Friday
Oct 28, 2005
SGN.org
Volume 33
Issue 43
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Tuesday, Dec 02, 2008
05:21
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Exodus targets Gay youth at 'Groundswell' conference in Redmond |
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| Exodus targets Gay youth at 'Groundswell' conference in Redmond | |
| GLSEN Puget Sound condemns "ex-Gay" proselytizing by group
The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Puget Sound is outraged to learn that Exodus International is hosting a conference this Thursday, October 27, in Redmond, WA, which encourages Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) teens to enter into unsafe, unproven and abusive "ex-Gay therapy." "Every mainstream medical and psychological organization has condemned the type of 'therapy' offered by Exodus and their ilk," said Robert Raketty, GLSEN Puget Sound's Executive Director. "True therapy is about building up youth's self-esteem and helping them to become whole; not espousing intolerance and rejection cloaked in the language of love. Exodus bases their 'therapy' on biased and unproven research. Being Gay is not a mental disorder and should not be treated as such." "Ex-Gay therapy" has been discredited and deemed unethical by numerous mainstream psychological associations, including the American Psychiatric Association, the American Counseling Association, the American Psychological Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, the National Association of Social Workers, and others. High school teacher, Gay-Straight Alliance Advisor and GLSEN Puget Sound Education and Training Director, Joseph R. Bento, M. Ed., speaks from professional experience (corroborated by GLSEN data*) when he says that "having a message on campus taunting [LGBTQ teens] to change [in order] to be mentally healthy, to be moral& can send [LGBTQ] students into confusion about who they are and in many instances can lead to suicide. "When Gay students are harassed, they tend to skip class, miss school, and their grades decline because they don't want to come to school because they fear for their personal safety. "Bullying students about their sexuality is a type of harassment. & Bullying and harassment of any kind is not acceptable. Until we teach that all prejudice is wrong, bullying will flourish in our schools." The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Puget Sound is a non-profit organization working to end anti-Gay harassment and bullying in K-12 schools. One of our current programs is the Washington State Gay-Straight Alliance Network. We provide support and programming ideas to these student-led GSAs who courageously work to end harassment and homophobia in their schools. GLSEN Puget Sound and the Washington State Gay-Straight Alliance Network can be reached at (206) 330-2099, or on the web at: http://www.glsenpugetsound.org or http://www.wagsa.org. A GLSEN Puget Sound press release |
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International Readers |
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 Theatre Off Jackson & Vixen Productions Present A Pulp Vixens |
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