*gasp followed by dramatic music* …is it okay?!?!?!
To those who celebrate this hashtag, to those who support it and have been fighting for the day when heterosexuals are able to march in a parade and celebrate their genitals without fear of persecution—I salute you!
Just kidding.
Actually, you are a piece of shit. You are nothing but a backward, counterrevolutionary sympathizer who, incidentally, falls prey to fascistic ideology in your hurried, and deeply confused, liberal sensibilities.
There is nothing about heterosexuality to be proud about. You reproduce—what is your fucking point? Are you persecuted, have you been disowned by your family for being straight, have religious leaders denounced your sexuality, equated you with pedophiles and banned you from religious life? Do Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists call for your execution? As a teenager did you ever run the risk of attempting to hook up with someone online only to be captured and publicly tortured by fascists? Does the state take extra pains to criminalize your amorous activities and simple day-to-day routine? Did you have to wage a decades’ long battle to marry your significant other only to have the courts step in an grant you marriage after they were sick and tired of seeing you “radicalize” youth? Was high school a living hell for you with everyone—including those supposedly oppressed ”nerds” and “geeks” calling you hate-words, calling you faggot, while they beat you up and raped you? Did you… honestly, I could go on but what I am trying to say is this—you have nothing, absolutely fucking nothing, to be proud about because you never faced persecution for simply existing. As such you do not get a “heterosexual pride day.” You have nothing to celebrate because you never had to reaffirm your identity in the face of violence unparalleled.
We live in a time of reaction. Identity politics has muddled ideology; once a sign which meant that the oppressed could have some semblance of respect, the counterrevolutionary forces, deeply imbued with a perverted conception of liberal humanism, have twisted identity politics into such a manner that it negates minority identities, suffusing it under the rancid banner of “equality” and “diversity” and ‘everyone is the same’ ideology.
Nothing happens in a vacuum. Ideology works in deceitful ways. The kind of liberal humanist ideology which we see in North America, that which stresses the false vacuum of class collaboration and mono-identity, has been hard at work to recombine these disparate activist strata, people who had become disenfranchised with the mass of violence directed at them and so took up arms against the body politic, back into the body politic; this is why after #BlackLivesMatter you see #AllLivesMatter and now, after #GayPride you see #HeterosexualPride, why after a horrific massacre left dozens dead in Orlando, these same people were fast at work in watering down the horrific violence by redirecting the nature of the violence (they said, remember, that Orlando was not the worst massacre in U.S history, and quickly gave confusing diatribes on Wounded Knee and others). It is not a slogan but rather pure reactionary ideology.
What the proponents of these hashtags would like you to believe is this: we all are equal and so everyone deserves a time to celebrate their identities; that, if some of the oppressors gave some of their time and energy to the oppressed then, at a time in the future when the oppressed are given a somewhat longer chain, then they—the oppressors who helped the oppressed—should be given all the grandeur of empowerment which the oppressed gave themselves.
Again, this is horseshit and, more often than not, white savior nonsense (a great deal of the activist stratum in North America, remember, is White middle class liberals preaching to white lower-middle class conservatives). You, as a heterosexual person, deserve nothing in return for your effort in helping the oppressed gain some equality or identity; it is the simple and most humane thing that can be expected of a person, to help another break the chains or become empowered to break it themselves. You do so because you cannot stand injustice and understand the systems of oppression when you see it, not because you want something in return one day, like a crying toddler.
The people promoting such beliefs, these hashtags and what they mean, are not your allies. These people have goals antithetical toward your own. They are white supremacists, heterosexist bigots who are actively attempting to recuperate bigotry and hatemongry into public discourse; in short, they are like Donald Trump, people who are experts in Double Speak and would like you to believe that their intentions are purely those of a conservative nature when, in reality, they are supported openly by swastika bearing Rightists. Their goals is the elevation of the nuclear family, the so-called ‘sanctity of marriage’ and the preservation of the racial and economic apparatuses which support those goals, apparati which are irreconcilable with true equality.
Believe it or not, this hashtag is not about you; it is not even about heterosexuality, per Se. It is about homosexuality and about how Rightist feel threatened by the gains made by gay and trans-gender activists. It is about bigots and conservatives attempting to relapse their hate into one which is socially acceptable, disguised as it is by liberal humanist horseshit. It has nothing to do with ‘celebrating their accomplishments as allies’ and everything to do with minimizing and negating the Queer identity. They do this because they seek to smash #QueerPride and erect a hetero-supremacist dictatorship in the concrete. They want to use our own weapons against them and this we cannot allow. We must, by whatever means, frustrate this attempt and eradicate it from historical memory.
