Christianity
New Show Sends Dangerous Message
Almost every professional medical association condemns “reparative therapy” as both dangerous and ineffective when applied to changing a person’s sexual orientation.
Recently the practice became banned and illegal in California, New Jersey and Washington D.C. with pending legislative actions against its practice in a number of states.
I experienced first hand almost six months of this dangerous form of therapy through the now disbanded Exodus International, the once largest “ex-gay” Christian network in the world. I tell people I survived six months of hating myself and witnessing other men and women made to feel completely ashamed for being attracted to the same-sex.
I consider myself fortunate where others turned to suicide when the promises of change never came to fruition. Even though Exodus closed it’s doors in June 2013, the belief that same-sex orientation is an abominable, and shameful “life-style” still exist.
Most recently, TLC has decided to debut a show called “My Husband’s Not Gay” exploiting the lives of married men struggling to reconcile their sexual orientation with a faith that condemns them.
I started this petition because these men deserve compassion and acceptance.
Instead, TLC is presenting their lives as entertainment, and sending the dangerous message that being gay is something that can and ought to be changed. No young person should ever be told to be ashamed of who they are — especially by a television network.
I ask you to join with me in sending a message to TLC and other organizations that any form of “reparative therapy” is dangerous and deadly. Too many have already lost their lives due to this form of ignorance. Enough is enough.
Image via Change.org
Journey Story
Comments (26)
Amanda Patterson
What in the HELL! I am a
What in the HELL! I am a Christian and I do not believe in putting our brothers and sisters through a very dangerous therapy in order to “cure” them. If they are going to do that they better put them (All who claim they follow Christ) adulterers, child molesters, drinkers, smokers, druggies, rapists, a-hole men, people who bring others down, the list goes on and on.
Gerard Pare
What bothers me the most is
What bothers me the most is that no one mentions that these men may be Bisexual. Yes it is possible for men to be Bisexual. I’m a married bisexual male. I’m very attracted to my wife and attracted to men as well. It’s disturbing that no one says anything about this and. Instead of saying my husband is not gay which definitely is true. the name of the show should be my husband is Bisexual. I will not watch this program. Why? i’m not ashamed to consider myself bisexual.
Sarah Balog
This is despicable but what
This is despicable but what can you expect from the people who bring you Honey Boo Boo and the Duggars?
Cynthia Esparza
You are who god made you to
You are who god made you to be. Period.
Lea Arista-Smith
Was nothing learned from the
Was nothing learned from the recent events regarding Leelah Alcorn? Stop this show.
Kate
I know first hand what this
I know first hand what this could do to a family — and no one deserves that. This show is making a mockery of and exploiting the real life struggles of these men and their families. Shame on TLC.
Sabrina McLaughlin
This is wrong and morally
This is wrong and morally backward.
Luciana O'Keefe
A person should be allowed to
A person should be allowed to be who they are and love whoever they want and be in the type of relationship they desire… one shouldn’t feel that they have to change just because some members of society say so.
Kristine Vasilevsky
Do not air this show. It is
Do not air this show. It is offensive and wrong. I will NOT watch this show and I feel there are other things that are of more importance to air than something so disgusting as this! Bring back better shows. I used to be an avid TLC watcher. I loved What Not to Wear and Say Yes to the Dress.
Clayton King
First and foremost,
First and foremost, reparative therapy is bad science and basically torture. This is why the very organization who started it disbanded themselves. Beyond that, it is high time the lives of gay people (or straight people with inclinations, or any other other 1,000,000 variants might exist) stop be sensationalized by mediocre television networks.
Kathryn Nunes
Even if this show were
Even if this show were entirely scripted, and the stars were actors, not reality tv stars—the message being sent to the most vulnerable youth in america is you’re NOT okay, we DON’T accept you. LGBTQQ teens and youth are dying because they are repeatedly hearing this message. How much blood do we as a society have to have on our hands before we say enough is enough? When will we stop spreading hate? We are all God’s children, he loves us—just the way we are. Let’s try to begin to love as God loves without discrimination.
Janis
Although reality shows, by
Although reality shows, by nature, sensationalize people’s lives, this show goes to the extreme by using false science to promote failed agendas that have been shown to raise suicide rates and to cause severe mental anguish among large populations of people. This show is unbelievably irresponsible. You have the right to air what you will. But you also then bear the responsibility for your extremism. And we have the right to boycott your channel in response to your irresponsibility.
Cheryl Dyals
This show is a mistake to air
This show is a mistake to air.
Jesse Rose
This show is offensive and
This show is offensive and disturbing. It should not be on television and will only confirm the misconceptions that poorly educated and religiously zealous Americans have about their fellow citizens. For a channel which is purportedly dedicated to learning, this is shameful.
Emily Simpson
Watching someone struggle
Watching someone struggle with their orientation should not be a public show, nor depicting a type of therapy that is known to be harmful.
Nicole
Stop exploiting people’s
Stop exploiting people’s personal struggles, this is not entertainment!
Heather
This is sickening. I will
This is sickening. I will never watch any TLC show again…..
Lindsay Parks
repairative therapy shouldn’t
repairative therapy shouldn’t be supported.
Hilary Morris
This is WRONG!!
This is WRONG!!
Debra Rose
stop!!!
stop!!!
Wally Greenwell
tsk tsk tsk..you people
tsk tsk tsk..you people should be ashamed.
chris
I thought the show was called
I thought the show was called Cristley Knows Best?
Michael Demeule-Calella
Remember when TLC used to
Remember when TLC used to stand for The Learning Channel? Now its more like The Loser Channel.
Jason Rose
This goes beyond wrong.
This goes beyond wrong. Making a show of this nature is the lowest form of predatory sensationalism. To lend credibility the atrocity of Repairative therapy by staffing and casting it with repairative therapy pundits is a new low TLC. Shame on you.
Mary
Yes, very dangerous.. This
Yes, very dangerous.. This show would just fuel wrong expectation & religious bullying towards gays. They may be putting a humorous twist on this, but in reality, it is a very very sad show & no good, if not harm, will come from it.
Mary
Yes, very dangerous… This
Yes, very dangerous… This show would just fuel wrong expectation & religious bullying towards gays. They might put a humorous twist on this, but really it is a very very sad show. No good, if not harm, could come from this.
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