'Truth Wins Out' to Counter Ex-Gay myth.

[Emproph]

From Wayne Besen (http://www.waynebesen.com/aboutwayne.htm), (also listed on Ex-Gay Watch).

"Truth Wins Out will confront a dangerous lie that has buttressed anti-gay campaigns from coast to coast," said founder and noted activist Wayne Besen. "From school boards to city councils to Congress, a lie is being advanced that sexual orientation is something that can be directed or 'cured. It's false, and Truth Wins Out will strike this pillar out from under anti-gay efforts."
...read (a little) more (http://www.waynebesen.com/2006/06/besen-to-launch-organization-to.html)

I’m hoping this is real. Has anyone read his book “Anything But Straight?”

I read about ‘ex-gay’ Cohen and his ‘cuddle’ therapy (recently on Paula Zahn) from Besen’s site months ago, so that panned out..

[schoolboi]

This sounds wonderful!

[Lydia]

. Has anyone read his book “Anything But Straight?”

Several times, yes.

[Emproph]

Several times, yes.
Are you serious? Does he sound credible? Is it worth it? Should I buy it?

Short answer would be yay or nay on the man. :D


....Oh now I get it. "Several times" means it was worthwhile... ok I'll get it. :)

[schoolboi]

Are you serious? Does he sound credible? Is it worth it? Should I buy it?

Short answer would be yay or nay on the man. :D


....Oh now I get it. "Several times" means it was worthwhile... ok I'll get it. :)


yay from me

[Zerbie]

Are you serious? Does he sound credible? Is it worth it? Should I buy it?

Short answer would be yay or nay on the man. :D


....Oh now I get it. "Several times" means it was worthwhile... ok I'll get it. :)

Yeah, I own it and have read it twice. It is a very engaging read and painted a very clear anecdotal picture of life inside ex-gay ministries. (shudder)

The book is, duh, an advocacy piece, and very strongly written. I'm guessing you'd appreciate it a lot. To see what Besen's personal writing style looks like before you buy, go check out his blog. It's www.waynebesen.com

He tends to be very abrasive, so I stopped visiting his site. Turned me off. But he is well-informed on the topic and as I said, the book is very engaging. It's definitely worth a read.

[FreeIndeed]

This sounds really good - I'm going to get my hands on this book.

[SolApollo]

Awesome! A great idea. I'll have to get the book.

[Emproph]

I haven't looked it over that far yet but it Seems comprehensive enough.

http://truthwinsout.com/index.html


10 point plan:

http://truthwinsout.com/plan.html

-Check out the looped video of Richard Cohen on the home page. Boy, Besen's got it in for him.

[Emproph]

(I'm coming back for this one.)

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0040781.cfm

[schoolboi]

I am so excited about TWO. It seems like they have a great vision. I am going to try to get involved.

[Dash]

(I'm coming back for this one.)

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0040781.cfm

Hey,

Have you seen this from Good As You:

Uhm, hello -- we know how to Google: 'Ex-gay' challenges what is easily checkable (http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2006/06/uhm_hello_we_kn.html)

Good As You's "humble scribe" presents links to a number of medical organizations proving (contrary to Mike Haley's statement) that medical organizations agree that reparative therapy for gay folk is harmful.

[Zerbie]

Ooh, nice! :) Good goin' from Wayne. I hope this new launch is successful!

I love #2, too! I've wanted to do something like that since I was a little girl!!! Can I tell ya? I remember being SEVEN YEARS OLD and in my parents' basement reading a case history of some creepy and bizarre psychiatric treatment on a gay man, and I desperately wished I could get to that man and affirm him. Seven!!!! Ever since I read that case history (God, it was so horrible!), I've wished I could do something that with my life.

But I'm not a counselor. Or anything of the sort.

Corey, will ya keep us posted if you do get involved? Besides cheering you on, I might be interested too, if circumstances ever allow.

[BruceChris]

Zerbie, If I were looking for a counselor (hey, I've got one, and besides it's too far to drive), I would without question take someone with your instincts
over someone who had gotten their wall paper in gradschool and I don't care HOW much wall paper they have, sometimes it simply isn't what is really needed

:) I desperately wished I could get to that man and affirm him. Seven!!!! Ever since I read that case history (God, it was so horrible!), I've wished I could do something like that with my life.

