The American Psychological Association expressed strong support for President Obama’s call for a society that accepts young people in their gender and sexual development, rather than rejecting them, labeling them as bad, or suggesting that they should change. APA has previously voiced its concerns about the scientific and ethical basis of efforts to change sexual orientation and about the way the promotion of such efforts by some individuals and organizations contributes to the social stigma that harms gender and sexual minorities.
“So-called reparative therapies are aimed at ‘fixing’ something that is not a mental illness and therefore does not require therapy. There is insufficient scientific evidence that they work, and they have the potential to harm the client,” said APA 2015 President Barry S. Anton, PhD. “APA has and will continue to call on mental health professionals to work to reduce misunderstanding about and prejudice toward gay and transgender people.”
A 2009 APA Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Response to Sexual Orientation concluded that mental health professionals should avoid telling clients that they can change their sexual orientation due to a lack of evidence that such change is possible and the potential for such efforts to harm the patient’s mental health.
A Resolution on Appropriate Affirmative Responses to Sexual Orientation Distress and Change Efforts, which accompanied the task force report and was adopted by the APA Council of Representatives, advised that parents, guardians, young people and their families avoid sexual orientation treatments that portray homosexuality as a mental illness or developmental disorder. It recommended that they instead seek psychotherapy, social support and educational services “that provide accurate information on sexual orientation and sexuality, increase family and school support and reduce rejection of sexual minority youth.”
The American Psychological Association, is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA’s membership includes more than 122,500 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students.
Family Research Council president and resident white supremacist Tony Perkins has taken to the anti-gay airwaves once again this time to decry what he considers the targeted persecution of Christian businesses by the evil gays who want to use thier religion to discriminate in the Lord’s name Perkins said on Monday’s edition of his FRC radio show “Washington Watch.”
And what does Perkins think these embattled religious extremist business bigots should do? Well take the perverts money and then donate it to an ex-gay “therapy” torture groups!
“They’re targeting these Christian businesses these Christian bakers and Christian photographers and put them in a dilemma. Are they going to operate according to their faith or comply? And sometimes it’s under the threat of the law.
These businesses should put a sign out the front saying ‘we’re a Christian business and we believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman but we’ll serve everybody because we’re forced to, but just know that all profits from these same-sex ceremonies will be given to ministries that help those that want to come out of the homosexual lifestyle. I think that will stop a lot of the targeting of Christian businesses when those people realize that ‘hey if I’m going to do business there my money is going to go to those ministries that actually help people overcome same-sex attraction. I think that’s one way that, as Barney Fife would say would ‘nip it in the bud.'”
So lets this “straight”. Well straighter than Tony Perkins anyway. The same Goober hate group leader who is terrified of the names of his anti-gay donors being published, is advocating for those same anti-gay people to publicly announce their anti-gay bigotry.
By all means let’s. And lets label them as we do any product. How about this?
Family Research Council vice douchebagpresident Peter Sprigg, testified before the Washington DC City Council Committee on Health Friday in opposition to Bill 20-501, the “Conversion Therapy for Minors Prohibition Amendment Act of 2013” that would stop the torture of ex-gay therapy quackery on LGBT children in the District. Testified Sprigg:
“At the heart of the attacks on sexual reorientation therapy are two claims– that such therapies are ineffective, and that they are harmful. However, there is abundant anecdotal evidence that such therapies work — that is, people who say that they were helped by such therapies to change from predominantly homosexual to predominantly heterosexual. There is also scientific evidence. The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality has cited ‘600 reports of clinicians, researchers, and former clients — primarily from professional and peer-reviewed scientific journals’ which show that ‘reorientation treatment has been helpful to many.’ The American Psychological Association (APA), under the sway of a small but influential pro-homosexual lobby, has criticized and discouraged (but never banned) reorientation therapy. Yet even the APA acknowledges that ‘participants reporting beneficial effects in some studies perceived changes to their sexuality, such as in their sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual behavior, [and/or] sexual orientation identity.” [snip]“
But what does the empirical evidence show? Not only did those who were exclusively homosexual not all remain so, but only 11% did. Some measure of change in sexual orientation—which many homosexual activists say is impossible, and never happens to anyone—is not only possible, but it is the norm for adolescents with same-sex attractions, having been experienced by 89% of the respondents only one year later.”
