"Most bullied and maligned group in America."

[xenologer]

Those Poor Ex-Gays.

Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) is suing the Washington DC Office of Human Rights for failing to protect former homosexuals under its sexual orientation anti-discrimination law. "The ex-gay community is the most bullied and maligned group in America, yet they are not protected by sexual orientation non-discrimination laws," said Regina Griggs, PFOX executive director.

The DC Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on "sexual preference," "sexual orientation," "gender identity," and "gender expression." The Office of Human Rights maintains that homosexuals, bisexuals, transgenders, and cross-dressers qualify for protection under this Act, but ex-gays do not. PFOX's lawsuit asks the DC Superior Court to direct the Office to include former homosexuals under the sexual orientation law. "Shouldn't ex-gays enjoy the same legal protections that gays enjoy?" asked Griggs. (...)

"Former homosexuals should have the right to be out, open and safe in society," Griggs continued. "On his website, Senator Obama says he supports gay and transgender rights because he supports civil rights for all persons, but does that include ex-gays?"

Ed Brayton had this comment:

Ah yes, who doesn't know about the vast numbers of ex-gays who've been beaten up outside of ex-gay bars? Or all the legislatures passing laws to prevent ex-gays from having the legal protections of marriage? Not a day goes by when we don't read about some ex-gay person being assaulted by some ignorant thug calling them "former faggot" while kicking them in the face.

What in the hell. I don't even know what to add to this. It should be ridiculous on its own, because surely! Surely, this is a parody. Surely they can't be serious.

But who can tell anymore?

Comments

[arctangent.livejournal.com]

I knew someone who took a lot of shit from gay folks for being "ex-gay", because she'd been a highly activist out lesbian who was suddenly dating a man.

And I do think that was bigoted and nasty and those people needed to shut up.

However, it was because those people prejudicially believed she was acting the way self-identified "ex-gays" *actually act* -- that is, getting in people's faces and telling them how to cure their sexual orientation.

I should say that gay folks should talk -- and *do* talk -- about being sensitive to the oft-maligned "bisexuals who just date the opposite sex a lot" or "people who experimented in college but decided they really were straight"; so-called "hasbians". Everyone who leaves other people alone deserves to be left alone.

[virginia-fell.livejournal.com]

I've heard similar complaints that "the gay community" is not as inclusive and sensitive as even they might wish, because they're comprised of people just like any other group. They're just comprised of people who ought to know better. So I can see how people who change their decision on their sexual orientation might take crap from those they "left behind."

However, this is ridiculous hyperbole. I enjoy some hyperbole, because it's funny and occasionally good for dramatic effect. But this is downright goofy. Turning this into a civil rights issue seems really whacky to me, because the whole "gay rights" thing is to secure rights of gays that not-gays (including ex-gays) already have protected.

I just keep thinking this must be a joke or a stunt, because what I just mentioned seems far too obvious to me. I can't help but feel like this is just another way to treat LGBT rights as "special rights" that only gays get to enjoy. Why else would PFOX be asserting that ex-gays move down in status and lose recognized rights? Just wtf....

[arctangent.livejournal.com]

They're talking about "ex-gays" who profess that homosexuality is curable and go around trying to push the cure on others.

It's not their "ex-gay" status that's being attacked, it's their political ideology.

[virginia-fell.livejournal.com]

That's lovely. Telling an asshole pushing you to "pray away your gay" that he/she is an asshole is an infringement on their special right... to... be an asshole?

[sammka.livejournal.com]

The actual status of being ex-gay probably is protected under the DC sexual orientation law. The law prohibits discrimination "on the basis of" race, sex, sexual orientation, and so on. That type of law (like the Civil Rights Act of 1968) tends to prohibit discrimination against favored groups as well as discrimination against disfavored groups: thus, employers can't discriminate against whites, men, or straight people.

Recently, the DC Circuit came out with a decision saying that discrimination against transgender people is actually sex discrimination, reasoning that discriminating against converts of any sort is religious discrimination. This was a federal court, and thus the decision doesn't immediately apply to what a DC state-court equivalent would decide. But applying the religion analogy to sexual orientation discrimination seems like it'd be more intuitive to most people than applying it to transgender discrimination. I'd be pretty surprised if a DC court decided that discrimination against people whose sexual orientation had changed wasn't "discrimination based on sexual orientation."

This, of course, just makes it all the clearer that the ex-gays aren't worried that people will fire them because they're now in heterosexual relationships, they want the special entitlement to tell everyone at work how to stop being gay.

[skyshark.livejournal.com]

After watching the ex-gay movement run around flailing for years, and after Britain's pretty much abandoned all efforts ex-gay--the biggest group, Courage Ministries, said they were hurting, not helping, and they wouldn't do it anymore--I have to see this as an attempt to force others to see them with some sort of legitimacy.

Ex-gay treatment/therapy doesn't work, and they know it. NARTH's latest FAQ of "what's your success rate?" is answered with, basically, "it works, trust us" and no numbers, facts, or stats at all.

But if they're legally recognised, they're legally recognised.

They're legitimacy-hunting. They'll get it from anywhere.

[admnaismith.livejournal.com]

WHITE MALE CHRISTIAN BIGOTS ARE THE LAST REMAINING MINORITY GROUP IN AMERICA WHO CAN BE LEGALLY DISCRIMINATED AGAINST WITH IMPUGNITY!!!!!!!!!!!

Ben Folds

[arctangent.livejournal.com]

"Y'ALL DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE
BEING MALE, MIDDLE-CLASS AND WHITE"

I think this song, in general, should be retooled as a McCain/Palin campaign song.