his lasting legacy.

Throughout his public career, Helms was always on the wrong side of history. During his daily editorial broadcasts on Raleigh’s WRAL-TV, he railed against desegregation, calling the University of North Carolina the “University of Negroes and Communists.” In 1968 when Duke University students staged a vigil in response to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination, he remarked, “They should ask their parents if it would be all right for their son or daughter to marry a Negro.”

He held a special antipathy toward gays and lesbians. In a 1995 radio broadcast he remarked, “Homosexuals are weak, morally sick wretches.” He opposed governmental funds for AIDS research, complaining that “It’s their deliberate, disgusting, revolting conduct that is responsible for the disease.” He opposed funding for research, treatment, and providing medically accurate information about the disease. We may never know how many people died partly because of his intransigence.

Twenty years later, we are still trying to undo Helms’ damage. He was responsible for the HIV travel ban, barring visitors and immigrants with HIV from entering the United States. The U.S. is one of only twelve countries in the world with such a ban. We share that distinction with the likes of Sudan, Russia, Libya and Saudi Arabia. The ban’s repeal is awaiting a vote in the Senate, which may come as early as next week.

The bigot is dead. Happy Independence Day.

Weather Report

Timothy Kincaid

June 16th, 2008

It’s 5:01 here in California, same-sex marriage is legal, and the sky hasn’t fallen. The sun is shining and there are no tornadoes on the horizon.

TiVo and Focus On the Family Partner for a Father’s Day Contest

Jim Burroway

June 5th, 2008

G-A-Y’s Jeremy Hooper has discovered that Focus On the Family has partnered with TiVo for an “I Know A Super Dad” contest, in which sons and daughters are asked to submit an essay explaining why their dad is a “super dad.” Winners will get a TiVo Series2 DT DVR with a full year of TiVo service.

But it raises a question: how many gay dads do you think would be Super Dads in Focus/TiVo’s eyes? Or how many dads who love and support their LGBT sons and daughters would Focus/TiVo be wiling to certify as a Super Dad?

We know there are lots of Super Dads out there who fit both discriptions, so so let’s find out. Between now and Father’s day (June 15), we encourage you to enter Focus/TiVo’s contest and explain why your Dad is a Super Dad. We also ask that you send a copy of your stories to us, maybe along with some photos, too! (Just make sure you have permission!) You can send them to: Superdad@boxturtlebulletin.com

We’ll post the best Super Dad stories between now and Father’s Day. You can immortalize your Super Dad on the World Wide Web! What better prize is there than that?

Okay, how about this: The best Super Dad story gets a free BTB T-shirt. It’s no TiVo, but hey, it’s something.

Internet Radio Appearance Tonight

Jim Burroway

May 8th, 2008

I will be a guest this evening on Peter Godbold’s “Strictly Confidential,” an LGBT internet radio talk show on the Head-On Radio Network. Sorry, I can’t help but be reminded of that “Head-On” pain relief commercial. Hopefully this will be much more entertaining. I expect to be on the air (or whatever the internet streaming equivalent is) at about 9:30 EDT / 6:30 PDT. See you there.

A Shameless Plug

Jim Burroway

April 24th, 2008

A slightly edited version of my article on ONE Magazine’s 1958 Supreme Court victory has been published in the March-April 2008 Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide. I’m excited for a couple of reasons. I’m proud of having raised awareness of the very first pro-gay Supreme Court ruling in history. And I’m a huge fan of the Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide because of the intelligence and depth of coverage of the important issues facing us. Since I let my Advocate subscription lapse, this is the only remaining LGBT print subscription I have. Believe me, the G&LRW is no Advocate; there are no fluff celebrity profiles here.

Okay, I stand corrected. Noël Coward is on the cover — but you the picture.

Blog Invasions

Jim Burroway

April 2nd, 2008

This is something we’ve never encountered before.

We try to maintain a certain amount of decorum on this web site while welcoming diverging points of view. We have a few regulars here who rarely agree with what we post, but I can say that I value their inputs. One commenter, the various incarnations of “qou,” is particularly adept at posting some very challenging and informative comments, and I always look forward to seeing input like his.

However, something has been occurring in comments lately which, frankly, is not particularly encouraging. And that is this: it appears we’ve been invaded.

