New York Times and others on Zach
This story is getting harder to take all the time. I have been the 16 year Zach is. I was 16 once and wondering about being gay. Zach appears to be stronger as he has expressed thoughts to people he thought it safe to do so, to his parents.
The issue of his Dad then deciding to send his son to a religious "concentration" camp is a betrayal of Zach's trust in them. It is no wonder many teenagers feel they can not talk to their parents. Kids that are gay or questioning their sexuality have it even worse in many cases, especially kids like Zach.
The New York Times has a good article that you can retrieve at their website here or as a pdf file here. The article covers Zach's case and the ex-gay movement.
Love in Action (LIA) is the purveyor for the "Christian" based camps that operate much like a 12 step program. Queer Action Coalition has gathered several documents from LIA on their program and posted them here.
A number of supporter blogs for Zach have sprung up. Check out "Real Love in Action", The Story so far, Ex-Gay Watch and Cherry Blossom. They have articles on Zach and homophobia and the associated harm done by some of these christian conversion techniques.
You can support Queer Action Coalition in a number of ways, make a donation, write letters, organize or join a rally or sign a petition.
You can check out the cartoon at Free Z. - the comic. Based on a real story, with real people, and real pain.
There is much to say about this case and others in the same situation. In simple terms these Christian Activists are abusing our youth, emotionally and otherwise. We need to do what we can to stem their access to our youth.
Please take time to visit anyone of the links on this page and to support the Queer Action Coalition financially or otherwise. You can also check out the website of Peterson Toscano, a surviver of the the ex-gay movement who is an articulate spokesperson and facilitater. I recently hear Peterson on Queer FM out of Vancouver BC. I was moved by his comments, experiance and the effort and talents he brings to the fight to protect youth and others, to inform the public and educate. Currently he travels North America performing his newest play "Doin' time in Homo No Mo Halfway House" and has his own blog, a musing.
For more on gay rights, Christian Activism, equal, gay or same-sex marriage, James Dobson, Bishop Henry, use the technorati search box in the side bar here and at Politics in BC.
Tags: Gay, GLBT, The Bible, Queer, Christian, James Dobson, religion Canada, lgbt, Politics, zach,
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