Recently, a gunman opened fire in a Queer nightclub in the U.S. state of Florida. Armed with an automatic weapon and a handgun, the terrorist managed to kill at least fifty people and wound dozens more before he was killed by police as he attempted to take hostages. The attack is the worst mass-shooting in U.S. history.
What can we say about this incident? The moralist left has already had their share: it is a senseless, violent act perpetuated by someone deeply disturbed; their hearts are with everyone in this senseless tragedy. Although it is never bad to sympathize and show solidarity with those affected by terrorism, when it comes to violence against oppressed and marginalized communities, such sentimentality misses the point of why the act of violence was carried out in the first place.
In contemporary America, capitalism is, and has been for a long while, in a state of decay. Neoliberalism and neoconservatism have eroded a whole host of welfare and social programs, while, in turn, the Right-wing have gained immensely as Identity Politics have taken the stage; scientific and revolutionary ideology, meanwhile, has degenerated, with Leftist-hobby tendencies (such as Left Communism and Trotskyism), taking a more prominent level of appreciation to the point where they are seen as the official incarnations of Marxism.
This is all to say that the situation in the United States is bleak. The ruling class, moreover, knows that it is bleak and hence why they attempt to bulwark their rotting edifice by prompting identity politics. Although not a time or a place to go into detail on the nature of Queer individualism and identity politics more generally, it needs to be said that the rationale for this latest act of terrorism lies in the hands of the bourgeoisie and their advancement of postmodern Id-Pol.
We need to remember that the capitalist class is in crisis. This is why they are pushing identity politics– they want people, especially minority, oppressed, and super-exploited groups, to feel as if their community has a role to play. So, in order to accomplish this, they have launched a campaign of reform and multi-identity acceptance. Understanding that they have nothing to fear from same-sex marriage and anti-binary gender distinctions, they discarded the archaic heterosexist marriage laws and have allowed trans-queer activists to enter the political fold (so as to, like Gay and Black groups before them, have their goals ultimately usurped by the liberal bourgeois elements and thus recuperated into the superstructure as an instance of American exceptionalism).
Such a moment is done, remember, while ultra-conservative and Rightist neo-reactionary elements have thrived in a country where, under the pushing of minority Identity Politics as spearheaded by Obama the Bomber, have incited counterrevolutionary forces to the zenith of their paranoid-delusional fantasies and conspiracy theories. Under Obama, anti-Semitic, White Supremacist, Neo-Nazi groups have exploded and along with this explosion a deluge of misinformation and historical revisionism; we now see a political landscape mired with forces who view their idea of America as a thing of the past, where ‘ultra lefties, pinkos, commies,’ and the rest, have stolen the country and are indoctrinating youth with their esoteric academic views on gender and sexuality.
While much in the Leftist media have covered the violence against Black and Persons of color in this epoch of identity, little has been said in regards to Queer life. This is funny because non-heteronormative persons suffer all the same under a white-cis-hetero supremacist regime (especially, those Queer Persons of Color who, in this moment as the gunman being identified as someone from Afghan ancestry, will need solidarity which does more than express good wishes).
This brings us back to our present moment where, as over a hundred innocent people are made casualties at the hand of a terrorist, the Moralist left fails to consider the deeper ramifications of this assault; instead of organizing and publishing slogans of resistance to what is clearly a fascistic attack, the Queer and left groups are content to sentimentally mourn over this senseless tragedy instead of organizing self-defense committees and beginning the armament campaign needed to fend off fascist terror.
Fascist terror is not senseless; it is directed and rationalized. Deluded, but rational in its application: they want to “take America back” and “make America great again.” And they know how to do it.
The Leftist response to this attack should be something more than solidarity with the victims, it should, and needs to be, more than merely a sentimental tribute to the victims– it needs to be organized resistance to the white-hetero patriarchy which has fostered this death cult. It needs to be resistance led by a scientific ideal. Otherwise, we can expect to see more of these attacks without the proper means of ending the terror, all the while the further radicalization of the Right spurs ever greater means of violence.
