Keeping Them Honest: Texas Republican lawmaker defends reparative therapy
Reparative therapy is also known as gay conversion therapy. There is no scientific evidence this practice works and groups like the American Psychiatric Association have condemned it. New Jersey and California banned reparative therapy for minors, but the Texas Republican Party endorsed the practice and voted to add this language to their platform:
"We recognize the legitimacy and efficacy of counseling, which offers reparative therapy and treatment for those patients seeking healing and wholeness from their homosexual lifestyle. No laws or executive orders shall be imposed to limit or restrict access to this type of therapy."
Texas State Representative Bryan Hughes spoke to Anderson and defended his vote in favor of the measure.
|
|
Post by: AC360 Filed under: Gay & Lesbian Issues • Keeping Them Honest • Rep. Bryan Hughes • Reparative therapy |
About this Show:
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
Questions or comments? Send an email
Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°
Subscribe to the podcast
On Twitter
Search the AC360 blog
Anderson,,,,You did a great job on this interview. Love it. But I would like to comment on the beginging of this interveiw.
Where the Texas State Representative Bryan Hughes says, " That people should have rights, that they (GOP) believe in FREE SPEECH, and FREE CHOICE." Okay I stopped right there. Because they don't want Free speech or FREE CHOICE
they are against abortion, A woman should have the RIGHT to choose what she wants to do with her body. But they the GOP can come around and say that a person sexual identity that the GOP lets them have a choice or FREE choice...
The only time then GOP wants FREE SPEECH or FREE CHOICE is only when it is something that the GOP wants.
I think you know where I am going with this Anderson. But great interview. Keep up the good work with keeping them honest.
"We recognize the legitimacy and efficacy of counseling, which offers reparative therapy and treatment for those patients seeking healing and wholeness from their homosexual lifestyle. No laws or executive orders shall be imposed to limit or restrict access to this type of therapy."
Texas State Representative Bryan Hughes spoke to Anderson and defended his vote in favor of the measure.
I have a foolproof idea for "gay reparative therapy." Remember when you got caught smoking as a kid, and your dad made you smoke an entire carton? There you go. The poor guy might have to wear diapers for the rest of his life and talk with a lisp and drool from his dislocated jaw, but you can bet your cellmate's fruitpie that's the absolute last pole he'll ever smoke.
Journalism traditionally supports an unbiased presentation of news and events. In "Keeping them Honest", it seems the reporter rather is intent upon supporting an agenda, not on presenting information for viewers to make up their own minds. Whatever a reporter's personal opinions, they have to be keept out of the news – except for the opinions page. If this therapy is harmful, just give us the facts – but give us the facts for both sides. If it is true that a man wanted to leave a certain lifestyle, report that, report his words and his progress or lack of progress. Be mindful, though, that a statistic of one does not allow conclusions to be drawn. In my opinion, media telling society how to believe or behave is not helpful for society.
That may be true, but good luck finding that anywhere out there. Everyone is biased simply by virtue of being human and having feelings and opinions of their own. But on the same note, I think this was a perfectly fine interview. He asked the congressman questions that challenged them, and that's the sign of good journalism.
First off, there is nothing wrong with having an agenda, that simply means motive. Having an agenda does not mean you are being dishonest or non-objective, George Orwell, Thomas Pain, Jefferson and Lincoln all had "agendas" that doesn't at all discredit what they were doing just because they have a motive. Also you used the work biased, I see nothing wrong with being "biased" toward facts. Anderson stated many facts and legitimate psychological organizations that condemn this practice and this Hughes guy seemed to only have the bible and the anecdotal claim of one man to support position. You act as though just because there are two opposing positions that both are legitimate views, this conversion phenomenon has been extensively studied by doctors and scientist, its not as if their claims haven't been considered already. By your logic we should still have people debating the merits of Geocentric theory simply because some people might still believe it.
Now, about the gay reparative therapy. I don't think it should be forced on anyone, especially children. If an adult wants to try something like that, he/she should go to a regular therapist and work through his/her feelings. Stay away from religious therapists.
oh that's right Anderson only does tear jerkeres so we can all cry..ooohh we like a dead teddy bear..get real..this is about how we lost foriegn policy and we will have to be back to kill them
Im saying i think this is the biggest thing since ..oh right who care..all those dead soldiers , its only foreign US policy to keep the oil in our control but the biggest refinery is control of ISIS..,,do we fight for something?
im confuseed
does the white house care? this is a major deal but nothing from news or white house ..they will be in bagdad tomorrow???? this is like the a collapse of policy as vietnam are u coving
it?????
are the US helping the Kurds? the turkishdiplomats were capture..is nato helping?its garbage ur coverage
Don't be ridiculous! The President is briefed every day about what is going on around the world, including what happens in Iraq. He is most likely considering options and getting more top secret information. My bet is that he won't do anything, and if he does, he will pull out the few troops that are left in Iraq. You will hear on the news when he makes his decision.
can or if the US just stand aside..we have to do something?....let the terrorists just take over a city?..i mean its not a joke..this is real
its the biggest news..they ISIS have a biggest territory as any country in mid east..very big story, u lack coverage..all the might of the US but yet we have them ..oh sorry u care about some stupid soldier..this goes right to the effort..why ? if not?
The news about ISIS was covered this morning on CNN.
i think its bull dong that u dont cover how 5000 americans died for Iraq and now it over run by terrorists..we wiilll be back there
The death of about 5000 Americans has been on-going for years, and CNN covered the ISIS attacks this morning.