the awesome/terrifying freedom

have you guys heard about this story? my old friend mike ditto has been blogging about it for awhile, and thankfully, it's finally getting some attention. i feel pretty ashamed that i didn't know about it sooner.

reading this kid's blog - god, it hurts. it's so easy now, isn't it, to forget the turmoil of the coming out period; that deep deep pain of knowing that once you tell your parents, there's no going back, and you can only hope that you won't be rejected. but being rejected might be better than being thrown into one of the creepiest, most deeply disturbing places imaginable: a brainwashing camp for gay teens.

mike has picked out some highlights from the camp rules:

“Refuge clients are allowed a one-time 15-minute maximum closed bathroom door time for shower/grooming purposes. The only other closed-door alone time allowed is for using the restroom”

“Clients may have no contact with anyone who has left the program prior to graduating without the blessing of the staff to do so. Clients may address off-limit persons they inadvertently encounter with a polite ‘hello’ only.”

“Any belongings, appearances, clothing, actions, or humor that might connect a client to an inappropriate past are excluded from the program. These hindrances are called False Images (FI’s). FI behavior may include hyper-masculinity, seductive clothing, mannish/boyish attire (on women), excessive jewelry (on men), mascoting, and ‘campy’ or gay/lesbian behavior and talk.”

'but i'm a cheerleader' made these places seem like absurdly comic concoctions, but it's all too real. it's called 'love in action' and it makes me sick to my stomach. it's pure hate through the guise of love, concern, and rehabilitation.

if a poor, self hating adult homo wants to try and subject themselves to the torture requred to cure himself of carnal attractions to men, then go for it. do what you want. but this is the sally jesse raphael 'troubled teen boot camp' for gay kids, and it's not funny and it's child abuse.