While some pro-homosexual activists will concede that some measure of fluidity exists, they say that complete transformation—from exclusively homosexual to exclusively heterosexual—is not possible. Yet this kind of complete reversal of sexual orientation is exactly what was reported by almost half (48%) of the adolescent boys in this survey and again, after only one year.The last refuge of the homosexual activists in the face of this kind of evidence is to concede, “Well, yes, a person’s sexual orientation can change—but only by accident, not by trying to change it!”This is somewhat like saying, “Well, yes, obese people can lose weight—but not by trying to, and certainly not with anyone else’s help!
“There is abundant anecdotal evidence that such therapies work”?
The plural of anecdote is not data. Data is supported by evident, anecdotes are by definition subjective.
Just one of these hearings or when they have Sprigg on television as an “expert” I would like for someone to play the clip of Spriggs saying he would like to see homosexuals forcibly exported out of the U.S. or where he said he would like to see homosexuality made a criminal offense. And THEN ask him why he thinks he has ANY credibility on issues like this and smack the shit out of him.
Linda Harvey’s extremely dangerous and harmful Kindle book to LGBT at risk youth “Maybe He’s Not Gay” returned to Amazon on Friday, along with a dozen new fake 5-star reviews.
Two weeks ago I contacted Amazon.com to complain about the book and filled them in on Linda Harvey’s hate group leader status, her past hateful and extreme anti-LGBT propaganda and and how potentially dangerous this book was to LGBT children. In 2012, The Southern Poverty Law center designated Harvey’s group Mission; America a hate group, based on the on their extremist fringe anti-LGBT stance.
I received an email from Amazon.com saying that they would remove the title from its library.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
I’d love to forward your email to our Catalog Team to remove the book from our website, but I couldn’t find the exact book in our website. Please write back with the following information to locate the item on our website so that we can contact our Catalog Team.
Anitha M.
After sending Amazon.com the information requested and the link, 4 hours later Linda Harvey’s book was removed from the catalog.
Two days after the book was removed Linda Harvey claimed that SHE had the book withdrawn the book from the site because evil gay bloggers like me who were encouraging bad reviews from people who hadn’t even read it.
On the third day following the removal I received the following email from Brittany Turner who works for Amazon.com’s PR team.
Hi Will,
I work on the Amazon PR team, and saw your post on Back2Stonewall titled “Hate Group Leader Linda Harvey’s Book “Maybe He’s Not Gay” Pulled From Amazon.com. I wanted to let you know that the publisher removed the book from sale. Can you please correct your story to reflect this.
Obviously I did not change the story. Instead I wrote back to Ms. Turner and asked why, if Harvey’s publisher, Penrhyn Press, pulled her book did I receive an email stating that the book would be pulled. I also asked for a statement from Amazon.com regarding the selling of a potentially dangerous book to LGBT youth from an officially recognized fringe anti-gay hate group leader.
Now three follow-up emails to Amazon and I still have not received answer.
As she introduces the book, Harvey describes homosexuality as “an emperor without clothes,” claiming repeatedly that gay people’s “feelings” (I can just hear her saying it in a mocking voice) are totally misguided and don’t actually reflect facts or represent the “truth” — which is, apparently, that nobody can be gay.
