Comments on: The fuss over Michele Bachmann and reparative therapy

By: David Blakeslee

David Blakeslee — Wed, 30 May 2018 18:53:03 +0000

Not likely to happen.
Perhaps we can get the transcript of the sessions from Wayne Besen.
Perhaps Warren or David Roberts can encourage Wayne to do so…often this reveals important contexts that either support the allegations further (reinforcing TWO’s credibility) or undermining the allegations.
In either case, I find it sad that Warren does not acknowledge the obvious bind of the therapist being actively deceived by a client, thinking he is aligning with the patient’s beliefs.
The anti-religious attitudes of the APA are well documented in the first 50 years of the profession (to the point of associating many mental illnesses in the DSM III with religious behavior and beliefs) and only recently have they a) defined religiosity as a diversity variable requiring therapeutic attunement for the ethical therapist; and b) acknowledged the importance of respecting one’s religious beliefs when dealing with Same Sex Attractions.
Especially as the word “change” as noted here leads to all sorts of differing interpretations.
Deeply troubling.

By: Warren

Warren — Wed, 30 May 2018 18:53:03 +0000

David/Teresa: The Bachmanns can get a fair shake by simply addressing the issues. Does his clinic work with clinic to cure/change homosexual attractions? Do certain therapists do that? They have dodged this by saying they can’t talk about it. Of course this is not true; they can address this in a general way without compromising confidentiality.
If they do this, then what is their model? Is a religiously based approach? Is it just we are all heterosexual and thus should abstain from anything else?
There will be some people who will not like anything they say but for those who might be inclined to be fair, openness would help. As it is, it looks like they have something to hide.
RE: undercover clients. In general, I think it is valuable when one needs to verify illegal activity. In this case, there have been some questions about the legality of the Bachmann clinic. If the undercover investigation discovered Richard Cohen clones, I suspect we might be having a different conversation. Pro-family people should be careful to criticize undercover stealth, since the Planned Parenthood group was discovered doing some very shady things which was discovered in that manner.
If Bachmann’s therapist would have been using the SIT framework, there might still have been some video released but the steak would have been way different than the sizzle.

By: Teresa

Teresa — Wed, 30 May 2018 18:53:01 +0000

I have several questions concerning homosexuals, Michele Bachmann and the upcoming, never ending, Presidential Campaign:
1.) Just because we care here, and some (many?) homosexuals care what Michele and Marcus Bachmann think or speak about this issue … is this really a show-stopper for the vast majority of Americans? Seriously? Unless, of course, the ever-present media, which is a clear and present danger in many areas, makes it so. I don’t think the average Tom, Dick, and Harry … Jane, Sue, and Mary give a tinkers dam about any of this. Homosexuality and Same sex marriage as voting concerns are certainly important; but, they’re not the only issues in the universe. There are other very serious issues that affect more people where they live, personally … like jobs, loss of homes, sons and daughters in never-ending wars, etc.
2.) Can the Bachmann’s ever get a fair shake on any of this? Whatever their ‘real’ views about being homosexual (which I would like to know), they are certainly a family that has values, and lives by those values. They have 5 children … quite unusual for our day and age. They’ve fostered 23 adolescent, pregnant teens. I’d say in many ways they walk-the-walk, as well as talk-the-talk.
Will I vote for her, I can’t say. However, I’d certainly appreciate less politicization around all this, and more unbiased news about her views. Sadly, I’m sure that won’t happen.

By: David Blakeslee

David Blakeslee — Wed, 30 May 2018 17:45:51 +0000

Criminal vs Ethical

By: Jayhuck

Jayhuck — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:52:42 +0000

David,
I have no idea if Mrs Scott’s assertions in her book are true or not. It sounds, from the article, as if her book is based on some letters that Obama’s mother wrote. My issue is that based on this book you claim that Obama lied when the book itself proves nothing.
The fact remains that people are denied coverage based on pre-existing conditions, that it is a widespread problem and that our healthcare system was in need of “dramatic legislation” as you call it. We will likely never know for sure if Obama lied, or didn’t completely remember events that took place approx 14 years prior to his making those speeches, or if the book tells us the whole story.
Emily is correct though – this is a distraction from the Bachmann problem. You seem very quick to embrace information that portrays people or institutions you disagree with in a bad light without any apparent amount of critical analysis – such as this book about Obama and his mother and in another thread your comments about Planned Parenthood.