Ads link homosexuality, child abuse [WashBlade]

[demdiva]

Ads link homosexuality, child abuse
on Virginia TV
Commercials featuring 'ex-gays' funded by church

By KATHERINE VOLIN
Friday, December 02, 2005

http://www.washblade.com/2005/12-2/news/localnews/va-commercial.cfm

Critics of a new series of television commercials sponsored by a local church claim the ads imply a link between homosexuality and sexual abuse, a contention disputed by the pastor at the church.

Lynn Carter, associate pastor at Arlington Assembly of God, in Arlington, Va., said the ads were intended only to extend a welcome to people who might have felt demonized by Christianity.

The commercials spotlight at least two "ex-gays." One commercial features a man, the other features a woman, and each says they were sexually abused as a child and later lived a "gay lifestyle." Both commercials end with the person claiming they are now heterosexual and Christian.

Gay activist Wayne Besen, author of "Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals & Lies behind the Ex-gay Myth," said that linking sexual abuse with homosexuality is a familiar message from ex-gay groups.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I almost fell over the first time I saw this commercial (the guy version first and the girl version second) and was relieved to find later a similar outrage from others (all of us straight by the way). Unlike was stated in the article attached, these commercials don't "imply" a link between homosexuality and sexual abuse during childhood. Both commercials feature a subject who states they didn't love themselves because of sexual abuse in childhood and that forced them into the gay lifestyle.

http://arlingtonag.org/map.htm

[AnnieBW]

1. This is CRAP!!!

:wtf: I know a few people who were sexually abused as children. None of them are GLBT. I know several GLBT folks. None of them, AFAIK, were sexually abused as children. Any competent psychologist who has studied these issues will tell you that there is NO CONNECTION!!!

[mcctatas]

2. Gaaaahhh...

I'm so disgusted I may have to go shower. The family values crew seems to have no sense of decency, morality or even good taste! What if someone ran a commercial with a bunch of people saying "I was sexually abused as a child and the self-loathing I felt led me into a heterosexual lifestyle". I suppose we can't expect much better from people who hate science...and apparently logic as well. :puke:

[darkmaestro019]

3. Huh. Well, I was lucky: I was NOT abused as a child

at least, nothing that I would call abuse. So why am I queer? (ponder) Could it be.....Satan? (smirk)

[demdiva]

4. And then they have the gall to say they are showing the ads

to welcome GBLTs. This makes no sense to me.

"We think you are a sinner and we will change everything about you. You will no longer be you, but we welcome you here"

[FreedomAngel82]

6. If they were doing that

Their sexuality would be of no concern to them. I'm getting tired of all of this. I'm just lucky I go to a church where my preacher doesn't do this nonsense. He preaches about spiritual matters and things that can be applied to our lives today. These people are pure Pharasiee wolves in sheep's clothing. I still remember when the United Church of Christ had the ad that was banned from stations. The ad had this bouncer type guy outside a church turning people away who weren't your typical church goers such as black people and other races and gay people. Than the ad said how they weren't going to turn you away just because of who you were and everyone was welcome. I remember my mother told me she over heard around that time at our church some older ladies talking about the ad and saying how they hoped people didn't think it was our church (we're just Church of Christ). I wanted to scream!

[demdiva]

7. In other words the old ladies didn't want people thinking

that gays, blacks, etc. were welcome in your church?

[FreedomAngel82]

5. Oh good grief

I have heard/read that those who are abused often seek love from someone similiar to who abused them. Such as if you're a daughter and your father abused you you'd try to find love from someone like him because your brain will think you're getting love from the person who abused you and acceptance from them. This is a totally ridiculous claim and they don't have phd's do they? And plus how do we know these people (the "ex-gays") are really who they say they are? How do we know they aren't just actors from their church?
I'm getting so tired of this nonsense. Why don't they leave people the hell a lone?! As a Christian myself I'm getting fed up with it! People need to ACTUALLY READ their Bible's and not the Old Testament! The Old Testament is of the Jews whereas Jesus and Christian's and setting up the church is in the NEW TESTAMENT! All these religious people point to the Old Testament for why they don't like gay people but we do not follow the Old Testament!
And Jesus NEVER talked about gay people and we know gay people were around back in his time so if he did talk about gay people I'm very sure the Catholic Church would have let that stay in there in the Protestant Bible! This is getting out of hand and I wish some gay groups would get together and sue these people's asses off for slander like this!

[NMMNG]

8. Show me some scientific proof Ms. Carter,

Until then I'm calling bullsh*t.

[undergroundpanther]

9. Fundies are scared

Of gay people because gay people are living out the unconscious desires they repress out of fear of who they may be..WE live out their desires for them because they are still frightened dominated children on some level.

The older repressed generation needs to let the younger generation be free to find out who they are whatever that may be,so healthy love can spring from the deadened carcass of parental sickness and society needs to get off that narcissism ego trip that has infected people since the great depression that is making our country s sociopathic mess.

If the older people want to stay caged and afraid and repressed and love their psychological chains and worship their hateful gods of their parents before them they can have them..But leave US alone and quit dominating our right to have our own bodies, minds, thoughts, lives,now, IDENTITIES!

Grrrr

[iconoclastNYC]

10. Lets buy ads that link Christian Fundamentalism with Terrorism

Fight fire with fire.

Operation Rescue: "Who would Jesus Bomb?"