I am on a few listservs related to various topics. I just recently received an email via one of them regarding a story that I had not previously heard about. The basic gist is this: A young gay kid in Memphis, TN, came out to his family and was subsequently shipped off to a Christian fundamentalist re-education center. Now I imagine that this thing has happened before, but this specific case has generated quite a buzz within certain internet circles. One reason in particular is that he was able to do a few updates on his blog while this was going on. The sad thing is that his last update talks about suicide and there has not been a new one since the 3rd of June. Some people are questioning whether this entire blog is a hoax, and though of course I can’t be sure, I imagine it is for real.
First, check out the website for the place where he was sent:
“Love In Action – International Inc.”
The gist of the program he is in is to help people with addictions. Being homosexual is considered by these people as one such addiction. I can’t imagine what the day to day of the program is, but I can’t imagine it is pretty.
Here is the link to his blog:
Zach’s Blog
These Love In Action people seem to be cozy with the group “Focus on the Family.” The people in this organization are basically super-right wing Jesus freak nuts. Idiots such as these people are pushing for the Federal Marriage Amendment. Read their dossier on homosexuality by clicking here.
These people may seem stupid, but they are politically savvy. For instance, they have basically cloned Focus and created “Focus on the Family ACTION.” The crucial difference is that this 2nd organization is not a non-profit and is thus able to more fully engage in political lobbying.
Check out their website: Focus on the Family ACTION
Notice that the News section of this website links directly to the Focus website.
And if this stuff is interesting to you, be sure to check out: Exodus International a flat out anti-gay super Chrustian crusading organization. Check out their FAQ section for some really enlightening reading.
Man, it sucks to read about my country this way. But this is an important time for the USA. We must not allow ourselves to be scared into submission by constant threats of terrorism and we can not continue to pursue a policy of perpetual war. We must focus on extremely pressing domestic issues, which means renewing the fight for civil liberties across the board. I don’t want to go down in history as the generation that allowed the gains of the 1960’s to be lost to crooked neocons and religious fundamentalists. I know America is great, but we’ve got to fight dirty – our future depends on it.
You are quite right to take these people seriously. They elected and are supported by our current president. It is a horrifying state of affairs from my point of view, a child of the 60’s. I am glad that you find this important. You might be spending the rest of your life fighting to regain and move forward from the gains made during that time. You will come home from your PC service and have much to do right here, in America. XXXOOO GQ
It always gives me a chuckle – albeit a bitter one – to read about people who claim to be the cream of God’s crop devoting their lives to destroying other peoples’. I had a quick look through Exodus, and although I’m sure they’ve cobbled something up somewhere, I didn’t see any attempts at an explanation of how homosexuality hurts society; just the same tired claptrap about morality and God’s will. Pathetic they are, but sadly – as GQ said above – idiocy doesn’t mean impotence. They’re loud, and some people listen.
One of the comments on that blog alikened the situation to being sent to a concentration camp. I have to say that the comparison is chilling. Here, in the Land of the Free, we have people being interned against their will at what basically amount to brainwashing centers. I’d love to see an exposé of one of these places – I think a couple of interviews with the kids would make short work of the flowery gibberish about love and support.
Stories like this make me give a lot of thought to getting back into political cartooning. This insanity needs to be mocked for what it is.
To quote another comment from the same site, “God’s got a whole lot of explaining to do.”
I don’t know about fighting dirty. I think you would be more effective in the mainstream fighting clean but different.
No doubt you’ve seen this already, but I thought I’d post it anyway.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=national&story_id=070105b1_spain_gaymarriage
There’s hope.
It’s amazing how a “fact” to a group of people is so blatantly a disregard to the lives of so many people. Jeez…have they no shame about their indoctrination techniques? Thanks for sharing.
Also we have had several gay marriages throughout the US, and CT legalized civil unions. And of course, there has already been a gay divorce. Hmpf. But that doesn’t mean that homosexuality exists, right? There is hope in the States and in other factions of the world.