The Washington Post recently ran a sympathetic article about a 15-year-old boy named Saro who described his homosexual feelings and how Gay Straight Alliance student clubs help such gay teens to deal with discrimination and bullying in high school and middle school.
“What the article failed to describe,” said PFOX Executive Director Regina Griggs, “is the danger of young sexually confused teens self-identifying as gays at an early age. Research has shown that the risk of suicide decreases by 20% each year that a person delays homosexual or bisexual self-labeling.* Early self-identification is dangerous to kids.
“Schools should not be encouraging teens to self-identify as gays, bisexuals or transgendered persons before they have matured. Sexual attractions are fluid and do not take on permanence until early adulthood. Rather than affirming teenagers as ‘gay’ through self-labeling, educators should affirm them as people worthy of respect and encourage teens to wait until adulthood before making choices about their sexuality. If teens are encouraged to believe that they are permanently ‘gay’ before they have had a chance to reach adulthood, their life choices are severely restricted and can result in depression.”
Ex-Gay Viewpoint Suppressed
Griggs also notes that schools with Gay Straight Alliance clubs are notorious for suppressing ex-gay organizations or individuals supporting tolerance for the ex-gay community. “GSA clubs and their teacher sponsors make schools unsafe for anyone who has rejected the ‘gay’ label in their lives or who believes in ex-gay equal rights. Our efforts to reach all students are typically met with hostility and violence. Time after time, we have faced hostile gay students and teachers ripping up our ex-gay materials or demanding that we be banned from distributing our materials on campuses.”
The National Education Association’s Ex-Gay Educators Caucus recommends diversity and inclusion of the ex-gay viewpoint in public schools, but this is seldom the case, according to Griggs. “What we find is that Gay Straight Alliance leaders and their school officials routinely suppress the ex-gay viewpoint and bully into silence anyone who dares to speak up for ex-gay equality and tolerance. If schools truly cared about diversity, they would include the diversity of the ex-gay community. Former homosexuals and their supporters should have the same kind of access to public schools that GSA clubs currently enjoy.”
Griggs concludes: “Article such as the one in the Post fail to tell both sides of the bullying debate and endanger the lives of sexually confused and troubled youth who should be discouraged from self-labeling as gay, bisexual or transgendered.”
PFOX leads the nation in providing outreach, education, and public awareness in support of families and the ex-gay community. They can be reached via their website at www.pfox.org.
*(Source: Risk Factors for Attempted Suicide in Gay and Bisexual Youth by Remafedi, Farrow, and Deisher, in Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Pediatrics 87: 869-875 June 1991.)
17 responses so far ↓
Blondie Writes // July 21, 2008 at 10:02 am |
The GSA is needed if schools are going to be safe for kids. The ex-gay supporters show discrimination in their ways of reforming gays. They have no business being in schools because they try to brainwash kids into thinking differently than they do at the time.
You would think this form of abuse should be banned from schools.
Daniel Downs // July 22, 2008 at 8:18 pm |
Hmmm … ex-gays and their supporters have no right to tell confused kids that gay propaganda is not true. It’s okay for gays and their supporters to deceive kids because they already believe the lies. Wow, brainwashing now means opposing the brainwashing of brainwashers because it might convince the brainwashed that were actual dupped the sexual politics of the immoral dupers. Thus, telling the truth to kids is now terrible abuse.
C’mon…the politics of gays consists of no plans for the reformation of gays except to further dupe themselves into the conviction that their immoral behavior is natural (even though it is obviously unnatural) and that their lies are true and that all the world must accept it to even by force of law. That is called totalitarianism.
Fill your blondie head with something other the rank air of gay political bull crap.
angryxtian // July 23, 2008 at 1:15 am |
Thank you for printing this!!!!!!!
I live in a country called America that got made for God and liberty and freedom and everything that’s right. But it’s beeing slowly taken over by librals. We have to work together and rais awareness of these things most people dont realise so a man can raise a decent family to respect the law and be good people of society.
