Attempts to brain-wash homosexual teens: I despair for society

I was shocked and disgusted by the article, its headline: "Praying away the gay" on the first and fifth pages of the June 10th Sunday Mail. Certain American and Australian Christian groups employed brain-washing techniques with the purpose of 'straightening out' homosexual teenagers and children. Such events seemed at odds with the apparent rise of social equality and anti prejudice movements in our societies, particularly after governmental actions against racism. Was I wrong? The perpetrators make me wonder if ignorant and hateful people will ever leave the rest of the world alone.

"Homosexuality is treated in the therapies as a disorder that can be brought on through abuse as a child or lack of a strong father figure" -McKenna and Murray for the Sunday Mail.

My summary of the article:
This brain-washing practice is being enacted on homosexual Queenslanders by certain Christian groups. The American state of California has already taken actions to ban this brainwashing on minors, and yet, nothing has been done yet in Australia, it seems. One alliance of Christian ministries claims that their 'ex-gay therapies' have a 65% rate of success with changing the child's sexuality--never mind the 100% rate of 'reformees' being subject to prejudice disguised as care. Queensland children as young as fourteen have sought help after being subject to the the therapies, making former advocates of the program speak out against it. One of whom, psychologist Paul Martin, stressed that the children are likely suffer long-term harm from the therapy. Mr Martin was once at the receiving, and then the giving end of this treatment, but he now supports the children who seek psychological help after the treatment. Mr Martin suggested that exposure to this kind of treatment during puberty is likely to increase the number and severity of cases of depression and mental illness. *It is a very logical conclusion to reach: when young, impressionable minds are lead to believe they will go to hell for a part of themselves they can't control, they won't feel great about themselves, will they? The ministries association, Exodus Asia pacific listed one ministry in Victoria, two in New South Wales, and five in Queensland that advertised themselves as being able to cure homosexuality. The article mentions Brisbane filmmaker Heather Corkhill's documentary "The Cure". Corkhill's documentary investigated the so-called 'ex-gay' therapy, revealing that children under twelve were believed to have undergone the process.

Here is a link to an on line version of the article I read: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/gods-shock-tactics/story-e6freoof-1226390040324

 *The above image aligns with my reaction to the Sunday Mail article; despite some improvements in society's prejudiced treatments of outgroups, it is still prevalent. Prejudice has had so many facelifts that it's persisted in the hearts, minds and actions of too large a portion of society. If the cartoon men were replaced by priests or something similar, it would back up my point even further.


I apologise: these topics should be approached with a cool head and intelligent analysis rather than impassioned rambling. But it can be difficult to control your anger at these misdeeds if you have a heart. What kind of a person do you have to be to tell a child or teen that their unconscious cognitive, emotional, and perhaps even physical actions are wrong? I would be interested to see how these people would react to someone telling them that they should stop breathing. Could their self-righteous attitudes ever be brain-washed out of them so they felt that being born requiring air is unnatural and wrong, and that they are evil for doing it. It seems unlikely, I'm sorry to say.


If  reading about the stupidity prejudices of some of humanity does this to you:

may I recommend a refreshing detour to a few reasonable arguments in adorable design form? Find them here: http://www.slapupsidethehead.com/tag/unjust-laws/
* And a note from me that this story was sensationalised, but I think it's more important that what it contained needed to be said: programs and mentalities like those of Exodus must not be tolerated in our society.

-Bon