But I'm not a counselor. Or anything of the sort.

O.K., O.K., I need to learn to mellow out a little now and then. Still, Maybe we should remember to start with the hyppocratic oath: First, do no harm

[NathanATX]

Hey,

Have you seen this from Good As You:

Uhm, hello -- we know how to Google: 'Ex-gay' challenges what is easily checkable (http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2006/06/uhm_hello_we_kn.html)

Good As You's "humble scribe" presents links to a number of medical organizations proving (contrary to Mike Haley's statement) that medical organizations agree that reparative therapy for gay folk is harmful.

Through that website, www.goodasyou.com, I clicked on the "ex gay" link and they have the video with Richard Cohen giving "cuddle therapy" to some poor guy... I almost fell out of my chair laughing...

Hilarious... and sad at the same time. :o

[Zerbie]

Hey BC - you're plenty mellow enough fer me. :cool:

And Thank You for the wonderful warm words!!! :D :love: :love: :love:

I would love to be able to help someone find their peace and comfort. But I had so many rotten experiences with therapists:mad: and The Worst was a psychiatrist with a room full of wallpaper! - I never wanted to be like them.

I'm a singer instead.

I've always assumed there was no way I could use the motivation I felt that day to reach out and affirm people who were being emotionally ripped apart in anti-gay therapies. Looking around, I didn't see any niche where to use that. So I sing high notes. :p

[Poetic Awakening]

I'm actually considering becoming a clinical psychologist, or something like that. I would like to counsel people with sexual orientation and perhaps gender identity issues, and even suicidal and self-injury issues, especially those brought on by the former. But what really makes me sad is the so called help available for people who fall into self-injury. Try reading some stories on that, and then what is done by their doctors to help them... very sad thing that such a crucial issue in so many people's lives seems to be so misunderstood. :'(

I know, this turned into a mini-rant.

[keltic63]

Through that website, www.goodasyou.com (http://www.goodasyou.com), I clicked on the "ex gay" link and they have the video with Richard Cohen giving "cuddle therapy" to some poor guy... I almost fell out of my chair laughing...

Hilarious... and sad at the same time. :o

OK, I didn't get to watch the video, but how suspicious is this "cuddle therapy" ???? a "former homosexual" who is the "counselor" helps some poor gay guy change to straight by cuddling with him? That's creepy, and inappropriate. of course, I'm glad my therapist didn't follow the same concept when I was in treatment for an eating disorder: "No food for you, keltic! You're trying to get over anorexia!" :lol:


*what's next? cigarette machines in lung cancer wards?

[Daniel]

Bensen announces his campaign:

TWO will launch this week at the National Press Club in Washington to offer an alternative point of view to the one given at Bush's anti-marriage press conference. We will feature the testimony of 18-year old Lance Carroll, who was forced by his parents to attend an Exodus bootcamp in Memphis.

"My time in the ex-gay ministry Love in Action last summer was a horrendous experience." said Carroll. While I was there, it just seemed to make people more depressed and self-loathing than they already were. I, myself, went through several of these depressive periods."


http://365gay.com/opinion/besen/besen.htm

[Daniel]

Wayne- we love you!

http://365gay.com/opinion/besen/besen.htm

The Big Easy proved to be quite difficult for the so-called "ex-gay" industry earlier this month. At the American Psychological Association's annual convention in New Orleans, anti-gay forces choreographed an expensive protest designed to pressure the APA into endorsing "ex-gay" therapy. However, instead of succor, "conversion therapy" leaders got sucker punched with the APA forcefully reiterating that being gay is not a mental illness and efforts to "treat" homosexuality can be dangerous.
"The APA's concern about the position's espoused by the National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality and so-called conversion therapy is that they are not supported by the science. There is simply no sufficiently scientifically sound evidence that sexual orientation can be changed. Our further concern is that the positions espoused by NARTH and Focus on the Family create an environment in which prejudice and discrimination can flourish."

This statement was unambiguous and all but said that the "ex-gay" hoax was the biggest lie to hit New Orleans since President Bush swooped in following Hurricane Katrina promising to rebuild the city. In addition to the punishing policy statement, Focus on the Family reported in its online magazine, CitizenLink, that the "ex-gay" contingent was denied a booth inside the convention hall and was refused ad space in The Monitor, an APA publication.