.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;}

Sunday, August 07, 2005

 

Love in Action origins, Part next

John Evans says in his recent letter to Wayne Besen: "Now to actually claim that I was never a part of the original group that founded Love In Action boggles my mind."

I am not claiming Mr. Evans was not there. I am exploring the roles people who were there played and I am exploring the spin surrounding the issue. My curiosity was piqued by Wayne Besen's claims that none of the ex-gay organizational founders ever changed or remained straight. I have learned that the claim is not true as it relates to Exodus and I am now looking into that claim about Love in Action and may do so about other groups (for instance I have recently learned that there were two founders of Homosexuals Anonymous and one of them is still straight after 30 years).

Comments:
Warren,

Would the "straight" one be Doug McIntyre or Colin Cook?

Even a cursory glance over their histories indicates bisexual orientations -- before, during and after. And, as I hope we realise, bisexuals need not change their sexual orientation to behave as either gay or straight. Because of this, I'm beginning to wonder if you can/will recognise the difference between a change in sexual behaviour (by a bisexual) and a change in sexual orientation?

But that's by the by, for now. The real interest in following the story about H.A. is how easily some are fooled because the claims match what they wish was true. Unfortunately, in the case of H.A., this wishful thinking enabled Cook to interfer with young men who had been sent to him for "reorientation". More than once.
 
Nathan,

I would hope that all ethical therapists would respond to whatever "troubles" are being expressed by a client.

In the case of a anxious or depressed (suicidal, etc) client hopefully the first actions would be to stabilise the client and thereby enable them to respond to future directions in therapy; whatever they might be. In the case of yourself, it sounds as if your therapist is not precluding any future direction for you.

Unfortunately, this is not the case with the highly contentious reorientation movement associated with NARTH et al.

The very basis of, say Nicolosi's reparative therapy, is a view that homosexuality is a mental illness and an ungodly way of life. Ditto the resources provided via Exodus' etc. These views ARE transferred to their clients -- and the wider community -- and may rapidly cause distress of and by themself.

With this, clients with histories of sexual or other abuse, or actual mental illness, can be sent off onto a cycle of attempted repression, self-harm, self-blame for not changing and low self-respect. And the inevitable happens.

Add to this mix a high-profile media campaign that relies on sound-bites and even non-clients can find themself caught in such a cycle; particularly if they have issues that could be properly dealt with by an ethical therapist without any reference per se to sexuality.

I think you'll find this is the underlying objection to the way the exgay movement is organised. It has nothing to do with whatever you may wish for yourself.
 
My supervisors in grad school was like your therapist friends Nathan. They are retired now.

Doug M. I have discussed his history with him and there was no sexual interest in women up to a certain adult point in his life and then a process to change and now there is no sexual interest in men.
 
Nathan,

When you know who Colin Cook or Doug McIntyre are, and their history, we can discuss this further. As a word of warning :-) don't be so quick to defend them -- particularly Colin.
 
Warren,

You may have. Did you believe him?
 
Urgh, sorry Wrren, pressed Post instead of Preview.

What Doug told you is "interesting". He was married for 15 years, couple of kids etc etc before jumping the fence (during, IMO, an experiment that he got caught bad over).

No interest in women? I think you need to go search for what he said on other occasions -- regardless of what he said to you recently. The web has a long, long memory...
 
I am certainly going to look at anything I can find. I have been unable to find much on Doug M. on the web. I will read anything you suggest.
 
Please, (PLEASE), don't call me Wayne, but I'm not doing your work for you.

I know how this works. Far better to prompt, than to give. Easy come, easy go; as they say.

But you're correct in saying that nothing pops up quickly on the "issue". Odd, no?

Failing that. I'm available at USD120 per hour... no personal cheques accepted.
 
ok, Way...oh I mean grantdale :)

Man, you are pricey!
 
Google

Yahoo

:)
 
Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?