The “factual” pillars she believes we’re violating are that being gay hasn’t been proven to be genetic and that there are “risks” associated with homosexuality — as you may have guessed, she throws around lots of outdated data and incorrect stereotypes about HIV/AIDS. (Chapter 4 is called “Friends Don’t Let Friends Be Gay,” and it’s all about gay sex. Which religious conservatives seems rather obsessed with…)
Here’s a pseudo-thesis statement:
If it’s not genetic and some people think there are some real risks and problems with homosexuality … then why can’t there be reasonable discussions about it? Wouldn’t that be reasonable, compassionate and… tolerant??? Maybe being gay isn’t “who they are.” Maybe their feelings have just had a head-on collision with facts.
She makes the argument that “our ancestors” throughout history opposed homosexuality, and she gets really tripped up trying to decide whether or not homosexuality is genetic, i.e. fixed at birth and unchangeable.
If there’s no reliable research supporting the claim that being gay is inborn — then why can’t we still allow open discussions in our schools, universities, legislatures? Can an opposing opinion still be allowed without name-calling? Without people being called hateful, bigoted, intolerant? Without fines, job loss, public humiliation? (Yes, those things are happening!) Can we listen to other voices on this issue, in an attempt to find the truth? And if we aren’t willing to do so, what does that say about us?
The part of this that made me start to hyperventilate is when she compared homosexuality to skipping class, being overweight, cheating on exams, cheating on a spouse, or even developing an eating disorder: all behaviors she considers “not genetic, high-risk, and changeable.”
(There are so many problems with this logic. So. Many.)
But that’s the argument she uses to claim that homosexuality is probably not inborn, but merely a bad choice that some people make and can be counseled out of. Take a look:
Some girls — even a few boys — develop eating disorders. Why? What in the world could make a person intentionally starve herself? One would think, since this is so obviously a bad idea, that all you have to do is point out this fact to an otherwise smart person, and they’ll snap out of it — right? But it turns out, it’s not that simple. Sometimes it takes years of counseling to get a person to eat. Think about that. To get a person to eat, the most basic human desire we have. And in the meantime, serious damage can be happening to her skin, hair, heart and other organs. Why do we not think people could be deeply deceived — emotionally — about other things? Things like their perceptions about who they are attracted to? Things like sex and gender identity?
Next up, Harvey claims that accepting homosexuality will “shake the foundations of human culture.” And that it’s already happening! (The horror!) She offers a long list of the horrible, horrible consequences of greater acceptance of LGBT folks. While the list is too long to post in its entirety, here are some of the gems:
Someone may confess a gay “crush” on you, whether or not you have any interest, and if you aren’t polite, even if they are quite aggressive, you may be accused of bigotry and discrimination. In fact, being repulsed by a gay person’s pursuit of you will no longer be an acceptable reaction. You won’t have a choice — it won’t be “cool” and it may also go against the school or company rules on discrimination and you will become the “bad guy” who is expelled or fired.
You may get a summer job where you are in contact with practicing homosexuals, and you may be forced to listen to them describe their homosexual relationships, even if you don’t want to. Complaining may result in a charge of discrimination, a demotion or even being fired.
Same sex marriage will become legal and you will be expected to attend and applaud these weddings, and to introduce partners to your family and friends.
It will become illegal to say anything against homosexuality even in church or even to your own children.
You may belong to a health plan where the doctor or counselor assigned to you is homosexual and also the same sex as you. If that makes you feel uncomfortable during physical exams, too bad.
No one will be allowed to joke about men who want to wear dresses or women who have beards, and restrooms and locker rooms will be non-gendered.
She also whines that acceptance of homosexuality will lead kids to start wondering about sex, and having sex earlier, and that we’ll all have to accept it. Wrong, wrong, wrong. If your child sees a same-sex couple and their first question is how that couple has sex, you need to have another conversation entirely.
The kicker comes in the third chapter: “Why No One Is Born Gay.”