As many readers should know, the situation in Russia (and Eastern Europe in general) has been bleak lately for our Gay brethren and sisters. Between attacks by Neo-Nazis and even the homophobia of many so-called “Leftists”, Russian Queers are in a dismal state of occupancy with few allies willing to help in their struggle. After all, when the overwhelming sentiment on the ground is that “gay propaganda” must be “contained”, so as to not affect the children (won’t somebody think of the children?!”– re young boys– any Queer activist knows that something must be done to counteract the hate and reactionaries.
While it is but a small step, a group of anonymous Russian artists has embarked on an interesting mission. Subverting the “gay propaganda” skit used by reactionaries, this collective of artists has repurposed Soviet-era propaganda posters for use in the equality movement. Dubbing their creation “Pride Propaganda”, these re-worked posters take the national-chauvunism held by many contemporary Russian nationalists and inverts the core idea to indicate homosexual love and acceptance.
Below are some examples:
Father, mother, the whole family!Queer workers lead the way!Shout it to the sky, you love of labor and yourself!Pride extends even to the skies!Every school boy and girl should be able to be proud of who they are in the school-place, without fear of attack from reactionaries.A vibrant reminder that proud Queers are part of the working class as well, and must assert themselves for their right of inclusion!
Obviously I have not been updating this blog frequently or even irregularly at this point. This is not to say that I have not been accurately aware of when people comment or even the general stats of the blog. I have just been very preoccupied with the typical: writing essays, theorizing, waging unending blood war against the religious and political Right, and huffing fairy dust(*) (you know, the typical young adult stuff). However, I have not forgotten about the people who view my posts. I still intend on creating original multi-media content when I am able to buy a new computer but until that magically day I am moribund with my junker. But since I will be making an effort to post a least a little more frequently, and while I whittle away on my newest advice guide for ya’ll, I wanted to just post this hold-over until I am able to post something more substantial. It is just a compendium of useful posts for the wandering teen or young adult to enjoy, posts which I believe in some way of value to anyone willing to click on a site with the word “Queer” in the title. Enjoy!
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Self-Help/Advice
The Gay Guide to High School: A primer (of sorts) concerning some situations which you may encounter at some time in high school. Though the post/short story itself is short, there are many additional comments left by others users and myself which expound upon the core material.
Cyber-Bullying: How to Prevent and Manage Online Harassment: Online can be fun and harmful. Predators are everywhere and though the comments section on a politically charged story often come with more than one politically incorrect surprise, with this guide you will know that you are not alone nor the only one with a bit of hesitation about the internet.
Overcoming Obsession: Outgrowing Infatuation with Straight Peers: Every gay kid knows the feeling– that moment when you realize you have fallen for someone who is totally straight; the sadness, awkward feeling and loneliness. It weighs on you night and day and doesn’t make seeing him around school any easier. Read this post to gain some helpful advice on how to handle these less-than-awesome feelings.
Queer Forward: Resisting Bigotry and Struggling for Social Change: Although this post only applies to people with a hankering for activism, and has some protocol/situational advice which is only useful in large cities, I think the general contents will be of interest to anyone wanting to help alter their community for the better.
Personal Stories: Queers Talk about “Coming Out” and Accepting Themselves
Coming Out: The Inner War: I, the blogmaster (TGU), share my coming out story. Dramatic and lovely, if you enjoy reading tales of people revealing their true selves, then you will want to give this a glance.
Love and Support: Why they are Needed: An entry which discusses the virtues of a loving family and the support they can offer to their kids who are still struggling with their own identities.
Defending Queers: The Queering of Life
The Ex-Gay Myth: A polemic concerning the fallacies of the so-called “Ex-Gay” movement and why they are liars, hypocrites, and delusional and self-loathing persons who harm the liberation movement.
In Defense of Gay Pride: In a time when so many supposedly proud gay men and lesbian women feel the need to attack the concept of Gay Pride, due to ignorant and misplaced idealism, this posts argues decisively in favor of pride as both a tool for self-empowerment, as well as a political weapon against the right-wing.
(*) Warning: Tinker Bell is a pain in the butt to catch and much crankier when you do… proceed with caution!