Why a 15 year old should be gay? Thats to young to even b having sex at all and there supposed to say they dont even ever want to have chidren!
So when someone realises the light of day and goes back to being straight, the school censors them? I thought those librals keep saying they like free speech! Only when its for the extreme libral agenda I guess.
Evan // July 24, 2008 at 5:51 pm |
Newsflash, people:
Regina Griggs LIED about the research she cited, as the anti-gay side often does.
According to the researcher behind the statistics Regina Griggs misused:
My work has been cited by PFOX in response to a Washington Post article on gay-straight alliances (GSA),” wrote Dr. Remafedi. “PFOX misuses one of my studies on suicide attempts in gay youth to argue that people should not identify their sexual orientation at young ages. Our findings do not support the contention that young people choose their identity or the timing of events in identity formation. Nor is there any evidence that the availability of GSAs influences those developmental processes.
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/07/22/2404
Oh, and angryxtian, I truly hope you never have a gay child, because your attitudes are the kind that just might make your kid kill himself, and that blood would be on your hands.
Later.
Daniel Downs // July 24, 2008 at 7:01 pm |
Based on Evan’s standard of what is lying, he is guilty as Regina. Mind-warped pro-gay often do as well.
Evan failed to mention that the study by Dr. Remafedi titled “Risk Factors for Attempted Suicide in Gay and Bisexual Youth” sampled 137 teens. The Box Turtle author claims it was an unrepesentative study.
Was Dr. Remafedi studying straight teens to determine if gays commit suicide and why? If he was studying teens who claimed to be gay or bi-sexual, it must have been representative.
Oh, wait a minute, the Box Turtle author probably meant the number of self-indentifying gays must be too small a number to be representative. Yet, in my graduate statistics class, the magic number is a minimum of 30 to be considered minimally representative.
Evan and his source lie about Regina lying when her terrible sin is just misrepresenting the study of self-identifying gay according to Dr. Remafedi. Regina should have been more accurate in her use of the supposedly scientific research. That is, her unforgiveable crime against gay propaganda is in her failing to mention the 3 letter word “may.”
Dr. Remafedi’s supposedly scientific study published in the prestigious medical journal may not adequately represent the gay and bi-sexual teen population. Translated, it means there is like a problem with 15 yr. olds self-identifying as gays at this still formative time of life, but more extensive study needs to be done.
It’s true folks; Regina Griggs did overstep the boundary of truth when she failed to include that 3 letter word, but at least she erred on the side of truth and science unlike those pushing gay sexual politics.
Evan // July 24, 2008 at 7:17 pm |
Nononono.
Ms. Griggs didn’t merely “overstep the boundary of truth.” She inserted a conclusion that simply wasn’t there, yet fit her own stunted worldview.
You said:
Translated, it means there is like a problem with 15 yr. olds self-identifying as gays at this still formative time of life, but more extensive study needs to be done.
No. This is absolutely nowhere to be found in the study. That’s the part that Regina Griggs arbitrarily added. I’m sorry that those on the God Hates Fags side of the argument petulantly refuse to acknowledge this.
Read Remafedi’s response again:
“PFOX misuses one of my studies on suicide attempts in gay youth to argue that people should not identify their sexual orientation at young ages. Our findings do not support the contention that young people choose their identity or the timing of events in identity formation. Nor is there any evidence that the availability of GSAs influences those developmental processes.
Griggs flat-out lied and she got called on it.
This is not an isolated incident. Anti-gay hate groups such as PFOX, Focus, AFT, and their ilk routinely misuse scientific studies. Why? Because they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that most of their true believers aren’t likely to fact check them.
For those interested, here’s a website that exists to document and counter incidences of right-wing “Christian” businesses distorting the research of real scientists: http://www.respectmyresearch.org/index1.html
Daniel Downs // July 24, 2008 at 8:20 pm |
Actually, she did not lie.