Homosexuality is really a rebellion against the norm, against most or all norms. It’s one type of behavior that some people today are saying should be explored by anyone who wants to. And the person doesn’t have to call himself or herself a homosexual. It’s called “fluid” sexual behavior and feelings, or being “queer.” That’s not my word, but theirs. That is, go into the homosexual life if a person wants, or heterosexuality, or bisexuality. Change genders or have an undefined gender, or do whatever you want, whenever you want. This is what is being promoted. Not long ago, such recklessness would have been unheard of and considered what it quite logically is: a recipe for personal chaos and disaster. Others are proposing widespread acceptance of bizarre practices like sex between people and animals, or sado-masochism, which combines violence and sex. Finally, some people believe that the criminal penalties that exist for sex between adults and minors should be eliminated, and that even children should have sex.More chaos, damage and disaster.
Harvey says that “hundreds” of organizations in the U.S. can help gay people work through their feelings and turn straight, and that plenty of “converted homosexuals” will tell you that it really works. Never mind that the most prominent ex-gay organization Exodus International shut its doors and its president said homosexuality is unchangeable — Harvey says he’s not a good representative of the ex-gay movement because “there seems to be a lot of confusion going on in his life.”
Later, she defends parents who kick their gay children out of their homes. She suggests that children whose parents don’t try to shield them from homosexuality will commit suicide. She says that it’s the responsibility of churches to try to warn people about homosexuality. She suggests that gay teenagers are the victims of broken homes or sexual abuse. She waxes poetic on Sodom and Gomorrah. And finally, she says that God is the answer to a troubled life of homosexuality.
This is the book that Amazon.com finds acceptable and is allowing to be sold on its website
Right now I don’t know who is more disgusting. Linda Harvey or Amazon.com
Hate group leader Matt Barber of the currently under federal investigation Liberty Counsel that runs out of dead Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University took poison pen to paper and wrote a “hypothetical” letter to a gay teen and what he would say to them as if they were was “his own child” in a recent posting at World Wingnut Net Daily.
“Here’s what I’d say. I’d tell them exactly what I’m about to tell you.
I love you. I neither judge you nor condemn you. I accept you and I would die for you.
But you are not “gay.”
Yes, you may be physically attracted to people of the same sex, but how you act on those attractions is entirely your choice. Who you are – your identity – is not defined by your sexual feelings, temptations or behaviors. The difference between who you are and what you feel or do is as the difference between night and day.
Here is who you are: You are a wonderful, beautiful, precious human being created in the image and likeness of the one righteous and Holy God of the universe.
You are priceless.
But you are flawed – you are a sinner. [snip]
You are being used. Adult homosexual activists with a political agenda are using you as a pawn to achieve selfish goals in a dangerous political game.
You’re just a means to an end.
They may have convinced themselves otherwise, but they don’t care about you. They don’t love you. They can’t. Their version of “love” is built on lies. It’s devoid of truth.
Love without truth is hate.
If you continue down this wide, empty path, make no mistake: it will not “get better.”
It gets much, much worse.
Consider, for instance, that according to the CDC this path will lead you, boys, to a one-in-five chance of contracting HIV/AIDS. The CDC also found that 64 percent of all syphilis cases strike “gay” males and that homosexual behavior leads to astronomical risk of nearly all other forms of STD.
Even more startling is the fact that, according to the International Journal of Epidemiology (IJE), “[L]ife expectancy at age 20 years for gay and bisexual men is 8 to 20 years less than for all men.”
Unnatural behaviors beget natural consequences. “The wages of sin is death.”
What Barber disgustingly fails to mention is that the authors of that life expectancy study, which was done 25 years ago in one Canadian city during the height of the AIDS epidemic, have denounced it and all anti-gay haters who use it.
And since “the wages of sin are death” Both lying and gluttony is a sin Barber, so pay up you fucking disgusting despicable asshole.
