Fort Worth Star Telegram: Efforts to 'cure' gays draw protests

The long-raging debate over efforts by some religious and psychological groups to "cure" homosexuals is flaring anew this weekend on two battlegrounds: at a conference in Irving and at a Barack Obama campaign concert in South Carolina.

Several dozen people demonstrated Saturday outside the DFW Airport Marriott, where the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality is holding its annual conference. Members are discussing research in conversion therapy: therapy to suppress homosexual desires.

Protesters are also expected to stage a vigil today in Columbia, S.C., where a gospel outreach concert is being held to help Obama's efforts to reach out to black voters in the pivotal South Carolina primary. At issue is one of the event's featured stars: Grammy-winning gospel singer Donnie McClurkin, who has said he believes that homosexuality is a choice, one he was able to break loose from with the power of prayer.

The message from the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender groups protesting at both events is that homosexuality needs no cure because it is not an illness and that attempts to convert gays to a straight lifestyle are based on quack science. The views of the therapy association and McClurkin "are patently absurd, unscientific and have no basis in fact," said Wayne Besen, an author and political organizer who helped arrange Saturday's protest. Besen also helped spark the national controversy over Obama's concert by publicly challenging the Illinois senator to disavow McClurkin.

http://www.star-telegram.com/national_news/story/284193.html

Quentin McHale in the buff? Oh...the HORROR!!!!!

:rofl:

I give kudos to him for exposing the hate behind these "ex-gay" people.

What part of this is hard to understand? Homosexuality is normal. It's normal in the animal kingdom and it's normal, period. I had thought...in my foolish naivete...that we dispensed with this hateful "aversion therapy" in the 1950's when we were labelled as "sexual perverts". But hate doesn't belong to one era, sadly.

And shame on the Obama campaign for getting involved in this.

If it's not a mental disorder, and God made me this way, whats the problem?

for religious justification for their bigotry. That's the problem.

I think I'll work on it.

I wonder if it will draw protests?

From people who value ignorance and hate?