Writer Goes Undercover At An Ex-Gay Camp

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Writer Goes Undercover At An Ex-Gay Camp

Jason Linkins [e-mail] | HuffPost Reporting

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/27/great-read-writer-goes-un_n_553803.html

First Posted: 04-27-10 01:33 PM | Updated: 04-27-10 03:04 PM



Have you ever wondered what it might be like to spend a weekend of your life in the middle of the desert at one of those quasi-Christian camps dedicated to "curing" the gay right out of your genitals? Well, wonder no more!

Over at Alternet, you can read all about how Ted Cox went undercover at a "Journey Into Manhood" camp, Matt Taibbi-in-The Great Derangement-style. What does it feel like for a man, learning to be a man, with the help of other men? It involves isolation and strange rituals and "Native American flute music" and re-enactments of junior high school gym class humiliations.

Oh! It also involves spending the day participating in astoundingly homoerotic activities:

"For this next exercise," says one of the staff, "Try to keep an open mind."

Three staff members take a seat in the middle of the room. They demonstrate three different "healing touch" techniques.

First: Side-by-side, where two men sit shoulder-to-shoulder, facing the same direction, their legs outstretched in front of them. The man giving the Healing Touch puts one arm around the receiver.

Second: The Cohen Hold, named after "certified sexual re-orientation coach" and Healing Touch pioneer Richard Cohen. For this position, the receiver sits between the legs of the giver, their chests perpendicular, the receiver's head resting on the giver's shoulder. The giver encircles his arms around the receiver.

Third: The Motorcycle. The receiver again sits between the legs of the giver; this time, the receiver leans his back up against the chest of the giver. Again, the giver wraps his arms around the receiver.

[mitchum]

1. "Journey Into Manhood"? I rhink that was on a double bill with...

"A Long Day's Journey Into Nigel"