According to Neil Whitehead, who has a Ph.D. in “chemistry and has been employed by the New Zealand government as a scientist for 24 years and worked for the United Nations for four years, the Pediatrics article by Dr. Remafedi et al. states on p.74:
“For each year’s delay in bisexual or homosexual self-labeling, the odds of a suicide attempt diminished by 80%.”
Whitehead points out that “by 80%”‘ is a mistake. It should be “to 80%” to be accurate.
“The “Odds ratio” means that for each year, the probability of an attempt at suicide diminishes from 1.00 to 0.82, i.e., it diminishes 18%. The two figures 21% and 18% are not in conflict because of the size of the standard error, making them the same with statistical error. A good round figure would be to say the probability diminishes by 20% per year or diminishes to 80%. It looks like the authors wrote “by” when to be consistent with the more precise numbers in their table, they should have written ‘to’.”
What does Dr. Whitehead’s conclude from the data?
“This means that the earlier self labeling occurs, the higher the risk of suicide attempts. The authors state in the paper that:
…suicide attempts were not explained by
experiences with discrimination, violence, loss
of friendship, or current personal attitudes
towards homosexuality.
“This is contrary to frequently and reasonably expressed hypotheses that discrimination against homosexual people causes suicide attempts. However, all numerical tests ever done, such as the one in this paper, do not support the link. There are usually other reasons for suicide attempts, and the authors state that family problems were the most frequently cited reason.”
Dr. Remafedi stated:
‘…gender nonconformity and precocious psychosexual development were predictive of self harm. Compared with peers, suicide attempters recognized homosexual attractions and told other persons at younger ages. First sexual experiences with males and females also occurred at younger ages than peers’.
“Early sexual experience was predictive of suicide attempts.”
Whitehead further cautions about stating that delaying self-labeling will prevent suicide. Regina’s error. From a public policy standpoint, he states, However, from the point of view of policy (which must always err on the conservative side when matters of life-and-death like suicide attempts are involved) it would be highly prudent to :
(a) Discourage early sexual experience
(b) Discourage early self-labeling
(c) Discourage activists who promote early self-labeling.”
“Those in charge of young people are usually legally responsible for the best possible care, and would probably be legally liable if they failed to take into account the above data and a death resulted, particularly if it were brought to their attention beforehand.”
Regina Griggs is neither a scientist or policy-maker. She is an public policy advocate. Accusing her of blatant lying is ludicrous. As far as her misrepresenting Dr. Remafedi, it appears that he misrepresents his own research.
Evan // July 24, 2008 at 10:01 pm |
Okay wait.
First of all, link me to Whitehead.
Because a degree in chemistry doesn’t tell me he’s not a wingnut…lots of religious people eke out degrees.
Whitehead’s reasoning here is flawed, because his interpretation of the data doesn’t actually prove causality between self-labeling and suicide attempts. Slowly: Correlation does not necessarily equal causality. What Remafedi is obviously objecting to is Griggs’ (and Whitehead’s, presumably) conflation of the two in order to further her own bigoted aims.
There are far more factors in between. We already know enough to understand that males understand our sexual urges from the onset of puberty. The only question is whether or not we accept what it is we’re attracted to.
It simply doesn’t.
Whitehead is asking all the wrong questions, in light of reality. The self-labeling is irrelevant — the kids who are gay are simply gay. No Conservative Christian activism/praying it away/whatever else is going to change things over here in the real world. We can all agree that it’s good to encourage kids, gay and straight, to wait until adulthood to have sex. That’s fine. As to the “discourage activists who promote early self-labeling” line, that’s mostly a strawman. Gay activists are working in the realm of reality that understands that gay kids simply are, and that they need to be supported (not changed, not brainwashed, not told that God disapproves of who they are) where they are.
So, yeah, I remain pretty disgusted with Regina Griggs’ soulless attempt to use the real problem of suicide among gay teens in order to push her anti-Christian agenda (and when I say “anti-Christian” I’m using it in the sense of “against everything Jesus ever said”).
But then again, this is the same whiner who runs around claiming that “ex-gays” are “discriminated against.”
