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- Feb 19, 2012
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Stephen: Father Maxi, I... just don't know where else to turn. You see, I've just learned that my son is... bi-curious.
Father Maxi: Is that true, son? Are you feeling... confused?
Butters: ...Yeah, I'm pretty confused alright.
Stephen: You see?
Father Maxi: Young man, These confused feelings that you're having are simply the Devil's way of trying to get a hold of you.
Butters: Really?
Stephen: What can I do, Father?
Father Maxi: There is a special camp where young men who are confused, like your son, can go and be cleansed by the power of God. Many bi-curious boys come out the camp completely cured.
Bradley: I really want to get better. I try to do everything the counselors say, but some...how I still feel confused.
Butters: Yeah, well hopefully, when we finish writin' all these verses, we won't be bi-curious no more, and then we can go home!
Bradley: You're really terrific, Butters. I mean, I think you're great. Oh oh! Oh God! Bad thought! Bad thought!
Butters: Wuh-what's the matter?
Bradley: I think, I, I th-, I think I like you.
Butters: Well I like you too, Bradley.
Bradley: You do?
Butters: Wehyeah!
Bradley: You like like me?
Butters: Sure, I like like you a lot a lot. [laughs]
Bradley: Oh God, we're both un-fixable! Don't you see we're lost causes?! We're just evil and nothing can change us! There's no other way out, Butters! We have to kill ourselves!
Butters: No! Bradley! You can't leave; you're my accountabilibuddy!
Director: Do you mind telling me how you managed to lose... your accountabilibuddy?!
Butters: I went looking for 'im, but he runs real fast.
Director: You don't seem to take this camp seriously, Butters. I've called your father in for a talk.
Butters: Oh no, my Dad?
Director: Do you understand the concept of Hell? Do you realize that if we don't fix you you will burn in a lake of fire for eternity?
Butters: Well yeah, but I just don't quite understand what you're fixin'.
Director: We're fixing your confusion!
Stephen: There you are, Butters!
Director: Oheh- hey Dad.
Stephen: What's he done now?!
Director: Mr. Stotch, your son is insubordinate, unwilling to change, and worse yet, he's lost his accountabilibuddy!
A counselor: They found him! They found Bradley! You'd better come quick!
Director: Oh Lord in Heaven! Don't jump, Bradley!
Bradley: Stay-stay back! I'm an abomination of God!
Director: Nono, we're fixing you!
Director: Don't jump, Bradley! You will only make god angrier with you!
Bradley: It's too late.
Butters: Bradley, please. You're my accountabilibuddy. How will this make me look?
Director: You get back. You're only gonna make things worse.
Bradley: I'm not normal. I'll never be normal!
Butters: You're perfectly normal, Bradley.
Director: Get back! You're just as confused as he is!
Butters: [gets angry] All right. All right that does it! [turns around and faces the crowd] I am sick and tired of everyone telling me I'm confused! I wasn't confused until other people started tellin' me I was! You know what I think? I think maybe you are the ones who are confused!
Bradley: Yeah.
Butters: I'm not gonna be confused anymore just because you say I should be! My name is Butters, I'm eight years old, I'm blood type O, and I'm bi-curious! And even that's okay! Because if I'm bi-curious, and I'm somehow made from God, then I think your God must be a little bi-curious himself!
Bradley: I think. I think I'd like to come down now.
Director: He's coming down! We did it! Through the power of Christ we have saved this child!
Stephen: Well Butters, I guess we might as well go home. Looks like you're never gonna change.
Butters: No. I like bein' bi-curious.
Stephen: Well you know somethin'? So do I. [they both have a good laugh about it]
Butters: Wait. Now I am confused.
In my state, forced conversion therapy for minors is both unethical and illegal. It is also both illegal and unethical for parents to force their minor children to receive therapy to "undo" transsexuality. I have some experience with the latter. Usually, when I talk with parents of a child who has stated that they are transsexual, I do my best to educate them on the issue, what it means, and how to assess for it. Most parents are very willing to listen and be educated on the matter, but some choose to remain ignorant... which is their right of course. But they can't have their child "treated" for this, mostly because research shows that the "treatment" is harmful, and that one can only treat a disorder, and transsexuality is NOT a mental disorder.
I don't think parents should be allowed to force their kids into this kind of treatment, but if the kid is old enough to make medical decisions and wants to do it, I say let them.
I know some religious parents shudder at the idea of having a "defective" gay/lesbian/transgendered child but should they have the right, against the wishes and most likely best interest of that child, be able to force them into a potentially dangerous therapy that could end up driving that child to suicide or a life of mental instability? Or is the president right, should we protect the civil rights of children to not be potentially damaged by unwanted therapies like reversion therapy?
This is a question about medical science in an area that has been highly influenced by political and especially social activism. Because of this I personally cannot trust the current conventional wisdom, whatever it may be, on who's right or wrong. My default position on medical treatment is let doctors and the kids parents make the medical decisions for children.
Btw: I think I'm being objective.
I picked the "other" option too because I think the ban should cover adults too. "Conversion Therapy" should be banned regardless of age.
It's just stupid.
This is a question about medical science in an area that has been highly influenced by political and especially social activism. Because of this I personally cannot trust the current conventional wisdom, whatever it may be, on who's right or wrong. My default position on medical treatment is let doctors and the kids parents make the medical decisions for children.
Btw: I think I'm being objective.
This is more controversial, but to me it's tied to a principle of self-determination that is too rarely honored in medicine, for us to suddenly decide that adults can choose their own 'treatment' on THIS issue.
Ex A: Someone has a limp and believes that cutting off the leg will remove the problem. How can we not honor this wish but allow equally futile 'conversion therapy'?
Ex B: The terminally ill want their suffering to end, instead of waste away slowly in the hospital. Yet this is legal in only 1 state
I think it should be illegal for any medical professional to engage in and illegal to call it "therapy."
We don't let people sell snake oil claiming it's a cancer cure just because an adult technically has a choice to purchase it.
I don't think any medical professional should be allowed to cut off a leg for no reason. You're right, that shouldn't be honored.
You aren't. Objective evidence shows quite clearly that this "therapy" is outright harmful. It's an attempt to create a powerful negative association with homosexual thoughts: they intersplice gay porn with torture videos and electroshock. This doesn't make the urges go away, it just makes people hate themselves for having the urges.
Suicide rates go through the roof.
You don't have the right to do that to your kid.
You aren't. Objective evidence shows quite clearly that this "therapy" is outright harmful. It's an attempt to create a powerful negative association with homosexual thoughts: they intersplice gay porn with torture videos and electroshock. This doesn't make the urges go away, it just makes people hate themselves for having the urges.
Suicide rates go through the roof.
You don't have the right to do that to your kid.
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