Thursday, January 14, 2010
New Introduction
The Ex-Gay movement is a form of therapy that treats homosexuality as a sex addiction, which needs to be controlled. Although people who enter this therapy do so freely; they typically do it because of the influences of their religion and family situation. They grow up knowing that if they were to be homosexual or transgender that they would be ridiculed and alienated. They find their homosexuality unwanted because of the consequences that they would have to face. Confronted with this situation people tend to go through denial and give up their own personal freedoms so that can appear normal in society. The Ex-Gay movement does not allow individuals to think for themselves and escape from their situation. Many people want to hide their homosexuality because of the harassment and prejudice that they might have to face. No individual would choose to be in that situation, therefore homosexuality is not a choice. Then the responsibility of the people around the Ex-Gay movement and in the American society to not discrimination against homosexuality, in order for individuals to not have to hide in fear. The Ex-Gay movement takes away homosexuals freedom to be open about their sexuality.
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I agree with your statement that being homosexual is not a choice.
ReplyDeleteIn this introduction it seems that you are laying the blame on the people behind the ex gay movement and the American society as a whole.
-The question that I think it arises is who's responsible for fixing this problem, should the government impose regulation on the Ex-Gay movement, or is the gay community's responsibility to change the publics view on Gays.
Should the Ex-Gay facilities be abolished? Don't they have the freedom to express there beliefs? Similar to Bekkah's question, what should happen now? Is it completely up to the gay community to change the public's ideals? or should the American government intervene?
ReplyDeleteI really like this Kelsey. You say that people enter therapy because they have been influenced by their society, but would you agree that the people who are a part of the Ex-Gay movement have also been influenced by their societies? Like Andrew and Bekkah said, is the Gay's responsibility to change these public stigmas, or should the government be responsible?
ReplyDeleteInteresting topic. When you say American society, who exactly is responsible? Is it every individual's responsibility to change this ongoing discrimination, or is it mainly the government's responsibility? Are those who enter into the therapy truly doing so freely? If they're influenced by those around them, doesn't this weaken the notion of freedom?
ReplyDeleteIf it's true that the Ex-Gay movement is just a symptom of a much more serious problem, then what is to be done about it? Obviously their practices are reprehensible, but hypothetically speaking, if it were to be eliminated another institution will surely take its place.
ReplyDeleteYou make an interesting point that's often lost in modern thinking, namely that the society that harbors an evil practice is responsible by proxy for any consequences thereof.
Does the responsibility to change anti-gay attitudes originate in the gay community or society at large? How would one implement this change?
ReplyDeleteSociety influences everybody, because everybody is a part of it, there isn’t any way to get around this fact, and society is influenced by its cultural beliefs. How would we go about completely redefining everything about a culture and society? Is the blame really on society or on the individuals who influence others to comply with society?
ReplyDeleteYou say that homosexuals enter ex-gay therapy freely, but due to social-environmental influences that indicate that being gay is "wrong". It seems like those who enter the ex-gay movement do so because they have been conditioned to believed that there is something about them that is "wrong" and needs correcting.
ReplyDeleteIs it the ex-gay movement that suppresses these people's freedom to "open up about their sexuality", or it is their environments and social circumstances?
The Ex-Gay movement takes away freedom, and as a result they can't use theirs? Does freedom mean the ability to do anything? Or is this much more Mill-ian with a whole Negative Liberty idea? I want yr idea of freedom more clear here.
ReplyDeleteDoes it take away homosexuals freedom to be open about their sexuality just because it is a different viewpoint?
ReplyDeleteHow does the ex-gay movement not have a right to have their own belief system?
Why do you believe taking away the freedom of gay people to express them selves is wrong--and if this freedom is taken away willingly, what argument do you have against this?
ReplyDelete