One of the most important points illuminated in Al Gore's groundbreaking documentary on global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth," is the simple fact that there is no scientific debate on global warming. In fact the scientific community and virtually every bit of scientifically valid research is unanimous in its conclusion that global warming is well underway. The only "debate" is the spin war waged by self-serving, dishonest or ignorant politicians, certain corporate interests and their media lackies. The "scientific" debate on the issue as protrayed in the media is completely fabricated.

The same paradigm is in play with homophobia, with big business replaced by certain players in big religion. And again, the media is very much the culprit in this dangerous and harmful game, relentlessly portraying homosexuality as a hotly contested scientific debate. In fact, there is simply no science that in any way suggests the homosexuality is a form of mental illness or moral dysfunction. And no number of declarations from mentally ill and self-loathing public figures like Ted Haggard is going to change that.

So it was with some pain and great disappointment that I read today's "New York Times" article on homosexual "reparative" therapy: "Reining In Desires Proves Complex At Best."

While homophobia is to be expected from Murdoch's homophobic rubbish heap--including "Fox News" and "The Post"--it is deeply disturbing when "The New York Times" succumbs to this specious and onorous nonsense.

Simply put, such reports are based on a false premise and a false argument of the worst sort--of the worst sort because tends of thousands of gay men and women and tens of thousands of gay children are harmed, sometimes seriously and even fatally.

The real news story should focus on the reasons why quacks masquerading as religious leaders are allowed to "sell" mental snake oil to people who are not sick; not whether or not reparative therapy actually works--which is the discussion in today's Times. Shame on the Times.

Our society allows profoundly bigoted and self-hating organizations and individuals to candy coat their bigotry with words like "reparative," "conversion," "ex-gay," and "therapy" misleading, abusing and harming profoundly and pathologically confused and self-loathing homosexual men and women. And when "The New York Times" dignifies and legitimizes these quacks and charlatans with "objective" and thoughtful news stories, even more harm is done.

Clinically depressed and self-destructive gay men and women are led further down a very unhealthy and soul-crushing path. Gay teens and kids exposed to this nonsense are denied their childhoods, healthy maturation and are all too frequently driven to substance abuse and even suicide.

Homosexual men and women who beleive themselves to be cured or suffering from "a mental illness" must be treated with the same compassion and support that we give to substance abusers, the clinically depressed and other pathologically self-destructive adults and teens. But it is irresponsible at best and criminal at worst for our society and authority figures in particular to encourage them in any way or on any level to believe that their pathology is in any way healthy or productive.

Again, shame on "The New York Times."

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