Not too long ago a prominent ultra-conservative radio show host defended Russia’s anti-gay propaganda law by claiming that the Russian government is simply being “homo-realistic”, that they are accepting the reality of homosexuality and taking preventive efforts to stop an “unhealthy lifestyle”. Reading this excuse for blatant bigotry brought me back to reactionary politics in general and reminded me of the “Race Realists” who pander the same dribble regarding Colored Persons.
Among reactionary strata this line of thought is not uncommon. Rather it proliferates as capitalism decays and the progressive tide gains in strength. The reason why is simple: because it doing so the proponents are able to take a “moral high ground”; through rejecting the climate of change they claim they are not rejecting change itself, per se, but rather being realistic about the future, about reality.
The “Race-Realists” claim that interracial couples threaten the “superiority” of the White man, that other races are not as intelligent or creative as Whites. Backing up this claim they are quick to say they do not hate other races but simply wish to see their own race continue[1]. In this light much of the same can be said of these “Homo-Realistic” individuals: they claim to love gay people and because they “love” them so much they must be honest with them and inform them of the sinful, unhealthy lifestyle they lead. As part of this deranged logic they claim that their love shines through by denying questioning youth gay affirming icons and imagery (the understanding that without such constructs in sight they would develop “normally”).
As Leftist we must realize (as most of us already know) that both of these “theories”, and others like them, are nothing but junk. They are not legitimate worldly outlooks and as such do not lead to proactive results. The end-result of granting such theories a safe place to grow is uncontested misery in the form of depressed, suicidal youth and ashamed racial minorities.
Make no mistake- there is no such thing as being “Homo-Realistic” or “Race-Realistic” .Each concept are excuses for bigotry. There is no reality to race or homosexuality. Both exist exactly as they appear: varying Melatonin levels and biological roots; skin color is simply skin color and sexual attraction is blasé. Neither determines the intellectual capacity or heath standing of an individual
[1] The “White Man’s Burden” pseudo-theory can be considered an outgrowth of this line of thinking when previous defenses fail; they claim that it is the White man’s burden to help civilize and uplift the other races and that in return these people must acknowledge the actions taken towards them as “positive”. This was largely been a justification for Imperialism.
I have not updated this sub-project of mine for a while so it is natural for comrades to not have a deep understanding of what this post incorporates. Simply put this sub-project is simply a weekly symmetrization of events examined from a revolutionary Queer perspective. While when I started this endeavor I regularly updated every week events caused me to peter out until I all but abandoned consistent updates. Such is the past, however. I am not back and willing to re-start such periodicals. While I cannot promise updates every week I will certainty try to provide at least a couple of updates per month.
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The biggest news story of week has undoubtedly been the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, on the 11th. This event caused sensational speculation as to the reasons with many not accepting the given reason of the Pope’s advanced age. Marking the first resignation in 600 years this is a dramatic event.
Personally I do not see this has anything truly historic, not at least, for Queer people. As always we can hope that the next pope is more Queer-friendly, less chauvinistic, and embraces science instead of pseudo-science. Yet there is a decent precedent that progress of any kind is slow to non-existent, especially when some of the recent contenders for the new Pope are as equally reactionary as Benedict was.
Currently there are pro-gay catholic groups and other liberal religionists who sent lukewarm congratulatory messages to the Pope on his decision. They do this to mask their own displeasure with his policies. This is a typical ploy on the bourgeoisfied portions of the working class in order to seem respectable.
Yet it is not my position as my position is that the man formerly known as Pope Benedict the XVI is an arch-criminal responsible for the deaths of thousands of queer teenagers and juvenile rape. His dark-age positions on modern life have no place in the current century. It is precisely because of his words which untold numbers of Queer people suffered and are denied equal rights all while his cohort of pedophile priests have their way with young boys. He is a monster and in an ideal world would be tried and convicted of crimes against humanity.
Such statements are loaded but are reflected well in our society. Perhaps this is nowhere better seen than in Sullivan Indiana High School where a splinter group of bigots sought to create a parallel prom barring Queer youth from attending. The group, which has it reasons for doing so rooted in religious superstition, was comprised of some students, parents and even a teacher. The quote which caught the attention of the nation was spoken by Diana Medley who answered she didn’t believe gay people had a purpose in life when asked about her attitude towards homosexuals.
While their efforts to build this alternative prom were justly shut down by school officials it is a testament that theist garbage still maintains a stranglehold in contemporary American society. This, of course, means that revolutionaries have much work to do in combating hatemongers who use the sacred cloth of religion to justify their actions. It means we must redouble our efforts at building radical anti-capitalist theist groups while our militant atheist shock troops do their best in combating general supernatural discord.