This past week’s episode of Criminal Minds, the long running CBS crime show featured a storyline about a killer who was forced to undergo abusive “ex-gay conversion therapy.” and in doing so has exposed the dangerous crackpot therapy to its 10.6 million viewers
Hate group leaders such as Linda Harvey of Mission America. Mat Staver of the currently under Federal RICO investigation Liberty Counsel and the “Queen” of self loathing “ex-gay” crackpots Greg Quinlan the President of PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays) are simply irate that CBS has exposed the harmful and abusive therapy to millions of Americans are crying, gnashing thier teeth and sttamping thier hateful little feet.
GREG QUINLAN – President of PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays)
They are so afraid of people discovering their sexuality and realizing that no one is born a homosexual and learning that they can actually change if they want to it is for this reason that they preach against us with such hate and venom, attacking us for exercising our right of self-determination.
It is obvious that the ex-gay movement has become such a threat to the homosexual agenda that their allies in the media and entertainment industry now feel they have to work so diligently to discredit us,” said Quinlan. “Why is this so high on their agenda? Is CBS now so desperate to try to get any kind of market share in primetime that they have to go this route?
MAT STAVER – Liberty Counsel:
“It is shocking that they would be so blatant and so insensitive to simply disregard the reality of what takes place during this change therapy. [snip] “It’s no different from marriage therapy. It all revolves around talking and listening to the client while trying to find out what their objectives and goals are. The client has the right to set their own counseling objectives and the counselor attempts to help them reach those objectives. It’s the same type of counseling a person would receive if they were struggling with infidelity or depression because they had just lost their job or lost a loved one.”
LINDA HARVEY – Mission America:
“There is absolutely no evidence behind the premise of the show. It is total and complete propaganda. Not only is it discriminating against these individuals, they slam everyone who is attempting to overcome these feelings even though there is no evidence that these feelings are inborn and say your opinions on the issue don’t matter.
The homosexual lobby and its supporters are now deciding there is a desperate need to discredit people who want to partake in conversion therapy. It’s beyond jaw-dropping how full of lies this episode is. It is harmful, insulting and people need to call the network demanding an apology to the Christian community and all of the ex-homosexuals out of there who’ve successfully left this lifestyle. If they’re going to do a show on this, they need to also do a show on the harm done by groups like PFLAG and others who were pushing children into the homosexual lifestyle”
In that seems like a bad move news, a federal judge has put a hold on the law that would make conversion or cure the gays therapy on minors. Here’s more on the decision:
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked California from enforcing a first-of-its-kind law that bars licensed psychotherapists from working to change the sexual orientations of gay minors, but he limited the scope of his order to just the three providers who have appealed to him to overturn the measure.
U.S. District Court Judge William Shubb made a decision just hours after a hearing on the issue, ruling that the First Amendment rights of psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health professionals who engage in “reparative” or “conversion” therapy outweigh concern that the practice poses a danger to young people.
“Even if SB 1172 is characterized as primarily aimed at regulating conduct, it also extends to forms of (conversion therapy) that utilize speech and, at a minimum, regulates conduct that has an incidental effect on speech,” Shubb wrote.
Apparently the judge wants to challenge the position that ex gay therapy is harmful, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary If you remember, California state government found that the therapy was harmful and stigmatized homosexuality. here’s what their taskforce concluded:
The task force concluded that sexual orientation change efforts can pose critical health risks to lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, including confusion, depression, guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, shame, social withdrawal, suicidality, substance abuse, stress, disappointment, self-blame, decreased self-esteem and authenticity to others, increased self-hatred, hostility and blame toward parents, feelings of anger and betrayal, loss of friends and potential romantic partners, problems in sexual and emotional intimacy, sexual dysfunction, high-risk sexual behaviors, a feeling of being dehumanized and untrue to self, a loss of faith, and a sense of having wasted time and resources.
It needs to be mentioned that the injunction appears to be only for those very few licensed practitioners but still the hold on the law is worrisome.
There are many who say that Mitt Romney’s “religion”, Mormonism has absolutely nothing to do with his Presidential run. But I beg to differ.
