I think our side needs a better advertising agency. It seems to be all about the slogans. "Pro-Family," "Cut and Run," "Marriage Protection," "Clear Skies Initiative," etc, etc.

This poster stating the woman "questioned" homosexuality is suggestive somehow of the gay community as being part of the mainstream power structure...something to healthily challenge. It cleverly sits at the polar opposite of Focus on the Family's real position, which emerges from a richly funded, powerful, bigoted, and hateful base, which seeks to stifle the fledgling gay rights struggle as it attempts to turn a corner. This advertisment targets the young, who are rebelious and regularly "question" their parents, the rules, and TPTB. It feeds into that.

Of course it's all a lie. Religious organizations have failed each and every time they have attempted to cure homosexuality. All they succeed in doing is creating a celebate gay individual, not a straight one. But, young people are regularly lied to in ads. Smoking is cool, war is cool, drinking is harmless. Thank you Camel, USMC, Budweizer, and of course now, Focus on the Family.

"All they succeed in doing is creating a celibate gay individual, not a straight one." - MsJane

Unfortunately, that, combined with further stigmatizing homosexuality, is probably enough for them.

I am a soon-to-be psychologist. One of my first therapy clients in grad school was a young, gay man who asked that I help "change" his sexual orientation. Even though I didn't agree with his request, I owed it to him to research the issue. I therefore thoroughly reviewed the literature about changing people's sexual orientation and spoke with several supervisors and gay people.

This won't be a surprise for many of you, but for anyone who doubts it... transforming one's sexual orientation simply cannot be done-- not in any solid, lasting way-- and the religious groups claiming to have done so-- well, the outcome of their "programs" have not been held to any kind of scientific scrutiny. Groups that claim to be able to do this give false hope to people who want to change their orientation (mainly because of the bigotry and shame they endure) instead of working through their adjustment issues to obtain a positive sense of self and an ultimately satisfying life.

There is a reason that homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1973. (NOT that the DSM system has yet adequately addressed this area, but it was a step in the right direction.)

If "Love Won Out", why the heck does she look pained? She certainly doesn't look happy for someone who's "beaten" being gay.

i gotta disagree here...

i agree that generally speaking, one cannot change one's orientation by choice. that's pretty clear.

however, the claim that the DSM removed homosexuality from "disorder" status being based on scientific research is laughable.

the DSM removed it for the same reason they included it - politics. they were wrong to list it AS a disorder - based on politics. but the removal was for the same reason

psychology is of course a "soft science"...

because whether or not homosexuality is a "disorder" (and i don't believe it is) is tangential to whether or not it can be "cured".

if u actually go back and resarch the history of the removal of homosexuality as a disorder, it was clearly based on politics, not science.

again, i don't think for a second that it IS a disorder, but the AMA did not rely on science to make the change

or the initial listing either

If "Love Won Out", why the heck does she look pained? She certainly doesn't look happy for someone who's "beaten" being gay.

Because you can't beat being gay, all you can "beat" is having gay sex. Likely she looks pained because she's lonely or horny/frustrated or some combination thereof. As someone already said churches claiming to heal homosexuality just make celebate people denying their inner desires.

...or perhaps she looks pained because she's been so cured that she got married and is in a "proper" relationship, which isn't satisfying because she's gay.

As a District resident, I would just like to say that these posters are not an accurate representation of our fair city - which allows domestics partnerships, prevents discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and votes 92% (give or take a few points) Democratic. It's not perfect, but it's definitely not Focus on the Family territory!

I hear you about the pizza though.

I hear you, cransell. I just like writing breakup letters.

jabosian,

Maybe I was unclear. I did not mean to imply that politics were not involved in the removal of homosexuality from the DSM as a disorder. If I wasn't aware of the political background I would be in big trouble! I alluded to that by stating that the DSM still has not adequately addressed this issue (e.g., "gender identity disorder" has vestiges of the same concerns). However, I stand by my statement that most reputable folks in the mental health professions are aware of the research refuting the "changeability" of sexual orientation.

I read the sign and didn't understand it at first. I had to read the comments to realize that I had misinterpreted the sign as my own experience. After all, it was at my sister-in-law's Catholic weddding, in the middle of the priest's sermon, that I questioned homosexuality, love won out, and I realized I supported not only civil unions but also gay marriage.

Sigh. I thought DC was advertising how to no longer be a homophobe.

I'm reading an interesting book about the so-called "ex gay" movement right now:
Straight to Jesus: Sexual and Christian Conversions in the Ex-Gay Movement

http://www.stlimc.org/newswire/display/1327/index.php

St. Louis has questioned its sexuality. And I like its answer

this is pretty funny... click!

Ann, that book looks very interesting. Would love it if you would share your thoughts after reading it.

i totally agree with you. i think the research shows pretty convincingly that (generally speaking - and we always speak generally when we speak of human behavior issues) people usually can't change their orientation

and of course the DSM was wrong to ever list homosexuality as a "disorder"