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[Mogul]

I suppose that it's since longer time not only a question of bias - there are for sure many people whose financial well-going is much depending on such camps and re-programming centres. This is a market on its own: hundreds if not thousands desperate parents trying to turn they kids straight - why not take this money and offer a people a "waft of a hope"?

No doubt, any responsible government should make an end to this child abuse - as soon as possible. It would be an Eldorado if some of the mistreated people would sue these camps for indemnification.

[Feral]

"Love in Action" co-founder: "My ministry shatters lives"

"In the past 30 years since leaving the 'ex-gay' ministry I have seen nothing but shattered lives, depression and even suicide among those connected with the 'ex-gay' movement," Evans writes in his letter to John Smid, Love In Action's current director. "I challenge Christians to investigate all sides of the issue of being gay and Christian. The Church has been wrong in the past regarding moral issues and I'm sure there will be more before Christ returns."

Evans, a gay man, founded what may be the first modern ex-gay group in San Raphael, Calif. in 1973, along with a heterosexual preacher Kent Philpott. Evans left his life partner of ten years to start the gay conversion group. He later dropped out after he realized it didn't work and his best friend committed suicide because he could not turn heterosexual.

"Having the founder of Love In Action step forward to admonish the ministry he started speaks to the utter hopelessness and futility of these groups, not to mention the danger they represent," said Wayne Besen, Author of Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth (Haworth, 2003). "Most disturbing are the compulsory gay boot camps for teens which are tantamount to child abuse.

They should immediately be shut down."

[Mogul]

Butler said his parents forced him to take part in the Love in Actions Refuge program aimed at teens. The program is designed to teach teens to resist gay feelings.

Poor boy - it's not easy to resist brain-wash with 17. Not everybody has sufficient boldnes to break up with the family in case of necessity, and not to forget the islamic, christian or jewish background of many people. There is a barbed comedy called "But I am a cheerleader" about a girl who was sent into such a camp, probably you know it already. The reality is, I suppose, less funny.

The result of the suffering, perhaps, but I cannot agree with suffering having a purpose.

Suffering is unavoidable.The choice is between suffering for some purpose,or fo no purpose at all.Actually,there is a purpose: mere existence for us gays.But I would prefer political independence as a natural outcome (and explanation) for our suffering.

Suffering ends, unfortunately, mostly in no purpose. It is up to us to learn from the past sufferings and try to prevent new evil in future. Insofar we can of course say that past sufferings must serve as instructive examples - there is, however, no need to seek additional suffering if we can foresee it before.

[K6]

The result of the suffering, perhaps, but I cannot agree with suffering having a purpose. But maybe it was just an unfortunate choice of words by a person whose mother tongue is not English.

Suffering is unavoidable.The choice is between suffering for some purpose,or fo no purpose at all.Actually,there is a purpose: mere existence for us
gays.But I would prefer political independence as a natural outcome (and explanation) for our suffering.

K6

[Piper]

There,if they persevere in their quest for personal and political freedom,they shall encounter other gays and hopefully gays aiming for self-determination which is the purpose of the suffering of gays of countless past generations.

K6

The result of the suffering, perhaps, but I cannot agree with suffering having a purpose. But maybe it was just an unfortunate choice of words by a person whose mother tongue is not English.

[K6]

But this is the 21st century,not the 18th.Thanks to the technical revolution of the internet,comparable to the invention of printing a few centuries ago,gays are no longer alone.They only have to reach for an internet connection,any internet connection.There,if they persevere in their quest for personal and political freedom,they shall encounter other gays and hopefully gays aiming for self-determination which is the purpose of the suffering of gays of countless past generations.

K6

[Feral]

Today, 17-year-old D.J. Butler walks the streets of Memphis free. That wasn't the case last October after his parents found out he was gay.

"They were treating me like they didn't want me anymore," Butler said. "I ran away. They ended up finding me, and put me in handcuffs, and taking me to Memphis."

Butler said his parents forced him to take part in the Love in Actions Refuge program aimed at teens. The program is designed to teach teens to resist gay feelings.

More here.