October 9, 2012

(World Net Daily) Excerpt from Liberty Counsel Chairman Mathew Staver’s interview on World Net Daily radio: “‘It’s absolute political correctness and immoral behavior and immoral and just bankrupt thinking that has led to this. They are legislating a specific kind of morality, and that morality is only that homosexuality is good and that same-sex attractions are nothing to ultimately be resisted. Even if you don’t want them, even if you don’t want to act on them, so what? Too bad. You’ve got to be counseled to act on them anyway. That’s just absurd. If anything is quackery, it’s the quackery of the California Legislature and the governor that ultimately has the audacity and the hubris to think that they can interfere between a client and the counselor’s relationship.’” Link to the World Net Daily article and radio interview.

October 4, 2012

(Christian Concern) Excerpt: “The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) has written to its members warning them of its opposition to ‘reparative’ therapies. Such therapies are intended for those who experience same sex attraction but want help to change. This move from the BACP will make it difficult for those counsellors who want to offer this kind of therapy and also remain members of the association. … Lesley Pilkington, a Christian counsellor who is trained in reparative therapy, has pointed out that it is the client’s choice to receive such therapy and as such it is a human right. Link to the Christian Concern article.

October 3, 2012

(abcnews.go.com) Excerpt: “A college student who claims he once had same-sex attractions but became heterosexual after conversion therapy has filed a lawsuit against California, which has enacted a law that bans so-called ‘gay cures’ for minors. The lawsuit, also joined as plaintiffs by two therapists who have used the treatments with patients, alleges that the law banning the therapy intrudes on First Amendment protections of free speech, privacy and freedom of religion. The student, Aaron Blitzer, who is studying to be a therapist in that field, said the law would prevent him from pursuing his career, according to court papers filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.” Link to the ABC NEWS article.

October 2, 2012

(PFOX) Statement excerpt: “Every week is a ‘banned books week’ for the ex-gay community. Books about leaving homosexuality are censored in most high school and community libraries, although gay affirming books are readily available. Arlington County, Virginia public schools accepted gay books for students from a local gay activist group, but Charlie Makela, the supervisor for Arlington Public School’s Office of Library Services, returned ex-gay books that PFOX had donated because she did not ‘believe the books are appropriate for our high school collection.’ Yet according to the ALA, the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if unorthodox and unpopular, is the reason for its Banned Books Week.” The link to the PFOX statement.

October 1, 2012

(The Christian Post) Excerpt from John Warren’s and Jeff Buchanan’s statement “A Call for Responsible Grace:” “For individuals in the midst of this struggle, our desire is for them to hear a message of hope that proclaims the transforming power of Christ. Recent statements have seemingly minimized the possibility of change and have discouraged the hope of many beginning their journey out of homosexuality. While it’s true that same-sex temptation may remain to varying degrees, we do not believe this diminishes God’s transformational work. Most people will continue to be vulnerable to a previous weakness but this can serve as a reminder of their dependence upon God’s enabling grace. In the midst of our trials and weaknesses, we should always believe that change is possible.” Link to the statement in the Christian Post.

October 1, 2012

(World Net Daily) The Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) will seek an injunction to prevent the implementation of SB 1172 – the California law that will prohibit therapists from providing sexual orientation change efforts to minors. An October 1st World Net Daily article quoted Mathew McReynolds of PJI, “The bill claims that sexually confused youth who experience ‘family rejection … face especially serious health risks’ and the state has a ‘compelling interest’ to protect their health. The logical implication from these two assertions is that the state is giving itself the power to take kids away from parents who do not affirm the kids’ sexual confusion.” The Liberty Counsel will also be filing a lawsuit against the bill on behalf of the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH). Link to the World Net Daily article. Link to the statement by the Pacific Justice Institute.

October 1, 2012

(NARTH.com) Excerpt: “NARTH is saddened but not surprised by this unprecedented legislative intrusion and will lend its full support to the legal efforts to overturn it. California citizens and especially parents should know the indifference that supporters of this bill have toward their freedom of choice, as reflected in Senator Lieu’s recent acknowledgement that, ‘The attack on parental rights is exactly the whole point of the bill…’ The Senator went on to equate the harms to minors of smoking and alcohol abuse, which have been documented over decades of research, with the reported harms of sexual orientation change efforts, the prevalence of which the American Psychological Association admits we have no way of knowing.” (more…)

October 1, 2012

(SaveCalifornia.com) Excerpt: “With the stroke of his pen, Jerry Brown is locking vulnerable, molested children into homosexuality and transsexuality,” said SaveCalifornia.com President Randy Thomasson. “What could be more depressing than telling a molested boy he has no hope to be who God created him to be? And what’s more angering than telling parents of a molested child they can’t acquire professional counseling? This harsh law tramples parents’ God-given rights to help their own children recover from sexual trauma.” Link to the SaveCalifornia.com article.

October 1, 2012

(abcnews.go.com) Excerpt: “Therapy aimed at changing the sexual orientation of minors who say they are gay has been outlawed in California, the first state to adopt such legislation. California Gov. Jerry Brown announced he had signed the bill on Sunday. The bill’s sponsor, Calif. State Sen. Ted Lieu, said the so-called ‘conversion therapy,’ ‘sexual orientation therapy,’ ‘reparative therapy,’ or ‘sexual orientation change efforts’ — amounts to ‘psychological child abuse.’ Link to the ABC NEWS article.

September 27, 2012

The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) has prepared an updated overview of their positions on a variety of issues involving homosexuality, including basic information on sexual orientation change efforts and the animosity the gay rights movement has toward NARTH. Fifteen questions are answered concisely and honestly. Link to NARTH’s answers to frequently asked questions.