August 10, 2005

This would be funny if it weren't so batshit insane.
by Jeff Langstraat

Atrios points us to Bradford DeLong who points us to James Dobson. So, for all you parents worried that Jimmy might like Hakim from down the block just a little too much, "Dr." Dobson has tips to keep Jimmy's eyes on Jenny:

1. A strong feeling that they are “different” from other boys.

2. A tendency to cry easily, be less athletic, and dislike the roughhousing that other boys enjoy.

3. A persistent preference to play female roles in make-believe play.

4. A strong preference to spend time in the company of girls and participate in their games and other pastimes.

5. A susceptibility to be bullied by other boys, who may tease them unmercifully and call them “queer,” “fag” and “gay.”

6. A tendency to walk, talk, dress and even “think” effeminately.

7. A repeatedly stated desire to be — or insistence that he is — a girl.

These tips come from Joseph Nicolosi. Invariable, they're based in the idea that homosexual orientation is the result of improper gender socialization, or "gender confusion." Funny, but I'm pretty sure that I know what my penis is and where it places me in the social order. I just happen to think some of the actions other people think my penis mandates are complete and utter bullshit, plus a little silly. And, it might be useful to remind folks that kids calling other kids "queer" might not be because of something the tauntee did. The taunters might just be, like Dobson, complete and total assholes.

Even if Jimmy starts acting a little nelly, there's hope. Here's one step you can take:

Meanwhile, the boy's father has to do his part. He needs to mirror and affirm his son's maleness. He can play rough-and-tumble games with his son, in ways that are decidedly different from the games he would play with a little girl. He can help his son learn to throw and catch a ball. He can teach him to pound a square wooden peg into a square hole in a pegboard. He can even take his son with him into the shower, where the boy cannot help but notice that Dad has a penis, just like his, only bigger.

I never want to see my father's penis. I do remember, though the first time I was in a locker room with adult men. I didn't have any sexual feelings yet, at least nothing I really understood, but lord was that an intriguing situation, just like the men's underwear was a far more fascinating section of the J.C. Penney catalog than were the bras. There's gotta be something Freudian in Dobson's suggestion, which would make complete sense since these idiots are using discarded psychoanalytic theories about the development of homosexuality (and that they have zero empirical evidence for the theory they espouse): as usual, it comes down to women fucking up, creating faggot babies. We can see the ridiculous pyschoanalytic persepctive based in rigid sex differences in one of NARTH's statements:

Homosexuality distorts the natural bond of friendship that would naturally unite persons of the same sex. It works against society's essential male/female design and family unit. Yet today children from kindergarten through college are being taught in school that homosexuality is nothing but a normal, healthy option. It is our policy as psychoanalytically-informed individuals to dispel the misinformation that surrounds the subject of homosexuality. Our task is to discuss issues misrepresented by social-activist groups who have portrayed sexual deviancy as a normal way of life. We seek to further the research and treatment of this disorder, while protecting the patient's right to treatment."

emphasis added

The "curing gays" theme has been gaining currency in the past several years. Dobson and his fellow homo-haters have been pushing it for a number of years, and this year they're finally starting to get press coverage, much of it sympathetic (Paula Zahn's Now, Good Morning America, the View). And, as I noted here, their framing is becoming more sophisticated. They're speaking less of changing orientation and more of changing lifestyle and behavior. They're talking about providing "hope" to those who want out of the "homosexual lifestyle," all the while providing false hope to confused parents who need real support (not hate mongering propaganda) and increasing the level of homo-hating discourse. They've even used the "possibility of change" as a reason not to let same-sex couples get married.

This is an important thing to watch. It's going to receive a bigger push in years to come, I fear. And I'm never sure if we should just ridicule these folks (Dobson, like his God, is obviously compensating for something...just sayin') or try to seriously refute them. I guess it depends on audience. The central point to either approach is that these folks are dangerous--their homocidal fantasies are my community's demise.

Posted by in Bio-Power, Christian Fundamentalism, Culture War, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Gender, Homosexuality, Queer, Sexual Politics
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Found inAugust 10, 2005 10:54 PM

Say it loud, say it proud!