Yes, about the anons, I have lost track. I think some of them are talking to each other but I am having trouble keeping up. At least, it is all civil.

Anyway…

Anon # 23,457

Perhaps the idea of gaol as a cure is confusing, but so? (I think I called it “change therapy” or something — and only half in jest)

I think if you read some of Szasz and the (at times ugly, brutal) history of the “therapy” profession you’d be less confused.

Szasz was, of course, halfway to crazy half of the time — but only half way and only half the time. The rest of the time he was a much needed blast of pure fresh air into a profession that was rapidly vanishing up it’s own fundament.

If you appreciate what Szasz was concerned about in 1960+, you’ll understand where I’m coming from.

Although it is possible that some people might have had the idea that sending gay men to prison would turn them straight, I don’t believe that this has ever been regarded as ‘therapy’ as such. It’s just confusing to use that word.

So was only one of the boys incarcerated or were both boys jailed? How long did they spend in jail? Were they caught doing this in a park by the police or were they turned in by one of the boys’ parents? Over the course of your time there, how many boys were jailed for this offense?

I never heard of this in my community (Thank God!). Could this have been an early hysterical reaction to Aids?

And the fact gaol is often viewed as both punishment and opportunity for “reform”.

You might like to read Socarides as example — Socarides from before his NARTH project. He has argued that placing homosexuals in the hands of therapists like him would deliver “change” far better than imprisonment would.

I’m not sure if you have access to a legal case database, but many “first time offenders” were also offered a choice of a course of therapy or gaol at sentencing; particularly if younger.

Predictably, most chose therapy. And most made sure their therapist believed they had been “cured”, often a condition of the suspection of a gaol sentence.

And a few years later… these “successful changes” would be written up in the psych. literature as proof that the therapy worked.

If you want a good parallel: compare this to those compelled to attend an exgay group as a condition of being accepted back into a church. The outcomes are as equally predictable, and probably as equally false.

While some exgay seek to change for their own private reasons, the testimonies offered by exgay groups are full of such situations. While you cannot guess from a testimony if any individual was motivated by this reason; you can be certain that at least some will have, overall.

Try the evergreen.org site for some of the “best” examples of such arguably questionable testimonies. Consider them with the understanding that these individuals have been effectively offered a “choice” of actually changing, lying or losing everything.

Where did you get the idea that imprisoning people for homosexuality has ever been considered a form of therapy?

NEXT!!!

Being the same age (and frankly am indifferent to that fact) we do remember it being used. It still pops up. But it’s dropped off. Along with those tedious femme v butch lesbianisms (and then, peace fell upon the World…)

You just betrayed your age AGAIN!!!

How groovy 70’s man! Peace.”

Nah, maybe it’s an ocean thing, not a decade thing. “Top” and “bottom” are currently live and well and probably the only commonly used words in Los Angeles to differentiate that distinction. And while “boyfriend” and “husband” are probably most common (legality notwithstanding) you still occasionally hear the term “lover”.

At 42, I may be middle-aged (though I hate admitting it) but I have a wide variety of friends so I think I’m pretty much aware of the current slang.