A Burning Question: Is Heterosexuality Illegal in California?
The headline is sensational and does what headlines are supposed to do 鈥� it grabs your attention:
鈥淐alifornia Bans Heterosexuality.鈥�
After my initial shock, I settled down and read the story under the headline and quickly learned, to my great relief, that the Golden State hasn鈥檛 really banned heterosexuality 鈥� at least not yet.
The story turns out to be the latest anti-gay rant from Linda Harvey鈥檚 Columbus, Ohio-based website, Mission: America, whose subtitle is 鈥淐hristian Commentary on the Culture.鈥� Her outfit is listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which publishes this blog.
In this case, the commentary is about California Gov. Jerry Brown signing a bill on Saturday that made his state the first in the country to prohibit mental health providers from subjecting LGBT children and teens to therapy intended to change their sexual orientation.
鈥淭his bill bans nonscientific 鈥榯herapies鈥� that have driven young people to depression and suicide,鈥� The New York Times quoted the governor as saying in a statement after he signed the bill into law. 鈥淭hese practices have no basis in science or medicine, and they will be relegated to the dustbin of quackery.鈥�
Needless to say, Mission: America sees the bill in a much different light.
鈥淐alifornia Governor Jerry Brown just signed a law that essentially removes choice for most teens with homosexual attractions, except to enter that sinful and high risk lifestyle,鈥� the commentary says. 鈥淐ounselors cannot warn them or steer them away from these desires.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 next, 鈥楲GBT鈥� loyalty oaths?鈥�
On her website, Harvey calls what she does a 鈥渕edia ministry鈥欌�� and an outgrowth of her 鈥淐hristian faith and a successful career in journalism, marketing and public relations.鈥� Her on-line bio goes on to say she founded Mission: America in 1995 as 鈥渁 non-profit organization whose objective is to equip Christians with current, accurate information鈥� 鈥� like California鈥檚 ban on heterosexuality? 鈥� 鈥渁bout cultural issues such as feminism, homosexuality, education and New Age influences.鈥欌��
Gathered together on the site, under the heading 鈥淭he 鈥楪ay鈥� Agenda Targeting Youth,鈥� are some of the many articles she has written about her fears of a gay planet. They include: 鈥淗ow Homosexual Friends Can Influence Our Kids,鈥� 鈥淧rotecting Youth Against Homosexuality: A Plan for Churches,鈥� and 鈥淕rooming Kids in a 鈥楪ay鈥� Identity is Like Penn State Abuse.鈥欌��
Here鈥檚 another headline for you: 鈥淐alifornia Bans Heterosexual Bigots.鈥� Come on, governor, the dustbin has plenty of room.
