06 June 2005

GUYS, SPREAD THE WORD. GET IT OUT OF MEMPHIS. GET IT ANYWHERE YOU CAN.

most of you know all of this, but it needs to be everywhere. take it, share it, spread it. put info on your blogs and livejournals even if you think no one who doesnt already know will read it, cause maybe they will.

REMEMBER: those of you who know the whole scoop, DONT NAME NAMES. we dont want to make it any worse for you know who.

this was on the eyewitness news website. (myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=E46B7C69-EBD7-4429-A26F-DFC31CC02016)
Turning Gay Teens Straight Posted: 6/6/2005 10:54:44 PM
Angry protesters battle it out with members of a Mid-South group who are trying to turn gay teens straight! Protesters say the Christian based organization “Love In Action” is brain washing kids and putting them in danger. The program’s organizers say they’re giving gay teens a guide to a straight lifestyle, through prayer.

Reverend John Smid says “The truth is that if someone is expressing themselves homosexually, they are involving themselves in inappropriate sexual conduct.” Smid has been the executive director of “Love In Action” for the past 19 years. He makes no apologies for his strong beliefs about gay and lesbian lifestyles. Smid says he used to be gay, and says sexual exploration by youth is out of control. “Youth are involved in sexual expression through internet pornography through internet communications and physical relationships in heterosexual and homosexual ways, it’s all out of control.” Rev. Smid says “Love In Action” only aligns teens’ sexuality with their parents Christian beliefs.

Protesters showed up in front of the refuge today to protest. Janelle Treibitz says it’s wrong to force kids to participate. “They lump homosexuals with drug and alcohol abuse as if it’s somehow on the same plane, as if it’s something that needs to be treated or healed.”

Protesters fear the long-term effects on families. One protester says “When you have these very natural feelings and you are forced into something like this from your parents who you would hope would be a center of love and guidance and support for you, it’s just a really harmful thing.”

Janelle Treibitz says not every teen needs intervention, rather understanding. “Some of these children are not struggling; they know their sexual identities but parents won’t accept it so they send them here. But those who are struggling and have questions, there are psychologists that can be seen.”

http://www.livejournal.com/users/morgankissboys/ (<--all the protest info is here)
http://www.inoohr.org/ (<--international organization of heterosexual rights. hit it up if youre not quite angry enough yet)
http://www.asafeplace.org (<--the camps webwsite)

every time i think about this whole thing i want to scream. i cant possibly imagine what these kids will go through in these next weeks. show up to these protests, kids. make signs, come ready, and get heard. ill be at them whenever i can. if your parents wont let you go, stay the night at a friends house and go with them in the morning. its time we did something about this. support your friends, support gays, straights, and everyone in between.

whatever happened to god loving everyone?

EDIT
this was myeyewitnessnews.com's daily poll.

Poll Results: Do you agree with programs that try to convert homosexuals to heterosexuals?
Yes: 10.0%
No: 88.8%
I don't know: 1.2%

the good news: most of memphis that voted is on our side. the bad news: Yes: 10.0% who are these people?

UPDATED POLL RESULTS:

Do you agree with programs that try to convert homosexuals to heterosexuals?
Yes: 16.5%
No: 82.3%
I don't know: 1.2%

EDIT II:

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LOVE IN ACTION:"I would rather you commit suicide than have you leave Love In Action wanting to return to the gay lifestyle. In a physical death you could still have a spiritual resurrection; whereas, returning to homosexuality you are yielding yourself to a spiritual death from which there is no recovery." --The Final Indoctrination from John Smid, Director, Love In Action (LIA)

/EDITS

1 comment:

Synapse said...

it's that 10 percent that fucks it up for the rest of us