Counselors Assoc. Stifles Ex-'Gay' Perspective from Conference

[kweerwolf]

Ahhhhh ... what would a day be like with out the daily dose of homophobic drivel from our friends at the American Family Ass(hole)ociation?

An ex-"gay" group claims it was the victim of viewpoint discrimination last weekend at a school counselors' conference in Richmond, Virginia. PFOX -- Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays -- says it was kicked out of the annual convention of the Virginia School Counselor Association for promoting change from the homosexual lifestyle.

According to PFOX spokesman Dr. Warren Throckmorton, the conservative group had applied for, paid for, and received permission to exhibit at the conference -- but school counselors objected to some materials on the PFOX table. Throckmorton says even though PFOX removed the offending materials, which included a brochure that asks "Can Gays Change?", the two female representatives for PFOX were ordered to dismantle their table.

"And I think that's a sad thing," Throckmorton offers. "I think it's a shocking thing, really, that these two grandmothers, who were there out of concern for kids and safety in schools and kids making good decisions about their sexuality, ... would be treated in such a manner."

"The irony is lost, I guess, on them that the silencing of a perspective is intolerant," he says. "And no one there at the PFOX table was advocating any harm to anybody; in fact, they were advocating safety for all."

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/4/afa/42006d.asp

Talk about irony!

"And no one there at the PFOX table was advocating any harm to anybody ...

The entire mainstream psychiatric and psycological field (meaning everyone not in the extreme lunatic fringe) has repeatedly said that attempts to change sexual orientation ARE harmful. Of course the AFA - and no doubt the two grannies who got their shrivelled asses kicked out of the conference - get around that by claiming that the denunciations of "ex-gay" programs by such groups as the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association are vast conspiracies by a cabal of covert homosexuals working to implement the ever-illusive "radical homosexual agenda."

[saltpoint]

1. I think Throckmorton's smarmy press comments are indicative of

these conservative groups' general attitude toward many issues.

I lump that kind of thinking right in there with the Dark Ages suspicion that women who could swim were witches. "Ex-gay" therapies are bad science, twisted sociology, and very dangerous to education.

I'd like to ask Throckmorton to his face how he defends the ministry of Jesus, which more or less was comprised of traveling around Galilee with 12 guys and a prostitute.

The rightwing in this country is absolutely insane.

[marmar]

3. "The rightwing in this country is absolutely insane."

Apeshit crazy. And none wackier than the extreme religious right.

[kevinbgoode]

4. Frankly, what I get irritated the most about these recurring

situations, is that we all end up bitching about having to deal with these people, when to me the logical thing would be to help set up and support an EX-EX gay group who is given space RIGHT NEXT TO PFOX. . .along with literature debunking these people. I'd bet PFOX would cry "foul" in a big, fat hurry and then we could slap them with viewpoint discrimination as well. We should be demanding that when these people try to sue the schools as well, but it seems as if we just continue to play defense and take another hit every day.

[saltpoint]

5. A very good point, kevinbgoode. I think you're prediction that PFOX

and other such groups would cry foul is right-on.

Probably a lot of people who are attracted to groups like that in the first place are folks who don't like to be questioned.

Wouldn't hurt one bit to begin questioning them. There's a junk science / junk sociology component, too. I'd love to have an assertively pro-Science ticket running against the GOP next time. Originally a Bradley delegate, I wouldn't mind if Al Gore ran in 08. He's as strongly pro-Science as just about anybody.

Loved the originality of your suggestion. Thank you.

[BR_Parkway]

6. Perfect strategy - same as standing next to them signing petitions

to have divorce constitutionally banned to 'protect marriage' when they want one of their its-ok-to-hate gays for power and profit amendment drives.

having Muslims join in the lawsuits to pray in school and post whatever their version of the 10 commandments right next to the fundie version.

They keep fooling many that they (wingnuts) are looking out for America's morals - we need to show that what they really want is to shove their narrow little agenda down our throats. That they want special rights for the followers of their particular cult AND want everyone else to have to live by those same rules.

[Maat]

2. WHY hasn't Throckmorton's license been revoked? (n/t)

[realisticphish]

9. because

of the fucked-up ways that licensing boards work. Like it or not, licensing boards are indeed partly there to protect people, but they're mostly there to protect the professionals. Plus, they aren't guarenteed to be intelligent. I know of one case where a board didn't give a psychiatrist his license because he failed a Rorschach test. He did fine on the MMPI, and the Boeck Depression Index, but because he failed an extremely subjective and controvertial test, he didn't get his license.

[NMMNG]

7. Bwahahaha

"The irony is lost, I guess, on them that the silencing of a perspective is intolerant," he says. "

Those f*ckwits aren't saying that when they are trying to silence GSLAs, Tolerance programs and other groups that promote healthy interactions between straight and gay students in schools. :eyes:

[realisticphish]

8. Yes

I, as a student of psychology, am just another cog in the Machiavellian machine that is the radical homosexual agenda. :eyes:

Huh, I wonder why they were exluded... OH! I know! It's because all major mental health organizations officially hold that they're full of shit. Have your own conference if you want to peddle bullshit.