Evan // July 24, 2008 at 10:03 pm |
Note: I don’t know what that “It simply doesn’t” refers to either…
I think I was typing something, then inserted something in a different place, blah blah blah we’ve all done it.
Daniel Downs // July 26, 2008 at 8:32 pm |
Whitehead also read the article that supposedly proves Regina blatantly lied. He makes statements about the authors findings not what he wants the article to claim or prove. The almighty judge claims people are liars and a qualified scientist and researcher exhibits faulty reasoning because he disagrees with his views.
It seems he disagrees because he is blind to reality. His is the only reality because he says so. His statement cause me to believe he is a absolutist. His gay views are the only absolute truth their is. If the judge is himself gay, he is the ultimate self-identifier. His omnipotent universe is predetermined and predestinedly gay. Yet, when he (and the rest of us) die, the ultimate and eternal truth will be the only fact that matters.
Their a lot of witnesses to life-after-death as studied and reported by physicians–studies that began because of their patients experiences.
Many ex-gays claim they have or are overcoming their problem through the empowerment of God and Jesus Christ. Lots of people have overcome other types of obsessions, bondages, and other problems by the same.
It really doesn’t matter what gay propagandists claim cannot change, ex-gays are proof that once-gay-always-gay is a lie.
Evan // July 26, 2008 at 11:05 pm |
Everybody always talks about “many ex-gays” but nobody really has any proof beyond so-called “ex-gays” who are currently on the payroll of ex-gay businesses.
This is so simplistic it’s boring, but newsflash: even those men who claim to be “ex-gays” are forced to admit that they’re still attracted to men.
God created the biology that governs sexual orientation.
I’ve said it so many places, but we, as a human race, have got to grow out of hiding behind mystical/religious explanations for things such as sexuality. Science is answering the questions, ergo the religious arguments are becoming more and more irrelevant every day.
Still no link the Whitehead article I requested.
Liberals cite their sources fully.
:)
Daniel Downs // July 28, 2008 at 8:13 pm |
Propagandists always hide behind elusive statements that possess almost no meaning if any truth.
Not only is PFOX membered by ex-gays and their parents and friends but so is Exodus Intl.
The propagandists of gay politics decry Christians opponents as bigots. It is rather amazing the bigotry of those who use science like a religion to supposedly legitimate their claims like the statement: “God created the biology that governs sexual orientation. Human biology as created by God doesn’t predetermine unnatural feelings–the rule of sin or its twisted root through abuse. Even European evolutionists and biologists like Steven Rose don’t buy such nonsense.
Only a naive or dishonest heart pretends the human race must grow out an immature dependence on religion, i.e. God. I was one. It takes more disciplined maturity to live faithfully and morally to God than propagandist could handle. No one is so crazy to do so without a real relationship with God who intervenes is real life.
When science has observational data to explain the 90% of the universe scientists claim they mostly nothing about, then the scientific bull of gay and other secular propagandists might be believable.
Evan, you can read Whitehead’s article where i stumbled on to it–that is at NARTH:
http://www.narth.com/docs/decrease.html
Evan // July 28, 2008 at 11:57 pm |
Haha.
I had a feeling it was NARTH or something.
NARTH – the “secular” group that is actually a “Christian” group founded by a mental health “professional” who isn’t respected by 99% of his field, and which exists purely so that Christian fundamentalists, whose followers don’t know any better, may believe that ANYONE besides other Christian fundamentalists believes the way they do.
Oh, and the gay community isn’t against Christians — that’s just what your leaders tell you to keep the checks coming into their “ministries.” We’re not *against* anybody. We’re *for* living our lives in peace with equal rights. Christian Fundamentalists are the ones who cannot handle that, who abuse the United States Constitution with their beliefs that somehow the other 80% of the nation (yes, 80%…don’t kid yourself) should be forced to live under the Christian Shari’a law (and the junk science!) espoused by the Fundamentalist 20%. This is, however, a free society, with a free exchange of ideas.