Yet not all assaults on Queer people directly involve religion. Sometimes the evil is rooted in religion but expresses itself in a more secular or agonistic manner. This is relevant within the comic book industry where on the lust for profits have turned formerly pro-gay DC Comics to hire anti-gay writer Orson Scott Card to pen the new Superman comic. Card, who is best known for his masterpiece Ender’s Game, is also a board member of the anti-Queer National Organization for Marriage (NOM). A spokesperson for the company sleazed his way out of explaining the rationale behind the move by simply saying any messages within the pages of the new comics is not the position of the company itself but rather that of the individual writer. This is an expected ploy on their move to cover up the glaring fact there is no deep meaning behind their actions other than the craving to make a quick buck off of the high sales this combination will produce.
Stretching further we can see such morals taken to a still further extreme within New York where on the 14th of February, three gay men were found dead. While some days later the police announced they believe caught one of the assumed several killers, the fact that deranged individuals still feel confident enough to stalk and kill gay men says volumes about how much work still needs to be done.
None of these stories are a coincidence. They are all indirectly connected in that the anti-Queer bias still prevalent in Western society is alive and well. The special role played by religionists and other reactionary groups prone to bigotry cannot be over-looked. Theist dogma has spread its claws deep into the psyche of conservative and ignorant citizens. As revolutionaries we must recognize that the more we fight for genuine progress, and the more archaic values relating to gods dissipate, the more virile religionist violence will assume.
A anti-ExGay activists hitting the streets to promote tolerance instead of hate.
For decades now the religious right has espoused the antiquated belief that through faith, prayer, and submission to god a homosexual person can be converted to heterosexuality. This is an outright lie. An individual’s sexual orientation is an inborn and unchangeable feature about them and cannot be changed, altered, or ‘morphed’ under any circumstances or settings. Testimonials to the contrary are usually short lived opinions by people who later discover that they simply repressed their feelings instead of changing. The bigots on the right, and in some cases the left, hold up discredited pseudo-science as their guiding light and worm in under democratic freedoms their supposed right to spew their hate but such language has long been fought and will continue to be fought.
Ever since American Psychiatric Association (A.P.A) removed homosexuality from their list of diseases in 1973 the social landscape began to shift towards a more enlightened understanding. Activism picked up in areas where gay and lesbian participation was previously unseen and more and more civil rights were being won in states all across the United States and indeed the world. From the A.P.A’s monumental decision other health organizations followed. Soon all the major psychological associations removed homosexuality from their respective lists and the public gradually swayed to the side of progressive change.
However, not all embraced the changes, for American society had long been ruled by conservative and liberal hatemongers who understood little about their own sexual orientation other than their lust for women. Naturally, with such ignorance pervading society many reactionary groups sprung up to oppose further progress. From this backlash emerged the ultimate perversion: religious backed “Ex-Gay Ministries.”
With the first “Ex-Gay” ministry founded in the same year that the A.P.A removed homosexuality as a disease the religious right showed that they intended to fight progress at any cost. Love In Action was the first “Ex-Gay” ministry and fell apart relatively quickly when one of the founders, Jack McIntyre, committed suicide after not being able to change, and another left after realizing that changing was impossible.
After Rev. Kent Philpott wrote his infamous book, The Third Sex, which featured six homosexuals who had claimed to convert to heterosexuality (though it was later revealed that all the individuals did in fact not change but simply suppressed their feelings) dozens of other “reorientation ministries” popped up claiming to “help” those “struggling” with unwanted homosexuality. It would only be a few years later, in September of 1976, that the largest “Ex-Gay” ministry, Exodus International, would be created thus launching the struggle for gay pride and identity into a deadly fight for survival.
