Reparative Therapy Quack Cat Fight

UPDATED: Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute likes to write extremely nasty hate pieces on gay Americans but seems to like to hide her own face from public view. A reader sent me a captured photo of Ms. Higgins. I think it only appropriate that we can put a face to the hateful propaganda she disseminates. Thanks NG! (P.S. She looks pretty frigid to me).

*

I'd be lying if I did not confess that I find great sport in watching our Christianist opponents indulging in some back stabbing of one another. The latest set to is between Warren Throckmorton - who for a while appeared to be the future high priest of the reparative therapy/"pray away the gay" movement - and the homo obsessed Peter LaBarbera. And what was Throckmorton's sin? Moderating his formerly extreme anti-gay views and support for bogus reparative therapy programs and proposing something called the "Golden Rule Pledge" instead of boycotting and/or ridiculing the "Day of Silence" program in public schools. While I suspect that Throckmorton's increased moderation may be motivated by a desire not to be ostracized by the American Psychological Association, his changed approach to gays is welcome. Here's Throckmorton on the Golden Rule Pledge:
*

We believe the teaching of Christ in the Golden Rule should guide our actions and attitudes regarding all. We also believe that we should work to make school a safe place for all students. Thus, we advocate students spread a message like this on the Day of Silence: This is what I’m doing: I pledge to treat others the way I want to be treated. Will you join me in this pledge? “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31).

*
Throckmorton's other heresy according the the Peter consists of statements Throckmoton made on Michelangelo Signorile's show. Here are highlights from The Peter's attack on Throckmorton :
*

Throckmorton aims to steer Christians in a new (more ambiguous) direction on homosexuality, but many evangelical pro-family leaders active in opposing the GLBT [gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender] activist agenda are wary of his alliances and ideas, finding them to be more serving of the pro-homosexuality movement than Christian truth. There is no more troubling example of that than Throckmorton’s July 2007 radio interview with well-known homosexual activist Mike Signorile, which includes the following excerpt:

*
WARREN THROCKMORTON: The aim of Sexual Identity Therapy is a satisfied life - a client who believes that they have come to an integration of their conflicts, and we’re, by the way, only talking about people who are in conflict.

*

MIKE SIGNORILE: So you think it is normal, natural and healthy for people who come out and accept that being homosexual — accept being gay — and completely have no issues with their religious faith — you believe — would you describe the words as [strong emphasis by Signorile] ‘normal, natural and healthy’– that that is fine?

*

THROCKMORTON: Yes. Yes, I have been very clear about that in my public statements, that the efforts to demonize people who accept their homosexuality and come out as gay have been futile.

*

Sadly, LaBarbera and his minions at the so-called Americans for Truth About Homosexuality do nothing but demonize LGBT Americans and Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute has published an open letter screed against Throckmorton after he correctly identified the hate based motivations of Ms. Higgins and her organization. Her attack reads in part as follows:

*

Illinois Family Institute finds your title not only inaccurate and wholly without justification but also irresponsible in that it contributes to the pernicious deceit that Christians hate, fear, or seek to separate themselves from those who identify as homosexual.

*

Political protest does not belong in the classroom. Taxpayer-subsidized instructional time should not be manipulated, exploited, or disrupted for any social or political goals or messages. . . . the important goal of ending bullying does not justify the means of intruding into and disrupting instructional time; nor does it justify the use of public money to transform society’s views on the nature and morality of volitional sexual conduct.

*

[O]pposition to political action in the classroom and opposition to the efforts of activist educators to inculcate students with their unproven, controversial theories on the moral status of homosexual behavior do not constitute support for bullying.

*

Ms. Higgins can claim that she and her organization do not demonize gays citizens, but a casual reading of the anti-gay articles on her organization's website concerning gays is all the proof one needs. Ms. Higgins, like the majority of anti-gay Christianists is a liar who knowingly disseminates untrue information that depicts gays a menace to society and as little more than vermin. This time, Throckmorton correctly called a spade a spade. Kudos to him for doing so.