The religion of Mormonism’s rituals have been hidden from the public eye for well over a century now.
The Church has such a power hierarchy in place that it regularly commands Mormon Utah politicians on what to do and how to vote. And any deviation from its religious teachings or thought thereof from anyone is a position of power id grounds for ex-communication a fate which many Mormons fear as a fate worst than death. And this will go for Mitt Romney also.
For the first time in the 170+ year history of secret Mormon temple activity, those activities have been captured on film with a hidden camera.
Watch with your own eyes the sworn oath, known as the “Law of Consecration,” that US Presidential candidate Mitt Romney has raised his arm to the square and vowed to obey, an oath that requires faithful Mormons to consecrate 100% of their current AND FUTURE time, talents and everything they will ever be blessed with, to the Mormon church and its goal to achieve a worldwide theocracy headed by Mormons.
This just further proves that if Mitt Romney is voted in as President that there will not be any separation of Church and State. And the Church that will be in power will be the Mormon Church
Coming hot on the heels of Governor Jerry Browns signing into law a bill that bans ex-gay reparative therapy on California minors. Openly gay New Jersey Assemblyman Tim Eustace says that now he will introduce a bill similar to California’s ban to the New Jersey State Senate.
“I see it as a form of child abuse,” Eustace said. Being gay “is not an illness, so what are they fixing?” “Conversion” or “reparative” therapy has been discredited by all major mental health organizations, according to the American Psychological Association. Since parents may force their children to undergo the therapy, the state should protect them, Eustace said. The bills will face stiff resistance from the New Jersey Family Policy Council, a group that opposes gay marriage. Government should not interfere with parental decisions, said the group’s founder and president, Len Deo. “The American Psychological Association has been very ‘progressive’ in their viewpoints. I would say there are thousands who have utilized this therapy that have left the gay lifestyle,” he said. “Assemblyman Eustace now becomes the parental authority for all . . . kids? Give me a break,” Deo added. “A kid can’t get a tattoo in New Jersey without a parent’s consent. To take the flip side on this and take away the right of the parents on this issue is ludicrous.”
There has been no word from New jersey Governor Chris Christie’s office on whether if such a Bill were to pass if he would sign it into law.
Seizing the opportunity and doing what LGBT journalist and blogger should be doing, Equality Matter’s Carlos Maza went undercover and attended National Organization for Marriage (NOM) – Ruth Institute’s “It Takes A Family To Raise A Village” (ITAF) conference in San Diego where it invites college students from across the country to participate in its weekend-long to prepare them to defend “natural marriage” on their campuses by introducing them to a number of prominent anti-gay speakers and activists.
What Maza found was a shocking level of organization, effort and resources placed into this event, to create anti-gay leaders using every trick, lie, and piece of anti-propaganda at thier disposal.
Dr. Jenet Erickson, an assistant professor at BYU’s School of Family Life. Her seminar, titled “Marriage: The Indispensable Social Institution,” focused on the relationship between marriage and parenting by attempting to make the case that married, heterosexual couples offer the best environment for raising children. She called same-sex relationships “inherently unstable,” suggesting that gay partners eventually get bored of each other as a result of having the same gender.
At the end of her speech, Erickson was asked how she would counter stories of well-adjusted children raised by same-sex parents. She responded by asserting that the majority of same-sex couples are “dysfunctional” and “erratic,” citing a widely discredited gay parenting study conducted by UT Austin associate professor Mark Regnerus. (snip)
The Truth About Same Sex Parenting Studies,” led by economist Douglas Allen: ALLEN: [Regnerus] came up with some shocking results. What’s good about his study: so he wanted to use a large sample, and he tried but he still ended up with fairly small numbers given his definition. He wanted to use a wide range of hard measures, that’s very commendable. You know, if you grew up in a same-sex household, by his definition, you are multiple times more likely to face sexual abuse, for example. (snip)