I don’t know why you throw around words like “propagandist” though. It’s an alarming tell for how you procure your information. It’s funny, though, because I don’t think you really want to get into an argument with me or any other educated progressive on which side has a better grasp of simple facts.
“It takes more disciplined maturity to live faithfully and morally to God than propagandist could handle.”
I’m not quite sure what this means, but I would point out that part of the myth that’s being broken is that religion makes people more moral…
It’s simply not true. This is not to say that religious people are less moral, but it’s to suggest that religion has no net effect on the morality of peoples’ lives. And no, people do not need God to know the difference between love and hate, good and bad. Consider…the Sumerians invented glue 1,000 years before the supposed “fall” of man in the Garden of Eden, long before any kind of Hebrew ethic/moral code existed. They were doing just fine!
In fact, most atheists I know live with far more Christ-like grace than any Fundamentalist Christian I’ve ever met, and let me tell you, I was raised Calvinist Presbyterian, with a brief jaunt into the SBC, so I know that of which I speak.
Evan // July 30, 2008 at 2:32 pm |
ANOTHER lie from Ms. Griggs. What a surprise:
Regina Griggs of PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays) continues to tell whoppers. In this article at OneNewsNow she tells a huge lie:
“Why are we allowing people to tell them, ‘Try it — you might like it?’ Over 70 percent of young kids 13- to 24-years-old, men having sex with men, are now HIV-positive,” Griggs notes.
Over 70% of 13 to 24 year olds who are men having sex with men (MSM) are HIV-positive? That’s absolutely ridiculous, not even in the ballpark. Here’s the most recent CDC report, which does in fact note that HIV infections have increased among MSM between 13 and 24. But 70%? Not even close.
The new CDC study found a total of 214,379 people of both genders testing positive for HIV between 2001 and 2006. 46% of them were among MSM, or about 98,000 of them. And of that total, 13,584 of them were between 13 and 24. That’s up 12.4% from previous figures, so it’s certainly troubling and needs to be addressed. But that sure as hell doesn’t constitute 70% of all gay men between 13 and 24, folks. Not even close.
(snip)
She also makes the ridiculous claim that teenagers can’t self-identify as straight or gay. Has she never been a teenager? I knew I was straight the moment I hit puberty and started feeling sexually attracted to girls. Every gay man I know says the exact same thing about feeling sexually attracted to boys at the same time. There wasn’t any confusion about it, you just are what you are, no choice involved.
Daniel Downs // August 9, 2008 at 5:34 pm |
So the problem is that NARTH was founded by a so-called fundamentalist Christian and the gay community you supposedly defend is not against Christians and their professional and spiritual solution?
You stated you are an ex-Christian that opposes every word of Jesus i.e., the gospels.
The gay community and all other secularists hate the American Christianity, its biblical morality, and the laws early American colonial and state laws rooted in Constitutional law. They have to be because Christianity, natural law, and religious morality opposes all of secular sexual politics. The reason secularists oppose legislating morality is due to the fact that they legislate immorality.
That is what you seem to identify with.
Christianity does in fact make people more moral because a relationship with a real God and Create produces a godly character in those who remain faithful and honest.
You know what I mean. You said, you grew up Christian. You will never forget that God’s rule of law has always existed and is the standard by which we are all judge now and will be forever. When you die, all of the testimonies of prophets, apostles, those who experience life changing reality of God, and those who have told us what they experienced in death–heaven and hell.
Without the death of Jesus, you nor anyone else has any grace of God. Grace is the same as tolerance of immorality and evil. I suspect the devil is a pretty nice guy to those he can deceive.
Daniel Downs // August 9, 2008 at 5:36 pm |
Gays and their secular cheerleaders do falsely accuse Regina Griggs. I addressed the article you quote in another post.
Daniel Downs // August 9, 2008 at 5:37 pm |
Oops! I forgot. Cheerleaders is a graceful statement. Propagandists is a more realistic term.