A [retired] college psychology professor's observations about public policy, mental health, sexual identity, and religious issues
Documentaries are a poppin’ lately and You Tube is awash in clips taking all sides in the sexual orientation change debate. This trailer seeks buzz about a new one coming called Gay No More? Cruising the Ex-gay Movement produced by Bill Hussung and his wife Hishara Cosino-Hussung.
Some familiar faces dot this clip…
Exgay Watch reports that the 2006 video Abomination: Homosexuality and the Ex-gay Movement will premiere in New York City on Wednesday, October 24.
I have previously reviewed this video but will give it another look over the next week and add comments in another post. I plan to make some comments about the harm that can result from some reparative therapy approaches and other misguided efforts to change sexual orientation.
One of my prinicipal concerns about Abomination is that the Shidlo and Schroeder study is treated as providing accurate and representative rates of change. Here is a clip from a Canadian talk show where Alicia Salzer again quotes the 4% change rate (as she did on the Montel Williams Show).
The New York Times political blog (prob a must read for about the next year) is reporting that Barack Obama will woo religious conservatives with a gospel music concert series. I wonder if there will be any GLB fallout from Donnie McClurkin’s presence?
I have no interest in Obama as a candidate, but if I was in South Carolina, I would go. Can I get a witness!?
UPDATE: Some fallout has come from the announcement. Obama has distanced himself from McClurkin’s views. Now gay activists are calling on Obama to drop McClurkin.
This story has been all over the media but I wanted to post it as a starter for discussion. The link leads to a NPR discussion a bit more in depth than the AP reports.
I can think of several reasons why this could backfire. I do not believe middle school kids are likely to be consistent in taking the pills but may have a false sense of safety. We know kids aren’t very consistent in implementation of most birth control methods so I suspect this will not have much effect on births and inasmuch as sexual activity increases, so might the incidence of STDs. Seems to me the best birth control method at this age is the presence of an adult. Maybe the school board could spend some money on adult supervision. I do not know what the fact on the ground are there but I sure hope this doesn’t catch on elsewhere.
This weekend the Values Voters Summit will look for some consolidation of views surrounding a candidate to offset Rudy and defeat Hillary in 2008. The New Yorks Times covers these expectations and what is stake for various suitors for the social conservative vote.
Feel free to post links, comments and observations from weekend coverage here.
Rudy Giuliani’s speech may have helped his status with social conservatives…or maybe not – 10-20-07 – The straw poll shows conservative support split between Romney and Huckabee.