The invaders appear to all come from one group blog that I had never seen before. If the number of comments on that blog are any indication (and the number of comments often aren’t), then it appears that perhaps that blog doesn’t have many readers. And if the commenters themselves are any indication (and in this, I think they are) they are limited largely to other authors of that group blog.

Now, look at the number of posts they’ve put up. Since last Wednesday, those eleven authors have put up eighteen posts. Not bad. But in that same period, four of those authors have dominated the comments on this humble web site, posting eighty individual comments on these two threads alone. Out of 246 comments as of this writing, they account for nearly a third of all comments.

I appreciate their passion. I really do. And I also appreciate a few of the issues they’ve raised. But as I have watched the sheer volume of these comments scroll past my desktop, it has become apparent to me that they’ve decided not to merely discuss, but to so thoroughly dominate a thread with an overwhelming number of posts as to effectively shout it down.

One beleaguered commenter said, “Rather than continuing this futility, I am going to go back to lurking for the time being.” That’s a shame, and it’s the last thing we want here. But if we allow this behavior to continue, others will follow that commenter’s lead and the argument will appear to have been “won” by silence. It appears to me that this is the intent of the members of this group blog.

In the midst of their eighty comments on this blog, that group has managed to log exactly one post on their blog that’s directly related to the posts by Dr. Chapman and Mr. Stanton. And you know what? It’s really not a bad post, although of course I don’t agree with it. I won’t be commenting there, but maybe some of you might look it over and share your thoughts. I would however ask that you show much more respect there than they did here. Be respectful, and don’t do unto them what they have done unto you.

Really, if someone is going to leave eighty individual comments on two threads of this blog, perhaps they should spend more of their time and energy on their own blog. To help encourage them to do that, I have made an update to our comments policy. I am also banning them from commenting on this web site for the time being. This applies to all members of that group blog.

More Ways To Stay In Touch

Jim Burroway

March 29th, 2008

We’re constantly on the lookout for ways to enhance your experience at Box Turtle Bulletin. You can see all of our posts through your RSS favorite newsreader, and we’ve enhanced the delivery of our RSS feed by switching to Feedburner. For those of you who already subscribe, don’t worry. The switch was automatic and you shouldn’t have to do a thing. We’ve also added an additional RSS feed to allow you to keep up with comments.

Also, in case you haven’t noticed, you can sign up for a daily delivery of Box Turtle Bulletin to your email’s inbox. Just submit your email address in the appropriate form on the sidebar below the search box. Rest assured, your email address is safe with us. We will never rent, share, sell, or in any way disclose anyone’s email address.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please share them with us. Thank you.

About Comments

Jim Burroway

March 7th, 2008

One of our favorite supporters asked for it, so here it is: You can now keep up with comments in your RSS reader with our genuine, certified RSS Feed for comments. This joins the regular RSS Feed for all of BTB’s posts. And of course, you can always follow the comments for a particular post via each post’s Comments RSS 2.0 link.

And speaking of comments, we’ve recently updated our Comments Policy. The previously nebulous ban on name-calling has been replaced with more precise definitions and examples of derogatory terms which will not be tolerated. These changes are in response to a few recent comments which drew warnings of banning or moderation. Fortunately, no actions were taken, but it did leave me to conclude that perhaps not everyone knows what is considered derogatory. Hence the changes. Your comments, suggestions and criticisms are welcome.

An Inspiration’s Swan Song

Jim Burroway

February 15th, 2008

Mike Airhart founded Ex-Gay Watch in 2002, and I became an avid reader and commenter somewhere around 2003 or 2004. I always admired his concise and compact style, particularly his ability to condense a complicated set of ideas into their fundamental essence. While I only wish I could write as directly and compactly as he does (do I hear a volunteer to be my editor?), I am grateful for his contributions to the debate. I also have to confess that Ex-Gay Watch was one key inspiration for my decision to found Box Turtle Bulletin. In many ways, Ex-Gay Watch and Mike Airhart are this humble site’s blog-daddy.

Today, Mike Airhart has announced that he is leaving Ex-Gay Watch, which will continue in the very capable hands of David Roberts and a team of writers as Mike pursues “a more activist approach” to the problems which lay before us. I had the pleasure of meeting Mike at the Ex-Gay Survivor’s Conference last summer, and I look forward to seeing where his future takes him.

