"I Received ‘Ex-Gay’ Therapy at Marcus Bachmann’s Clinic"

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/2011/07/17519/

The organization I work for, Truth Wins Out (TWO), fights anti-LGBT religious extremism and the “ex-gay” myth. We’d been receiving questions about the Bachmann clinic and reparative therapy for months, and they only grew more intense after the June 13 GOP presidential debate in New Hampshire. Like everyone else, we were aware of the rumors and that no one had yet been able to independently verify them. TWO Executive Director Wayne Besen decided that we were going to obtain that verification: I was to go undercover to Bachmann & Associates in Lake Elmo, MN posing as someone seeking counseling for homosexuality, schedule as many appointments as I could, and document what went on during my appointments with hidden cameras.

When I called Bachmann & Associates to schedule my initial appointment, I told the receptionist who answered the phone that I was struggling with homosexuality. She referred me to Timothy Wiertzema, a counselor at the clinic, and scheduled me for a June 23 appointment.

I decided that the wisest course of action was to make my story fit as closely as possible to my own experience. Of course I’d have to embellish a bit and make a few things up, but it stood to reason that the closer the story I told was to the truth, the easier it would be for me to keep track of what I had said. After all, I was once a deeply-closeted teenage Catholic boy awakening to my own sexual orientation, terrified of what it might mean, too ashamed to tell anyone, and desperate to change it by any means necessary; although those memories are now far behind me, it was surprisingly easy to bring them back and put myself in a similar mental and emotional place. Still, I’d never done anything like this before. As the date of my departure grew nearer, my excitement and nervousness mounted. Could I pull it off? Would the cameras be well-hidden enough? Would they figure out what I was up to? What would we find? I packed my bags, made my social network profiles unsearchable, bid adieu to Michael, my husband of more than five years, and boarded a flight to Minneapolis to find out.

MUCH more at site.....

[Divine Discontent]

1. I really appreciate TWO, they are doing so much to try and bring down these judgmental groups by

providing information, and exposing these groups fallacies and typical action of latching onto anything you say to try and say that's probably why you're gay. If you say you saw nude male imagery at a young age (as a male) then that effected you. If you instead say you saw nude female imagery, well that disturbed your mind about respecting women and scared you, blah blah blah... they are a joke. But more than anything, they're gonna have a lot of explaining to do after this life ends (imo) as to why they were so judgmental about people based on sexuality, and caused them so much grief.

Interesting story, thanks W8liftinglady!

[xchrom]

2. recommend

[gordianot]

3. What I find interesting about Michelle Bachman are statements reflecting fear of indoctrination.

Of course she attributed to liberals in the Obama administration. That Bachman's engage in the same activity they express fear (for whatever purpose) is very telling. Wonder what else is planned on their re-education front?