A Repsonse to Parents Abusing Children Through "Ex-Gay" Therapy

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I've gone on the record before stating that in my view parents who subject their children to fraudulent "ex-gay" therapy are guilty of a form of child abuse and, in an ideal world, should be prosecuted for felony child abuse.  It's the parents, not the gay child, who need an intervention.  Unfortunately, too often people are reluctant to call out the parent and tell them that they are the one with the "problem."  Not so advice columnist "Ask Amy," who had a wonderful response (which can be viewed here) to one such bigoted parent.  The image above is a copy of the response.   I love that the response suggests that the parent get in touch with the local PFLAG chapter!  Huffington Post noted Amy's spot on advice.  Here are excerpts:

Advice columnist "Ask Amy," otherwise known as Amy Dickinson, had some choice words for a parent who just doesn't know what to do with their gay son, as he just "won’t listen to reason, and he will not stop being gay."

The parent, penned as "feeling betrayed," is extremely concerned about what their church group will think if they find out about their gay son. "I feel as if he is doing this just to get back at me for forgetting his birthday for the past three years -- I have a busy work schedule," the parent explains in their letter.

Dickinson's incredible response to this delusional parent opens with a suggestion to "teach your son an important lesson by changing your own sexuality to show him how easy it is. Try it for the next year or so: Stop being a heterosexual to demonstrate to your son that a person’s sexuality is a matter of choice -- to be dictated by one’s parents, the parents’ church and social pressure."

Dickinson's advice comes on the heels of a growing awareness about the dangers of gay conversion therapy, and moves to make the practice illegal in a number of states after it was outlawed in California and New Jersey.

Frankly, if this supposedly concerned parent forgot their child's birthday for three years, it speaks volumes about what a poor parent this individual is.  It seems that this parent is more concerned about them self and "what people will think" than they are about their child.