“Ex-Gay Therapy”
The techniques employed by so called “Ex-gay” therapists are cultish at best. Among the list of stunning mind-control and alteration demands are, according to gay wonder blog Truth Wins Out: “snapping a rubber band on your wrist every time you are aroused by another man (or another woman if you are a lesbian), looking at a tree/wall and repeatedly saying that it is a color which it isn’t and forcing yourself to believe it, always striving to win otherwise defeat will cause homosexual thoughts, conversion through hypnosis, playing sports will make you a heterosexual (assuming that no homosexuals happily play sports), and gaining weight. Needless to say none of these ridiculous methods will cure anything, let alone “convert” someone to a foreign orientation. However, to gain a real appreciation for how absurd these techniques are hear some quotes from the wackjobs themselves…
‘My weight started to increase, and I found little desire to keep on a strict diet and stay fashionably slim. My very appearance was changing. I was looking less and less gay. And I was perfectly happy about it.’(John Paulk, Author, Not Afraid to Change)
‘I would start to experience a sexual response… So I would look out my car window and say something like, “Gosh, Lord, there’ a tree out there! That tree is green, and has leaves on it. It’ got brown bark.’ I would fix my mind on anything to distract myself…Over time, that made me mentally disciplined enough to displace all lesbian thoughts, period.’(Anne Paulk, Co-Author, “Love Won Out”)
‘When we consider that there is no objective distinction between homosexuality and the other perversions, we can easily see how the development of the homosexual “habit’ fits into this framework (of cures through medication). Some [homosexuals]…are being successfully treated with Prozac. Here too, sexual reorientation is reported to have occurred incidentally.’ (Dr. Jeffrey Satinover , M.D., Author, “Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth”)
‘Non-homosexual men who experience defeat and failure may also experience homosexual fantasies or dreams.’ (Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality)”
The list goes on and on.
“Ex-Gay” Scandals: Caught in the Lie
If there is one thing that so-called “Ex-Gays” are proficient at it is lying through their deluded teeth.Over the courseof the “Ex-Gay” movement there have been several high profile defections and scandals which prove the asinine claims of change are faulty.
On September 19th, 2000 Jon Paulk, chairman of Exodus International, was photographed at a gay bar in Washington D.C. The incident cost him his job at Exodus.
In 2003 Michael Johnston, founder of The National Coming Out of Homosexuality Day, resigned after allegations rose that he had sex with men he had met on the internet.
“…In 2000, Wade Richards appeared as a media spokesperson for a group called the Saviors Alliance for Lifting the Truth and gave his testimony of “change” at a major press conference sponsored by right-wing zealot Peter LaBarbera, who now works at Americans For Truth. But a year later, Richards rebuked the “ex-gay” ministries when he came out in an interview with the Advocate magazine…
… In the early 1970′ Gary Cooper and Michael Bussee were counselors at an “ex-gay” ministry in Anaheim, Calif. In 1976, they organized the first national conference of “ex-gay” ministries. At this conference, Exodus International was formed and it is now the world’ largest “ex-gay” organization. While traveling on behalf of Exodus, the two men acknowledged that they had not changed and were in love with each other. They soon divorced their wives, moved in together and held a commitment ceremony. In 2006, Bussee apologized at an Ex-Gay Survivors Conference for his key role in starting Exodus International…”
Colin Cook, founder of Homosexuals Anonymous, found his career had collapsed after it was discovered he had been giving nude massages to his patients. Later, when he was once more in the “Ex-Gay” industry, he once more found his career in jeopardy after accusations of phone sex, hugging and other such behavior surfaced.
“…In 1987, Jeremy Marks founded Courage, London’ first “ex-gay” ministry. In 2001, after nearly 15 years of watching people – including himself – struggle in vain to “change”, he renounced Exodus, saying that they were failing in their efforts to change peoples’ sexual orientation…
Desert Stream ministries acknowledged in their Mid-Year 2001 Report that, ‘At the end of 2000, we faced an unusual number of Desert-Stream-related leaders who fell into sexual sin, or who at least demonstrated a colossal lack of wisdom in their social choices…Several were placed on different plans of discipline and restoration.’
In its Summer 2003 newsletter, Portland Fellowship announced that its long-time director Phil Hobizal was stepping down because of an “emotional entanglement” with a man.
In Sept. 2007, ex-gay therapist Christopher Austin was convicted of sexually assaulting a client.
In 2002, therapist Richard Cohen, former president of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) and head of the International Healing Foundation (IHF) was permanently expelled [from] the American Counseling Association.”
As any with a functioning brain can see the scandals of the “Ex-gay” movement spread far and wide. The statistics of those who “relapsed” back into homosexuality are expectedly high as well as those who later came out and said that “Ex-Gay” therapy is bogus and cannot change anything about you, let along your sexual orientation.
