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annathepiperJust when I think I can't get any more appalled by the stunts that get pulled by the fundamentalist types in this country, they come up with a new way to push the envelope. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
solarbird has discovered a case where a 16-year-old boy in Tennessee tried to come out to his parents--and they responded by slapping him into what essentially amounts to a "brainwash you into being straight" camp run by a local fundie church.
To say that I am appalled is to only begin to describe my reaction. And the really depressing part of it is, I'm not even really surprised to hear that this kind of extreme treatment of queer teenagers actually does happen--because I have friends and loved ones who have either themselves directly suffered this kind of treatment, or who themselves have friends or loved ones who have. People whose relatives genuinely believe that the right thing to do is to have a deeply screwed up, traumatized kid trying to pretend to be straight, rather than a happier, healthier queer kid.
I'm also deeply saddened, because I can't think of a single thing that I can do for the boy in question besides spread the word that this does happen. Go read Dara's post for the details, but brace yourself; she's posted a copy of the camp rules that the boy discovered before his parents slapped him into the place, rules that were one of his last posts on his online journal.
solarbird has discovered a case where a 16-year-old boy in Tennessee tried to come out to his parents--and they responded by slapping him into what essentially amounts to a "brainwash you into being straight" camp run by a local fundie church. To say that I am appalled is to only begin to describe my reaction. And the really depressing part of it is, I'm not even really surprised to hear that this kind of extreme treatment of queer teenagers actually does happen--because I have friends and loved ones who have either themselves directly suffered this kind of treatment, or who themselves have friends or loved ones who have. People whose relatives genuinely believe that the right thing to do is to have a deeply screwed up, traumatized kid trying to pretend to be straight, rather than a happier, healthier queer kid.
I'm also deeply saddened, because I can't think of a single thing that I can do for the boy in question besides spread the word that this does happen. Go read Dara's post for the details, but brace yourself; she's posted a copy of the camp rules that the boy discovered before his parents slapped him into the place, rules that were one of his last posts on his online journal.
