Truth Wins Out Rebukes 'Ex-Gay' Therapist for Promoting Bullying in School

[Omaha Steve]

FULL story: http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=71564

Truth Wins Out Rebukes 'Ex-Gay' Therapist for Promoting Bullying in Schools

8/31/2006 12:52:00 PM

To: National Desk

Contact: Wayne Besen of Truth Wins Out, 917-691-5118 or [e-mail]

MIAMI BEACH, Fla., Aug. 31 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Truth Wins Out (1) today condemned Toronto psychiatrist Joesph Berger, M.D., for encouraging students to "ridicule" gender variant children. Berger, who serves on the "Scientific Advisory Committee" for the "ex-gay" group the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), made his remarks (2) in response to a San Francisco Chronicle article (3) that explored gender issues in schools.

"I suggest, indeed, letting children who wish go to school in clothes of the opposite sex -- but not counseling other children to not tease them or hurt their feelings," Dr. Berger wrote on NARTH's website. "On the contrary, don't interfere, and let the other children ridicule the child who has lost that clear boundary between play-acting at home and the reality needs of the outside world. Maybe, in this way, the child will re-establish that necessary boundary."

Earlier today, TWO contacted the Ontario branch of the American Psychiatric Association and the Canadian Human Rights Commission (4) to inquire about filing complaints against Dr. Berger for inciting potential violence and advocating possible child abuse.

"Joseph Berger has confused therapy with thuggery and he should be censured for unethical and unprofessional conduct," said TWO's Executive Director Wayne Besen. "His comments put children at risk and exposes NARTH's dangerous agenda at a time when the 'ex-gay' industry is attempting to infiltrate public schools."

[BushOut06]

1. No such thing as "ex-gay"

These people make me sick. There is NO SUCH THING as someone who is ex-gay. You don't choose to be gay! If anything, these are people who have simply gone back into the closet, and have learned to repress their true identities.

[William769]

7. Amen to that brother!

[Maat]

2. This PFLAGer donates to Truth Wins Out! Go Wayne! (n/t)

[marmar]

3. Sure. Ridicule a group of teens with an already high suicide rate...

Joseph Berger, M.D., needs his license revoked - he's a quack. Why are these ex-gay types so filled with self-hate?

[Trillo]

5. I agree. revoke the license. It was my first thought.

Given how that's done by peers for doctors, who themselves want to be looked after should they come up for revocation, the 'closed society' of medicine is unlikely to "cooperate" with concepts of 'protecting the children'.

[Divine Discontent]

6. yeah, wonderrrrrr why? ha... sad! go Wayne! hope my repressed friends

wake up!

[Trillo]

4. Another Blind eye turned to Bullying

this time by a so-called healthcare professional who should know better.

[deadparrot]

8. Encouraging abuse. Very Christian of him. nt

[nealmhughes]

9. Why would a little gay boy want to wear a dress to school? Perhaps a

transgendered biological boy might, but a gay boy? Is he presuming that the AF clone has been surplanted by mini drag queens as the latest de rigeur clothing style in juvenile gay Canada?

[bluestateguy]

10. School bullying should be a punishable felony

a few months or years in juvenile hall should straighten out some of these punks.

[area51]

11. A therapist who encourages bullying?

He needs therapy. :mad:

[Strathos]

12. "re-establish that necessary boundary"

Isn't that what it's all about? Control. They want to control every aspect of our lives including who we sleep with and what clothes we wear and how we think. I hate those fuckers.

I heard this morning on the news that the Pope was thinking of "intelligent design" and a person being interviews said,(paraphrasing) "what if we are accidental? How would we treat each other if people thought we were just here without a divine plan?"

Man, that spoke volumes and made me think that Dan Brown might not be that far off in his thinking.

[LostinVA]

13. Berger has also confused sexual orientation with gender identity

God, I HATE this people. Seriously, I really do hate them. If there is such as thing as being evil, then people like Berger are the embodiment of it. Ugh. They sicken me.

[yellowcanine]

14. WTF? Drinking Gatorade and calling each other "dude" is masculine???

The group attempts to make male clients more masculine by encouraging them to drink Gatorade and calling other men "dude."

Who knew?

[LostinVA]

15. That's not just disturbing, it's stupid

[yellowcanine]

16. Sounds like a bunch of boy scouts who never grew up.

[daleo]

17. What is it with Gatorade anyway?

One week it is being called a terrorist bomb precursor, the next week it is essential for masculine identity. What special powers does this concoction posses?

[sofa king]

18. The Dude abides.

[sendero]

19. Yes..

... he does :) :) :)

[AnneD]

20. I have dealt with children...

for over 13 years as a School Nurse. I have come to the conclusion that kids are hardwired for sexual preference in utero (long before the recent study came out). There are some kids that play in their gender specific ways. Now just because a girl happens to play with a truck now and again doesn't mean she will become a lesbian or a boy that plays with a doll will be gay. But those that I have observed consistently displaying other sex preferences have later become gay or bi (I have pretty good gay-dar to begin with).

I think the sooner we realize that sexual preference is neither a disease or changeable behavior, the sooner we can focus on more important issues. The God I worship loves infinite variety and placed us here to love one another. The sooner we realize this, the sooner we can make our heaven on earth.O8)