The glaring inconsistencies listed above are, of course, the more prominent. One cannot overlook the countless scandals which involved “Ex-Gay therapists” sexually abusing their clients, activists being convicted on child pornography, and a vast multitude of other hypocrisies and societal cancers reflected in the behaviors of such people.
The “Ex-Gay” industry is built on occurrences like this because no amount of “therapy,” prayer, worship, or faith will ever change a person’s sexual orientation or identity. The most one can hope for is denial and repression. However, since the vast majority of people do not deal well with denial they inevitably end up ‘spilling the beans’ and confessing to the deranged nature of “reorientation” techniques.
With California the first such state to officially ban all so-called “reparative therapy” earlier in 2012 truly the signs are there which show that not only are the “Ex-gays” a severely repressed group of society but that civilization at large is coming to reject their asinine espousals as well.
Real Science: The Biological Evidence of Innate Development
Now that you have heard the ridiculous claims made by the religious right it is time to hear the evidence which asserts that sexual orientation is an inborn trait and is not something “chosen” by the individual.
“In 1993, the National Institute of Health’ Dean Hamer illustrated that homosexuality might be inherited from the mother by her sons through a specific region of the X chromosome (Xq28). Hamer demonstrated this by noting that 33 out of 40 pairs of homosexual brothers whom he studied showed the same variation in the tip of the chromosome.”– Hamer DH, Hu S, Magnuson VL, Hu N. and Pattatucci AML. A linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation. Science 1993; 261:320-326.
“A June 2006 Canadian study published in the journal, “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,” said that nature, instead of nurture, explains the origins of homosexuality. The study’ author, Prof. Anthony F. Bogaert, at Brock University in Ontario, explored the causes behind what is known as the fraternal birth order. The research showed a correlation between the number of biological older brothers a man has and his sexual orientation. Dividing his sample of more than 900 heterosexual and homosexual men into four groups, Bogaert examined the impact of all types of older brothers, including step and adopted siblings, and the amount of time brothers spent together while growing up.His research found that only the number of biological brothers had an impact on sexuality, regardless of whether the boys were raised together.”– Bogaert, A.F. 2006. Biological versus nonbiological older brothers and men’s sexual orientation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 103 July 11 2006.
* “A study released in May 2006 by Swedish scientists demonstrates that biology plays a key role in determining a person’ sexuality. The research shows that the portion of the brain that helps regulate sexuality — the hypothalamus – reacted the exact same way in straight women and gay men when exposed to male pheromones, which are chemicals designed to provoke a behavior, such as sexual arousal. The same area of the brain only became stimulated in heterosexual men when introduced to female pheromones.”– by Ivanka Savic article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, (PNAS) “Brain Response To Putative Pheromones In Homosexual Men,” (Vol. 102 No. 19) May 10, 2005.
* “In 2005, Dr. Brian Mustanski of the University of Illinois at Chicago published a study in the esteemed biomedical journal Human Genetics, claiming he identified three chromosomal regions linked to sexual orientation in men: 7q36, 8p12 and 10q26.”– “A Genomewide Scan of Male Sexual Orientation”, Human Genetics, Vol. 116, No. 4, pp. 272-278, 2005.
* “In 2003, University of Texas psychoacoustics specialist Dennis McFadden found that when measuring the way the brain reacts to sound, lesbians fell in between heterosexual men and straight women, suggesting they might be exposed to higher than normal levels of male hormone in utero.”– Loehlin, John C.; McFadden, David. “Otoacoustic emissions, auditory evoked potentials, and traits related to sex and sexual orientation”. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 1 April 2003.
* “In 2003, University of Liverpool biologist John T. Manning found that the lesbians whom he studied have a hand pattern that resembles a man’ more than a straight female’. Manning concluded from his study that this “strongly tells us that female homosexuals have had higher levels of exposure to testosterone before birth.”– Neave, N., Laing, S., Fink, B., Manning, J.T (2003) Second to fourth digit ratio, testosterone, and perceived male dominance. Proceedings of the Royal Society B (Lond), 270, 2167-2172.
* “A 1991 study by Dr. Simon LeVay found that a specific region of the hypothalamus is twice as large in heterosexual men as it is in women or gay men. This strongly points the role of biology in sexual orientation.”– Levay, Simon “A difference in hypothalamic structure between homosexual and heterosexual men” Science. 1991 Volume 253, Issue 5023, pp. 1034-1037.
