Comments for Gay Activist http://gactupdate.wordpress.com Serving the gay community since 1999 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:14:42 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on MPs vote against religious lobby in free speech row by followthatmouse http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/mps-vote-against-religious-lobby-in-free-speech-row/#comment-1101 followthatmouse Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:14:42 +0000 http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/?p=3121#comment-1101 Whatever they decide I hope they will consider the needs also of those of us who never had a chance to go to university but had to pay through our income tax for those who did. Whatever they decide I hope they will consider the needs also of those of us who never had a chance to go to university but had to pay through our income tax for those who did.

]]> Comment on MPs vote against religious lobby in free speech row by Tommy http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/mps-vote-against-religious-lobby-in-free-speech-row/#comment-1100 Tommy Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:10:53 +0000 http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/?p=3121#comment-1100 I wonder if MPs will be voting to support students in their quest for a fairer Higher Education funding system :-) I wonder if MPs will be voting to support students in their quest for a fairer Higher Education funding system :-)

]]> Comment on Ex-gay by followthatmouse http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/info/ex-gay/#comment-1098 followthatmouse Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:57:15 +0000 http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/?page_id=88#comment-1098 Many years ago a district nurse was sent to me at my home to take my stitches out after an operation. When he started preaching to me he was thrown out of the house. I then made a formal complaint about his behaviour. These people are paid to do a job and only the job they are paid to do and if you ever come in contact with such a professional you should leave and put in a complaint about their professional misconduct. If you do not, then they will go on abusing other patients in the same way until somebody else puts in a complaint. Many years ago a district nurse was sent to me at my home to take my stitches out after an operation. When he started preaching to me he was thrown out of the house. I then made a formal complaint about his behaviour.

These people are paid to do a job and only the job they are paid to do and if you ever come in contact with such a professional you should leave and put in a complaint about their professional misconduct. If you do not, then they will go on abusing other patients in the same way until somebody else puts in a complaint.

]]> Comment on Ex-gay by Jennifer http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/info/ex-gay/#comment-1097 Jennifer Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:41:55 +0000 http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/?page_id=88#comment-1097 I appreciate your web site and its diversity of information. I would like to add to your article above, that there is an unfounded assumption of benignity within the psychiatric profession. "If a psychiatrist or doctor has a patient who is a gay man or lesbian who has absorbed society’s lies and prejudice, and wants to change his or her sexuality, what is the correct thing to do? They should help their patient overcome those prejudices and accept themselves so they can live a normal, happy life with a partner of their own choosing." Good advice for a rational psychiatrist or doctor. But not all care providers are rational. As a victim of a psychiatrist's homophobia, in which she repeatedly told me that I MUST pray to become straight (I kid you not) I know better. Homophobic fundamentalists infest the psychiatric profession. While a patient in Klinikum Herford in Germany I was subject to a devastating attack by a fundamentalist homophobe (name removed by editor). One should not under-estimate the vulnerabilty of gay men and women seeking mental health care in times of crisis. It is not so easy under these circumstances to stand up to homophobia. I appreciate your web site and its diversity of information.
I would like to add to your article above, that there is an unfounded assumption of benignity within the psychiatric profession.
“If a psychiatrist or doctor has a patient who is a gay man or lesbian who has absorbed society’s lies and prejudice, and wants to change his or her sexuality, what is the correct thing to do? They should help their patient overcome those prejudices and accept themselves so they can live a normal, happy life with a partner of their own choosing.”
Good advice for a rational psychiatrist or doctor. But not all care providers are rational.
As a victim of a psychiatrist’s homophobia, in which she repeatedly told me that I MUST pray to become straight (I kid you not) I know better. Homophobic fundamentalists infest the psychiatric profession. While a patient in Klinikum Herford in Germany I was subject to a devastating attack by a fundamentalist homophobe (name removed by editor).
One should not under-estimate the vulnerabilty of gay men and women seeking mental health care in times of crisis. It is not so easy under these circumstances to stand up to homophobia.

]]> Comment on Ian Baynham murder: three charged by Krista http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/2009/10/18/ian-baynham-murder-three-charged/#comment-1095 Krista Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:58:13 +0000 http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/?p=3028#comment-1095 Murder, I think, is when there is intent to kill, and manslaughter is when something is an accident, i.e. you hit and kill someone accidentally while driving. If this is correct, then I am really confused about the English legal system (I'm American) and why this wasn't a murder charge, as if you punch a person enough times - and while they are already down - it certainly isn't an accident. I think, even before the recent US legislation, that if someone kills someone and it is deemed a hate crime, that they face harsher punishment under the law. But honestly, I am not a lawyer, and even after three years living here I am not entirely clear on how the English justice system works. Murder, I think, is when there is intent to kill, and manslaughter is when something is an accident, i.e. you hit and kill someone accidentally while driving. If this is correct, then I am really confused about the English legal system (I’m American) and why this wasn’t a murder charge, as if you punch a person enough times – and while they are already down – it certainly isn’t an accident. I think, even before the recent US legislation, that if someone kills someone and it is deemed a hate crime, that they face harsher punishment under the law. But honestly, I am not a lawyer, and even after three years living here I am not entirely clear on how the English justice system works.

]]> Comment on Born gay? by HalfGay http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/info/born-gay/#comment-1094 HalfGay Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:09:37 +0000 http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/?page_id=83#comment-1094 Nice summary of the research conducted ... and what is interesting is the innateness in the question. Most "straight" people will tell you they could not imagine having an intimate relationship with a person of the same sex. Nice summary of the research conducted … and what is interesting is the innateness in the question. Most “straight” people will tell you they could not imagine having an intimate relationship with a person of the same sex.

]]> Comment on Ian Baynham murder: three charged by followthatmouse http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/2009/10/18/ian-baynham-murder-three-charged/#comment-1093 followthatmouse Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:02:13 +0000 http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/?p=3028#comment-1093 I am sure a lot of us are somewhat confused about the difference between manslaughter and murder. As far as I am concerned if you have killed someone you have murdered them. Can anyone enlighten us please? I am sure a lot of us are somewhat confused about the difference between manslaughter and murder. As far as I am concerned if you have killed someone you have murdered them. Can anyone enlighten us please?

]]> Comment on Ian Baynham murder: three charged by Avril http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/2009/10/18/ian-baynham-murder-three-charged/#comment-1092 Avril Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:15:28 +0000 http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/?p=3028#comment-1092 But they haven't been charged with murder. they have been charged with manslaughter!! But they haven’t been charged with murder. they have been charged with manslaughter!!

]]> Comment on Trainee policeman injured in hate attack by James Statham http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/trainee-policeman-injured-in-hate-attack/#comment-1091 James Statham Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:54:18 +0000 http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/?p=3069#comment-1091 I can see a time coming when Gay Men and Lesbians will need to defend themselves via an organised collective. I can see a time coming when Gay Men and Lesbians will need to defend themselves via an organised collective.

]]> Comment on Jamaica: death for another gay man? by followthatmouse http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/2009/09/11/jamaica-death-for-another-gay-man/#comment-1086 followthatmouse Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:05:54 +0000 http://gactupdate.wordpress.com/?p=2880#comment-1086 How many more gay people have got to be butchered to death in Jamaica before you understand that murder of anyone for any reason is plain wrong? How many more gay people have got to be butchered to death in Jamaica before you understand that murder of anyone for any reason is plain wrong?

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