An article published today in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel repeats many of the May 6 mistakes of The Miami Herald in covering rival exgay and ex-exgay conferences in Fort Lauderdale.
The Sun-Sentinel quotes antigay activist Melissa Fryrear: “There’s no scientific study that proves homosexuality is genetic… I was able to repent with His grace and be able to lay down that sin.” The article neglects to cite any actual studies; had the writers challenged Fryrear to substantiate her claim, or made an effort to research this allegation themselves — if they had even bothered to interview pro-exgay science pundit Warren Throckmorton — then they would have found several recent studies identifying biological factors that contribute to sexual orientation.
The article quotes a 16-year-old attendee:
“I’ve heard that all these conferences are about gay bashing, but it’s not really like that,” Ryan Dupree said. “I’m gay. I’m not going to change who I am, but it’s good to see what the other side has to say.”
The article neglected to cite, even briefly, the aggressive lobbying efforts by Focus on the Family and Exodus International on behalf of sodomy laws, antigay discrimination, and bans against civil unions.
Instead of informing readers of specific tentative scientific findings on sexual orientation, or the lobbying efforts of the exgay roadshow’s hosts, the article contrasts vague statements from the American Psychiatric Association which criticize exgay therapies as counterproductive, with the equally sweeping suggestion of exgay activist Joe Dallas that, because one verse of Leviticus elliptically contemns anal intercourse, therefore sexual orientation is a choice.
The article ends anecdotally with an antigay conference attendee’s effort at dialogue. But the article neglects to report that the exgay conference — instead of promoting dialogue among clinical experts on sexual orientation — had instead squelched mainstream viewpoints and resorted to inflammatory and prejudicial language such as “lifestyle” to obfuscate and politicize sensitive issues of sexual attraction and sexual ethics.
The struggling families that attend Love Won Out deserve better than to hear only from a band of partisan political warriors who conceal their antigay political activities for a day. And they deserve better than to have their struggle oversimplified by mainstream media that parrot the culture warriors instead of properly investigating each side’s claims.
Hi, I’m Ryan Dupree, yes, the Ryan from the quote.
After attending the Love Won Out and thinking about it, I now relize that the whole thing was pointing out that homosexuality is more of a disease than a lifstyle. If I had known about the other conference being held in Ft. Lauderdale (Love Welcomes All), I would have attended it instead. And the conference also made me rather upset when I attended one of the breakout sessions regarding homosexual marriges, so we left an hour to two before then end of the conference.
Ryan DuPree
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Ryan,
Thanks for posting. But I want to clear something up. Homosexuality is neither a disease nor a lifesyle.
Homosexuality is an orientation; orientation describes the sex to whom a person is sexually, romantically, and emotionally directed. If a person is only (or primarily) oriented towards the opposite sex, then they are heterosexual or straight. If a person is oriented only (or primarily) to the same sex, then they are heterosexual or straight.
Long ago the mental professional organizations determined that homosexuality is not a disease. Being in the minority, or even rare, is not adequate to define a disease. A disease causes distress, discomfort, or disfunction. Homosexuality, on its own, does not cause any of these things. Of course, some gay people are distressed by being gay, but so too are some left-handed people, taller than average people, and people with funny noses – none of these things are diseases.
Homosexuality is also not a lifestyle. Gay people come in all sizes, shapes, colors, and lifestyles. Some gay people party too much, others live very sober lives. Some are too sexually promiscuous, others have been with one partner all their lives. Some are hair dressers, some are accountants. Some spend all their time with their families, others travel all the time.
Anti-gay activists, like those at Love Won Out like to pretend that all gay people are the same and, of course, they claim that they are all evil and unhappy. This is not true and they know it isn’t true. But for some reason, they are not ashamed of lying to you. I don’t know why.
“If a person is oriented only (or primarily) to the same sex, then they are heterosexual or straight.”
Ummm, I meant “then they are homosexual or gay”