| Two weeks after 15 religious political
extremist groups launched an ad campaign claiming lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and
transgender people could change their sexual orientation, several major media outlets have
examined that egregious claim at some length - with varied results. Here are some of the
highlights: Nightline
Forrest Tucker, substituting as host of ABC’s
Nightline on July 30, moderated a debate between Andrew Sullivan, editor of the New
Republic and Center for Reclaiming America Director Janet Folger, who engineered the ad
campaign. Sullivan asked repeatedly whether Folger supports laws allowing imprisonment for
having sex with someone of the same gender. After Folger gave several non-responsive
answers, Sawyer pressed, "Ms. Folger, forgive me. He is asking the direct question,
'Do you support laws that advocate the imprisonment of people who engage in homosexual
behavior?’" Folger answered, "I guess if you’re looking at sodomy
laws, there are sodomy laws on the books that I very much support."
USA Today
An August 4 Life section cover story examines various
aspects of the so-called "ex-gay" movement - while firmly stating that the bulk
of scientific opinion questions its effectiveness. Reporter Kim Painter writes that the
American Psychological Association "says that there’s no evidence such therapy
works and that it may do more harm than good." Sadly, the piece carried a thoughtless
headline on one of four accompanying sidebars. The headline, about an "ex-gay"
couple, reads "Once gay, now they’re a family" - giving the incorrect
impression that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals do not have families.
Overall, Painter makes strong points about the true nature of the ad campaign, and points
out potential dangers of "conversion therapies," noting that they can do active
harm to individuals and their families.
Washington Post
A July 31 article examining Washington, DC-area "ex-gay"
groups leads with a vignette of "ex-gay" Corey Welch, who "escaped from
what he considers the clutches of a depraved underworld and entered the welcoming arms of
the Transformation Christian Ministries" - a group that reporter Hanna Rosin says,
"shepherds gay men and women away from the 'devil’s temptation.’"
The Village Voice
An August 11 article by Mark Schoofs, entitled,
"Straight to Hell: When Gays Go Hetero, the Consequences Can Be Anything But
Redemptive," says some survivors of the "ex-gay" programs call them
'psychological terrorism.'" Yet, they’ve "suddenly gained media
credibility, simply because conservative political groups, such as the Christian Coalition
and the Family Research Council, shelled out $200,000 for a high-profile ad
campaign."
Philadelphia Inquirer
"Christian gays caught in a conflict," reads the
front-page headline. "Some in Philadelphia choose faith over sexuality." Like
the Washington Post report, the article describes a support group for persons unhappy with
their sexual orientation. Except for a quote by GLAAD Communications Director Jennifer
Einhorn, the Inquirer devotes only perfunctory space to telling the other side of the
story.
The New York Times
In the August 2 "Backtalk" column, former Green
Bay Packer David Kopay - the first professional football player to say he’s gay -
tells current Green Bay Packer Reggie White that "Sexual repression, alcoholism,
spousal abuse, child abuse, drug addiction, loneliness, hate and ignorance are the real
enemies we face. Lighten up on gay folks; we are not the enemy." White
repeatedly has made homophobic comments and is featured in one of the conservative ads.
The GLAADAlert and GLADDlines are the weekly activation tools of the Gay &
Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive
representation in the media as a means of challenging homophobia and all forms of
discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity.
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