Actor Heath Ledger Is Dead

Jim Burroway

January 22nd, 2008

Actor Heath Ledger, Oscar-nominated actor of the groundbreaking film Brokeback Mountain, was found dead in a Lower Manhattan apartment. He was 28.

Ledger is survived by a young daughter, Matilda, with actress Michelle Williams, who played his wife in Brokeback Mountain.

Early reports indicate a possible drug overdose or suicide, although those reports have not been confirmed. He was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m.

Heath Ledger talked about why he chose to take the role of Ennis Del Mar, saying that he did it for his gay uncle, Australian tough guy Neil Bell:

Ledger said his uncle’s difficult early life and tough personal experiences helped him forge what is being acclaimed as one of the strongest and most emotionally powerful performances in recent cinema history.

…

“I had a dear friend of mine, who’s my uncle,” explained Ledger. “He’s a big guy. He goes to bare-knuckle fighting out in the Nevada desert, and he’s gay.”

As a young man, Bell was told to leave home by his father because of his sexuality and, many years later, he told Ledger of some of the painful events in his life.

Problems With Comments?

Jim Burroway

September 3rd, 2007

Web sites like this one get a constant stream of “comment spam” — bogus, computer generated comments with links to porn sites, Viagara vendors, penile enhancement scams, and questionable stock tips. This web site runs an anti-spam module which does a pretty good job of filtering out dozens of bogus comments each day.

Unfortunately, legitimate comments sometimes gets caught in the dragnet from time to time. I found three such comments in the past two days alone. When I find them I release them as soon as possible, but I don’t always catch them. If your comment doesn’t appear right away, please e-mail me and I’ll try to get to it as soon as possible.

Interview On Sirius OutQ With Michelangelo Signorile

Jim Burroway

August 8th, 2007

I will appear on the Michelangelo Signorile Show today at about 4:30 EDT (1:30 PDT) on Sirius OutQ 109 to talk about Exodus’s recent moves in the political arena. We’ll be talking about my post “Exodus Sharpens Its Political Presence” and Timothy Kincaid’s follow-up, “Is Exodus a Lobbyist Group?”

I Get Email…

Jim Burroway

July 27th, 2007

Date: July 5, 2007
Subject: Love Won Out

Mr. Burroway,
I am anticipating ‘Part 5′ of your series after having read the first four. Will it be released any time soon?

That’s much better than the emails I usually get. Not a single clobber passage anywhere.

Yes, I’m terribly delinquent. I responded to that message by saying Part 5 was in the works and should be ready the following week. That was four weeks ago. But I promise Part 5 will be arriving sometime next week. Probably not Monday. Maybe Tuesday. It better be by Thursday or I’ll be deeply embarrassed.

But if you want a small preview of what will be in Part 5, you can mosey on over to Peterson Toscano’s blog. He already stole a little bit of my thunder with the quote he selected from Alan Chambers. (Actually, he didn’t exactly steal it; I sort of lent it to him.) And he bounces that quote against his own experience in trying to change in Part 2 of his three part series, “Change Was NOT Possible.” And unlike this humble scribe, he actually appears to be completing his series.

Tammy Faye, March 7, 1942 — July 20, 2007

Jim Burroway

July 22nd, 2007

Tammy Faye Messner passed away peacefully Friday after an eleven year battle with colon cancer. A private family service was held Saturday in a private cemetery, where her ashes were interred. He death was announced Saturday evening.

Rest in peace.

Here is her final interview:

 

LARRY KING: We have an e-mail question from Jimmy, Sherman Oaks, California: “Unlike many of your Christian contemporaries, you have been a very positive influence in the gay community. Why do you think you found it in your heart to love and accept us?”

TAMMY FAYE MESSNER: Well, you know when I went — we lost everything — it was the gay people that came to my rescue and I will always love them for that.

Holsinger Confirmation Hearing Is Scheduled

Jim Burroway

July 3rd, 2007

I’ve learned through Bible Belt Blogger (the pre-eminent source for all things Holsinger) that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, has scheduled a hearing for Dr. James Holsinger’s Surgeon General nomination for Thursday, July 12 at 10 a.m. (EDT) in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

I’m sure part of the hearing will delve into Holsinger’s 1991 white paper “Pathophysiology of Male Homosexuality.” Perhaps some of the points in my analysis of that paper might be useful to members of the Senate committee. This might be a good time for you to make sure your Senator knows what kind of “scientist” is being considered for the job.