aTypical Joe: a gay New Yorker living in the rural South
Friday, July 29, 2005
LIARs on TV
Michael in NY at AMERICAblog posts on the recent spate of Love In Action/Refuge ("yes, as numerous threaders pointed out, this makes them LIARs") stories on TV.
GMA failed to provide context about conversion therapy, how it was founded by two men who ultimately declared their love for each other, admitted it was all a fraud and are now married and campaign against it. GMA failed to note how the rare “success stories” trumpeted by the far right have proven to be failures time and time again… GMA failed to emphasize how these groups have already admitted defeat—they used to claim they could turn people straight; now apparently everyone admits they’re still gay and struggle with desire but just try not to act on it. That’s a far cry from what they used to believe—it admits the fundamental point that being gay is not a choice, something they used to deny heatedly. GMA also failed to tie the hatred these parents have for their own children to the trial of a man in Florida who killed his three year old son because he feared the boy was gay and literally tried to beat it out of him.
On Paula Zahn “Now” last night:
Zahn was polite but pretty darn on target. She emphasized how he is and always will be gay and that the best the program can hope is to get Wellman and others to SUPPRESS themselves. She emphasized how it’s one thing for an adult like Wellman to choose to go through this and a very different thing for a minor to be forced into it. LIAR’s line is that the parents have the right to raise their children any way they choose. But the response is that you have no right to assist a parent in shaming and emotionally damaging a child by telling them to be ashamed of their skin color or gender or sexual orientation. Zahn talked a lot about the vulnerability of the children being pushed through LIARs. When Wellman tried to compare this program to a parent’s right to have their children take music lessons, Zahn shot him down and said that music lessons never lead to suicide attempts.
My favorite moment:
Zahn: But in a way, aren’t you denying who you are?
Wellman: Aren’t we all?Uh, no. We’re not.
UPDATE: Crooks and Liars has the Paula Zahn video.
