Who cares is the answer.
I'm treating this blog as a bit of a 'brain dump' or personal journal. Today I'm reflecting on something I experienced when I was younger (15-18 years old) called '#conversion #therapy' (or #reparative therapy).
I was raised in an evangelical, right-wing, salt-of-the-earth kind of home. I was in 4-H, the Church Youth-Group, a Camp Counselor one summer, Bible study leader and even a missionary when I was 21 years old.
I'm also gay.
In the 90's- being gay was VERY hard for kids. Probably harder than any other time in #American #culture because of the AIDS crisis that was still in pretty full swing. Fear of this disease, mixed with 6 verses in the #Bible (link) created a very unsafe feeling childhood for me. On the one hand I was told that telling the truth and being #authentic were incredibly important #moral qualities- on the other hand, I saw people being beaten, emotionally #abused and ganged up on by these same religiously minded groups.
I had a conflict. Be honest and face the wrath of the mob-mentality, or lie in order to have physical #security.
I'm not going to get into the depths of my own personal journey- or the consequences I faced (homelessness, drop-out, depression/anxiety, vulnerable exposure to predators due to my nativity and need for security)- but I will say this.
The tough love approach to 'helping youths who struggle with their #sexual #identity' was and is not the right approach to addressing sexual identity (or gender identity) issues. The #evangelical #church STILL preaches that being gay is an addiction. There is evidence for this in programs like 'Celebrate #Recovery'- an adult #addiction group in many churches- link).
There is still a LOT of educating to do. This is NOT a #gay #agenda- this is an agenda of transparency, honesty and vulnerability. As long as shaming people exists- the truth cannot come into the light. #Brene #Brown says in her talk below that:
" #Shame is an unspoken #epidemic, the #secret behind many forms of broken behavior. Brené Brown, whose earlier talk on vulnerability became a viral hit, explores what can happen when people confront their shame head-on. Her own humor, humanity and vulnerability shine through every word."
"In comparison with their heterosexual counterparts,
sexual minority adolescents are at increased risk for
psychological distress and substance use behaviors,
including depressive symptoms, increased rates
of substance use and abuse, suicidal ideation
and attempts, as well as increased likelihood
of experiencing victimization, violence, and
homelessness (Corliss et al., 2010; Friedman et al.,
2011; Goldbach, Tanner-Smith, Bagwell, & Dunlap,
2014; Hatzenbuehler, 2011; Institute of Medicine,
2011; Kann et al., 2011; Marshal et al., 2011;
Russell, 2003). #Supportive families, peers, and
school and community environments are associated
with improved psychosocial outcomes for sexual
minority youth (Bouris et al., 2010; Kosciw,
Greytak, Palmer, & Boesen, 2014; Lease, Horne, &
Noffsinger-Frazier, 2005). "
The full free PDF version of the report can be found at this link:
https://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content//SMA15-4928/SMA15-4928.pdf
Thank you for reading.
#thingsjesussaid #listen #jesuslight #happyblessings #everyone #peace #joy #blessings #provider #protector #refuge #lord #christ #savior #holyspirit #almighty #power #worthy #praise #worship #honor #glorify #magnify #exalt #glory #hallelujah #amen #god #jehova #bless #lgbt #lgbtq #wmtb #gaypride #queer #transgender #ftm #mtf #trans #pansexual #bisexual #questioning #lesbian #agender #genderfluid #asexual #lgbtpride #influencer