ADDENDUM::Wolfe: Treatment to "cure" homosexuality does long-term damage - Houston Chronicle

By endorsing conversion therapy, the Texas Republican Party has rejected modern science in favor of archaic and disproven myths that cost lives. The party is aligning itself with a form of quackery that the medical mainstream rejected more than 40 years ago. Quite simply, conversion therapy is about as legitimate and effective as a lobotomy.

Young lesbian, gay and bisexual people already face enough challenges in life without being subjected to - and sometimes forced into - therapy that will supposedly cure what was never broken. The Southern Poverty Law Center currently represents four young people harmed by recklessly treating orientation as an illness. These vulnerable young people were looking anywhere for help as they struggled to imagine living in a world that often rejects gay people, treating them as second-class citizens or even worse.

[,,,]
Not surprisingly, conversion therapy does real, long-term damage. Our clients, for example, all sought legitimate counseling to help them recover from the harm and abuse they experienced. Recently, a judge in our case ruled that the conversion therapists may be required to pay three times the cost of that counseling. We're headed to trial early next year.

Meanwhile, the Texas GOP should face reality. The conversion therapy ship is sinking, and it is sinking fast. Many states, recognizing the scientific consensus that conversion therapy is ineffective and dangerous, are taking steps to provide critical legal protections to prevent youth from being subjected to the junk science of conversion therapy. Political leaders in Texas should do the same, instead of hanging one of our most vulnerable populations out to dry.

Wolfe: Treatment to "cure" homosexuality does long-term damage - Houston Chronicle

ADDENDUM::Texas' Perry on reparative therapy: 'I don't know' | MSNBC

But there’s something else about the Republican governor’s response that stood out for me. He’s not an expert, Perry seemed to suggest, so he’s taking a pass.

Where I have heard that before?

Hey, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R), the climate crisis is threatening your state. What do you intend to do about it? “I’m not a scientist,” Scott replies.

Hey, House Speaker John Boehner (R), you keep complaining about President Obama’s policy in Iraq. Does that mean you support air strikes? “I don’t know enough of the details about the airstrikes to comment,” Boehner replies.

Hey, Sen. Marco Rubio (R), much of your party is committed to creationism. How old do you think the planet is? “I’m not a scientist, man,” Rubio replies.

Hey, House Speaker John Boehner (R), much of your caucus is dominated by climate deniers. Isn’t that cause for alarm? “Listen, I’m not qualified to debate the science over climate change,” Boehner replies.

Hey, Texas Gov. Ricky Perry (R), your state party just endorsed reparative therapy. Do you think this ridiculousness makes sense? “I don’t know. We’ll leave that to the psychologists and the doctors,” Perry replies.

It never occurred to me the “I’m not a scientist” meme could have such broad applicability.

But let’s not stop there. The truth is, if conservative policymakers were serious about this approach, and were prepared to base policy decisions on the guidance of actual experts, their professed ignorance wouldn’t be too big a problem. There’s no shame in someone saying, “I don’t know,” so long as they’re prepared to do the right thing after listening to the guidance of those who do know.

But as David Brooks noted a couple of years ago, many in today’s Republican Party “do not accept the legitimacy of scholars and intellectual authorities,” making the “I’m not a scientist” meme far more problematic.


Texas' Perry on reparative therapy: 'I don't know' | MSNBC

ADDENDUM::Anderson Cooper dismantles TX Republican’s defense of discredited ‘ex-gay therapy’

“The fact that you view being gay — or you characterize it — as a ‘mistake,’ or something that should be changed really kind of maybe says more about your position than what your words actually say."
__
Hughes told Cooper that the language was adopted in response to concerns from a delegate’s neighbor that the therapy “might be taken away,” saying it had worked for him. Hughes did not identify the delegate who took the story to party leaders.

“The language is in the platform because we want to make sure that people have rights,” Hughes explained. “We heard from people who wanted access to that kind of counseling, that kind of therapy, and so we believe in free speech, in free choice.”

Cooper also pointed out to Hughes that Exodus International head Alan Chambers has disavowed and apologized for his organization’s work promoting this kind of “therapy,” and played a clip of Hughes saying that their work would “haunt” him until the day he died because of the damage it did making people feel God did not love them as they were.

“Does it concern you, again, that your party is now backing a form of therapy which basically every major medical organization says doesn’t work, can be harmful, and which many of the people who have been through it say it doesn’t work and is bad for kids?” Cooper asked.

Hughes reiterated that his party had “heard testimony” and “read reports” regarding the therapy’s benefits, but did take issue with Chambers’ point regarding religion.

Anderson Cooper dismantles TX Republican’s defense of discredited ‘ex-gay therapy’

ADDENDUM::Texas GOP Platform Draft Endorses Gay Conversion Therapy

 More on the Texas GOP platform for 2014:

As the Houston Chronicle reports, the platform is far from completed. The draft is being amended by a committee of 31 delegates; the process is expected to wrap up late Thursday. Another group of delegates will then have to review that new draft, before the final document goes up for approval on the floor later this week.

Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry, a group of pro-marriage equality Republicans, is working to change the national Republican platform in 2016 and get rid of the anti-gay language.

Even before the Texas state GOP convention began, there was controversy surrounding the issue of gay rights.

Last week, Republican gay rights organizations called out the Texas Republican Party for denying them the chance to put up booths at the event.

State GOP chairman Steve Munisteri confirmed to The Huffington Post that the two groups, the Log Cabin Republicans and Metroplex Republicans, were denied space. The issue, he explained, is that their position runs counter to the current party platform. A policy was established at the last convention that groups wanting to set up booths can't advocate for positions that contradict the platform.

Besides LGBT issues, the Texas Republican Party platform draft opposes mandatory vaccinations, supports restricting abortion and backs "eliminating bureaucratic prohibitions on corporal discipline and home schooling in foster homes."

The only thing missing form this report is Benghazi:

“We call upon the United States House of Representatives to appoint a select committee and a special prosecutor in order to subpoena testimony to fully investigate all aspects of the Benghazi debacle, including,but not limited to, the reason Ambassador Stevens was in Benghazi; the denied assistance before and during the attack, the accounts of personnel who participated in the defense of the Embassy Annex, and the apparent attempt by the White House to deceive the American public with a concocted story about a spontaneous reaction to a YouTube video. We call for bringing those responsible to justice.”

Texas GOP Platform Draft Endorses Gay Conversion Therapy

Texas GOP Embraces Discredited Ex-Gay Therapy | Right Wing Watch

We reported back in April that Eagle Forum, a staunchly anti-gay Religious Right group, announced that it would pressure the Texas GOP to back ex-gay therapy and other anti-gay measures in its party platform.

The Texas GOP convention, which banned conservative gay rights groups from participating, appears to have agreed on including ex-gay advocacy as part of its platform, according to a draft of the platform obtained by the Houston Chronicle:

Additionally, we oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values. We recognize the legitimacy and value of counseling which offers reparative therapy and treatment to patients who are seeking escape from the homosexual lifestyle. No laws or executive orders shall be imposed to limit or restrict access to this type of therapy. (emphasis added)

Texas GOP Embraces Discredited Ex-Gay Therapy | Right Wing Watch