* “Another 1991 study by scientists Richard Pillard and John M. Baily studied homosexuality among brothers and found that 53 percent of identical twins were both gay. In adoptive brothers, 11 percent were both homosexual. Of non-twin biological siblings, 9 percent were gay. Again, this points to solid evidence that homosexuality is a matter of nature.”– Bailey JM, Pillard RC (1991). A genetic study of male sexual orientation. Archives of General Psychiatry, 48, 1089-1096.
* “The JUN/JUL 2006 issue of Seed Magazine points out that at least 450 vertebrate species engage in homosexual behavior.”– Lehrer, Jonah. “The Gay Animal kingdom” Seed Magazine. Jun/Jul 2006.”
AS you can Cleary see the evidence overwhelmingly points to inborn, genetic factors which determine one’s sexual orientation, and NOT choice, molestation, sex, rape, or any other garbage fantasy imagined by the bigotedly ignorant.
The “Ex-Gay” Assault on Youth and Education
Despite this mountain of evidence that proves “Ex-Gay” therapy false the religious right not only continues their battle to misinform but brings their crusade into the realm of public education.
Some wide, and potent, examples of the religiously deluded attempting to, and sometimes succeeding, in their hateful war are as follows…
“ …On May 2, 2006, Orlando-based Liberty Counsel and Washington-based Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) launched their joint “Change is Possible Campaign.” The goal is to threaten schools with frivolous lawsuits unless they allow the scientifically bankrupt message of ex-gays into classrooms.
The Christian Post reported in April 2006 that Liberty Counsel will ask students to distribute literature and put up posters promoting ex-gay messages. “We also encourage them to start Gay to Straight Clubs, and ask that the ex-gay viewpoint be included in all diversity day presentations that discuss homosexuality,” said a statement from the law firm.
Viroqua High School, near La Crosse, Wisconsin, cancelled Diversity Day in March 2006 after the Liberty Counsel threatened a lawsuit unless “ex-gays” were allowed to participate.
A high school in New Hampshire invited ex-gay activist Aaron Shorey to present his story on Civil Rights Day last year. He’s working with several other New England schools to get permission for similar presentations. The ex-gay group Inqueery, based in Des Moines, has also sent speakers to public high schools. In Boulder, Colo., educators are considering including an ex-gay pamphlet in a resource guide to help teachers handle questions about sexuality.
Similar lawsuits may be filed in New Jersey where Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH) is seeking parents and students willing to sue to get the ex-gay view into schools.
In 2005, a federal judge sided with PFOX in a lawsuit against a Maryland school district. PFOX had sued to block the district’s new sex-education curriculum, arguing that its treatment of homosexuality was biased. The judge wrongly agreed that students should hear pseudo-science and PFOX now has a seat on the committee charged with drafting new lesson plans.”
When dealing with the religious right it is important to remember that they are not interested in democracy or freedom but rather only in their own twisted theocratic version of America. They will bully, intimidate, and coerce their view anywhere which it is not already present.
The “Ex-Gay” target youth because “children” are often the most venerable members of our society. Still mired in the pit of adolescence and all the sexual frustration that goes with ‘coming of age’ the theocrats need the clocks to turn back to a time when all signs of Queer culture and identity were violently erased. Since this condition no longer exists in many European and American societies they are reduced to petty indoctrination. Ignoring the fact that the “Ex-Gay” industry actively has within its ranks people who fake to be “Ex-Gay” in exchange for money, the monetary attraction is another primary reason why many so called “Ex-Gay therapists” have arisen; guilt, hatred, a way out all have common endnote- money; money which goes straight in the pockets of homophobes and sell-outs. Making a quick buck has never been more deadly.
This is the realty of the “Ex-Gay” movement: a mass of hypocritical, hatemongering, zealots which bully their way into schools, recruit the young to their deluded message, and spread forth lies. There is nothing remotely true in the words of such preachers. If there are any redeeming qualities it is that some have seen ‘the light’ and have fought back against the hate.
There is no such thing as “Ex-Gay,” Only people who have deluded themselves into believing that they have changed. No amount of prayer, worship, faith, or “therapy” will ever cause someone to change sexual orientation. Everyone is inborn with an orientation and such a concrete fact is unbreakable and unchangeable.
The Queer Gathering 