Dad of boy in 'ex-gay' camp speaks out

[really annoyed]

Sorry if this is a repost... I didn't see the story in any other thread. But I remember discussion about "Zach."

The father of "Zach" -- a gay teen who sparked outrage after stating on his weblog that he was sent against his will to a camp to change his sexual orientation -- has come forward to defend his actions.

Unbelievable.

[Obamarama]

1. This sick fuck should lose custody of his son and be thrown in jail...

That's child abuse no matter how you slice, dice and spin it.

[The Doctor.]

5. Put yourself in the father's position...

The only thing you know about the 'gay lifestyle' is what you learn from fundie bigots like Pat Robertson. Therefore the only thing you picture is your kid going to all night orgies, doing drugs, and trying to turn other kids gay.

I don't believe any parent wants their kid in those situations.

While I'm not excusing the man, I am saying that he is essentially ignorant; he has no point of reference outside of the bullshit he's been programmed with.

He is also correct that until Zach is 18, or secures legal emancipation, he is the legal guardian of his son.

It's just a shame that he has no clue how much damage he is doing to his own kid.

[skygazer]

7. Ignorance is no excuse

People have an obligation to inform themselves before taking radical action - about anything. Informing oneself means looking at ALL sides of an issue. It is simply inexcusable to me to make such a far-reaching decision in regards to your child without putting forth the effort to do some homework.

[The Doctor.]

10. I did not excuse him.

His ignorance is willful ignorance... out of fear.

Imagine if he contacted a local gay and lesbian group to ask for advice... but that would take courage, a trait this man certainly lacks.

[leesa]

9. He can't talk to his son??

Do not excuse these assholes for their REFUSAL to learn anything.

[wli]

2. worse happens all the time

Private psychiatric hospitals serve as Stalin-era gulag-esque summer detention camps for hordes of unwanted teens.

[Ladyhawk]

4. Even public psychiatric hospitals are awful.

I don't want to go into details, but from what I've seen they're horrible.

[wli]

12. they're worse

But it's harder to get prisoners into them since they're not based on bidding.

[Ladyhawk]

13. All I know is they're awful, awful places, at least the ones I've seen.

:scared:

[Ediacara]

3. How do these places legally operate?

And has there ever been a push to close them down?

[Richard Steele]

6. Looks like the CAMP might be in some legal trouble though...

UNLICENSED for the "services" it pretends to provide, and currently SCRUBBING their website...there's still some good might come out of this.

[FreedomAngel82]

8. Yes

They claim to be a drug and alchol center but they're clearly not. So they're falsely advertising and all that. Manipulating to hide what they're doing.

[Turbineguy]

11. So, I wonder

how many people have been "cured"?

Or does that depend on what you mean by "cured"?

[dsc]

14. This is a sad case all the way around

As much as we would like to paint the family here as the personification of evil, that most likely isn't the case. The family honestly believes that they are doing what is right here thanks to the evil influence of funamentalist clerics like Robertson and Falwell.

This doesn't lessen the pain Zach is being put through or the damage being done to him but it does change both the solution to prevent future such abuses and the amount of moral culpability borne by Zach's family.