• Even some ex-ex-gays acknowledge reparative therapy does, in fact, help some people. Some, but not many. [National Review]
• Britain will get its own gay music channel, with Flaunt rebranding itself as a homo haven on the airwaves. Expect lots of Kylie, Pet Shop Boys, Madonna, and Britney. [Brand Republic]
• If nothing else, legalizing gay marriage in Washington state could boost revenues by nearly $6 million. [365Gay]
• In between all that drinking and shooting, we’re sure it was mighty difficult to find time to build a gay hotel in Ireland. [Hotel Chatter]
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craig
not to be a science geek or anything, but the National Review article is problematic in that it is taking the word of ex-gays as proof that the ex gay movement works for some people (and yes, I understand he said that they leave the movement to de-politicize it). The problem is that we aren’t talking about merely what is being said and taught in some special program- it’s an everyday, all day affair when it comes to sexuality. Anyone walking down the streets of NYC can see that when some straight couple is holding hands or frenching each other on the subway platform. So- how can we tell if it works? The truth is there is no way to answer this question until we find out more about the connection between sexual orientation and biology. There is some clear evidence that there is some connection- but what that connection is we don’t know. In other words, maybe reparative approaches can work for some who want it- but you will need a helluva a lot more evidence than 2 people who seem okay, and even then, I would need to see some actual science rather than psychobabble/politics masquerading as science.
Andrew
Not sure what stereotypes you are trying to reinforce my referring to drinking and shooting in Ireland. Bit of a double standard I think.
Hephaestion
So-called “reparative therapy” does not work for ANYONE. And as Craig above mentioned the National Review article has no scientific evidence in it at all. Why are you citing an anti-gay publication like The National Review anyway?
There is not ONE eensy weensy teeny weeny shred of scientific evidence of ANYONE ANYWHERE EVER changing sexual orientations. It is impossible. Period.
craig
well- to clarify- I never said it could never work. My point is that there is no way to know with the present politization of the science of sexual orientation, and that the culture that we live in makes it impossible to know what these people are or are not. In other words, the only real answers will be found over time for anyone who wants to know them. Me personally- I am happy being gay so I dont see the need. But, as a way of scientific rather than social thinking- I think its important to realize that the article itself , and this site use of that article as ‘proof’ is deeply flawed thinking. It maybe that these 2 are socially not considering themselves ‘gay’ but that can be true of any gay person without regard to whether they are or are not actively acting on being gay. The point is how is this really ‘curing’ them as this article posits rather than suppression of their natural orientation (if the science bares this out)
trixter
Why would you ever think it was helpful to cite National Review, a perpetually-biased, forever-poisonous, virulently homo-hating, right-wing propoganda rag? WTF!!
R.J.
Actually, for the National Review, it was a pretty unbiased article. It stated that one guy who knew of only two people who might have changed orientations (out of how many hundreds of people he knew that had tried). The article ended by saying how detrimental the ex-gay programs are for people and how it drives some people to attempt suicide.
It sounds like the article was stating that, even if the ex-gay program appears to be relatively humane (such as the Focus on the Family guy), in reality, it is very harmful for participants.
Shawn
You’d think the GOP would allow gay marriage once they realize it’ll boost revenue.