Gay to Straight Camps/Therapy Don't Work

If you deal in reality and know any gay people this one won't surprise you. For the rest of you I present the following:

Programs to change gays to straights don't work, report says

The American Psychological Association concluded Wednesday that there is little evidence that efforts to change a person's sexual orientation from gay or lesbian to heterosexual are effective.

In addition, the 138-page report -- covering 87 peer-reviewed studies -- said that such efforts may cause harm.

These "reprogramming" camps and counselors follow typical pattern behavior for some religious conservatives. If the world doesn't match your religious beliefs, homosexuality and evolution for example, then you deny reality and work to convince others of the lie, even to their detriment.

How people with this sort of detachment from the world can claim the moral high ground is beyond me. Is the fear of being wrong really that powerful?

Free Speech in Alabama

A family member in Alabama tipped me off to the following article:

I-20 billboard message 'Imagine No Religion' stirs emotions

It's not surprising that a southern company refused to place the billboard message:

Gaylor said she wanted a billboard near the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, but a billboard company, Lamar Advertising, declined to accept the advertisement. "We got censored by Lamar," Gaylor said.

"It was offensive to me," said Tom Traylor, general manager of Lamar Advertising in Birmingham. "We have the autonomy to decide what's in the best interests of our company and what's offensive. I don't think it was the kind of message we wanted to stand behind.
...
Traylor said the "Imagine No Religion" slogan is unpatriotic. "It flies in the face of how our country was founded," he said.

My problem with this is the choke hold on free speech. If a company owns all the billboards in a certain area and refuses to accept a legally protected advertisement how is this not a restriction on free speech?

An editorial from the Talladega Daily Home does a great job breaking it down in a simple way:

Freedom of speech trumps billboard petition

No matter how many people find the billboard offensive, no matter how many of them sign a petition, the Freethought Association members have every right to express their opinions.

So there is no question here — The Daily Home is not taking any position agreeing with (or disagreeing with) what the sign says — just that it is protected speech under the Constitution.

Very powerful and courageous words from a publication rooted in the deep south. The post is wrapped up nicely as follows:

Since billboards line our highways all over the state, many of them of a religious nature promoting traditional Christian values, such advertisements as the Freethought Association’s must also be allowed.

Removing the sign would not only be a direct violation of the freedoms guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution, it would very likely open the door to legal action based on civil rights violations.

Much respect and admiration to the publishers and staff of the Talladega Daily Home for their defense of freedom and expression against negative public opinion.