FRC Blog » Robin Williams, Rehab, and Reorientation

There is just so much wrong with this I dont even know where to start,,,

"Then just last month, news broke that Williams had again returned to rehab, this time at a Hazelden center in Minnesota. A spokesman for Williams said that he had not relapsed into substance abuse, but was “simply taking the opportunity to fine-tune and focus on his continued commitment [to sobriety], of which he remains extremely proud.” That was on July 1 — but six weeks later, he was dead."

First Sprigg, in a backhanded way, is stating the Williams' death is due to his return to drug/alcohol rehab; a mental health service that is for the most part a generally accepted (by consensus) form of treatment. He then continues to equate rehab to reparative therapy. Notice his choice of words, "sexual orientation change efforts."

"In light of this history, I have only one question for socially liberal political activists — why aren’t you trying to outlaw rehab?

"I ask the question because such activists are trying to ban a form of mental health treatment — not drug and alcohol rehabilitation, but “sexual orientation change efforts” (“SOCE”), also known as “sexual reorientation therapy.” Such therapy involves assisting people with unwanted same-sex attractions to overcome them."

What Spriggs leaves out, homosexuality has not been consider a mental disorder since 1973; and, reparative therapy as a whole has been debunked. (Seriously, do not even think for a moment that the Regnerus study lends any credibility to the FRC's stance.) Not only by ex ex-gay bigwigs but as Anderson Cooper points out in  his response to the Texas GOP's adoption of support for reparative therapy.

“It’s really just not accurate to say that doctors are evenly divided,” Cooper told state Rep. Bryan Hughes (R). “I could give you a list: the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Counseling Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American School Counselors’ Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers. They represent half a million mental health professionals, [and] they all say this is not a mental disorder. It’s not something that needs to be cured.”

Personally I think Spriggs is a pissed off little man because their golden girl of the movement, Yvette Cantu Schneider told FRC to go fuck off

My snark aside, J. Bryan Lowder over at Slate sums up the reality of what Spriggs misses:

"The reason addicts seek or are referred to rehab for substance abuse is because addiction is clearly inhibiting their ability to live their lives. Meanwhile, the only thing inhibiting gay people from living openly and happily is people like Sprigg, people who suggest that homosexuality is anything other than a natural, perfectly healthy variation of human sexual expression. When critics of ex-gay therapy—including the large majority of the medical establishment—advocate for its elimination, it is not because we, as Sprigg puts it, are “holding such therapies to a standard of ‘effectiveness’ and ‘safety’ that is impossible for any mental health treatment to meet.” Rather, it is because we recognize that being gay is not a mental health issue in the first place.

This isn't the FRC stooping low, this is the FRC standing proud. This is what they are, and they're proud of it.

FRC Blog » Robin Williams, Rehab, and Reorientation