work in progress
Well-Known Member
Thanks for adding two important points for consideration here. Most stories on teen suicide indicate that gay teens are most likely to take their own lives; no doubt this is especially the case where they are subject to harassment from peers, family and worse- have internalized toxic ideology from fundamentalist churches that they may have had the misfortune to grow up in...and believe the messaging if they are impressionable teens and too young to be able to think it through on their own.It's not just about sex. It's about love, and feeling ashamed because you have been taught that your feelings are unnatural and of the devil, and will make you end up in hell. Some parents refuse all contact with their children once the children come out as homosexual. Shame and fear are two common factors in suicide.
You can't convert homosexuals to being heterosexual. The cases where it has "succeded" have all been wishful thinking. Even some of the leaders of the ex-gay groups have come out and said that they were still gay, and just lied because they wished it wasn't true. There is no scientific evidence that supports that one chooses one's sexual orientation.
And that gay conversion or reversion, or whatever they want to call it, is the biggest joke out there in the realm of psychological brainwashing. It can be hilarious when the subject is gay men in denial like Marcus Bachman, supposedly turning young gay men straight, but the American Psychological Association made a wise decision several years ago when they determined that these sorts of attempts to change sexual orientation of young men and women were overwhelmingly dangerous and damaging to youth.
It's been mentioned before that the most virulent anti-homosexual crusaders betray themselves as closeted homosexuals themselves; and occasionally fall out of the closet in spectacular ways. The damage they do to themselves and others should have been enough to budge rigid fundamentalists away from their anti-gay ideology; but recent stories in the news -- such as a claim from a Republican insider that they are going to purge all national and state Republican politicians who vote in favour of gay marriage, indicates that the theocrats are in reactionary mode, since they are not only against gay marriage, but also want to remove anti-discrimination laws including protection against bullying in the schools.