What I Learned at a Christian Gay-to-Straight Therapy Program

A couple months ago, I wrote about Ted Cox:

An atheist, Ted Cox, spent the past two years going undercover as a gay man undergoing gay-to-straight therapy programs run by Christian groups (as if there were any other kind).

What he found was precisely what you would think: These programs do nothing to “convert” you from gay to straight. They just try to make you suppress your (gay) sexual urges. They make up their own “facts” — you’re not born with it, it’s the result of a traumatic childhood, Jesus can save you from The Gay, etc.

Cox is giving a *free* talk called “What I Learned at Straight Camp” at the University of California, Davis this Friday evening in (room) Chemistry 194.

There will be a live “demonstration” of what went down.

Seriously.

Here are the other details:

Doors to the event open at 5:30 p.m. and the speech is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. The audience is encouraged to come a bit early since room capacity is strictly enforced and doors close when the speech begins.

This speech is being hosted by the Agnostic & Atheist Student Association (AgASA). AgASA currently meets Tuesdays at 6pm in Wellman 26. All are welcome.

(Thanks to Sam for the link!)

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Claire Binkley

What does this “demonstration” entail, if it may be described?
Krisko

I hope this either gets released online for those of us who can’t make it to California, or goes on a campus tour… specifically to Minnesota.
Soulless

These so called “therapy” programs need to be highly exposed and stopped. They are harming people with their lies. I’m glad that Ted Cox went out of his way to do this. As a gay man myself, he’s a good guy in my book.
Alpha Bitch

I would love to hear/see him speak. I don’t get out to CA much, though. Do you think it will be a TED lecture, or that I will be able to find it somewhere?
Godless Monster

I would love to see a video of this released to the public. I’m curious as to what, if anything differentiates these “therapies” from faith healings or exorcisms. My hunch is that any difference will be one of degree but not kind.
littlejohn

There was a wonderful South Park episode in which Butters’ parents sent him to gay camp for being “bi-curious.” The counselors were themselves obviously gay, and the kids kept committing suicide. All in very good taste, of course.
Angie

Rats! I’m on the other side of the country. Otherwise, I would love to hear his presentation.

I agree — this homophobic “therapy” is misguided and dangerous, and has caused immense suffering for gays and lesbians. The more the public is educated about this cruel farce, the better.
Diane

Just another “I’d love to see a video of this!” comment. So if anyone out there has a camcorder and can get permission, PLEASE consider videoing this and putting it on YouTube. The more people know about this the better!
Chemosh

I agree …I wanna see this.
Ben

It’s pathetic that we live in a world (not just a country) that allows these sort of “therapies” to ruin the emotional and psychological lives of thousands of perfectly normal people without a single government resource being thrown at it. All because of some privilege that sees abuse (and not just this, but much worse) protected as “freedom of religion”.

Grrrrr.
muggle

That should be damned interesting. I too would love to see a video on-line. As stated above, this cruelty needs to be exposed for what it is.
ATL-Apostate

yeah, what muggle said.

Can’t get from Atlanta to Colorado by this evening.

C’mon innerwebs… don’t let me down now!
ribore

Do not know if thos christians were catholic… but, as said by the pope: homosexual is not a problém… if they don’t have sexuality.
Ribore, libre-penseur

(I m french locutor and hope – not pray! – to be understandable:)