Know the Difference
This one strikes me as especially dangerous. A small group of conservative pediatricians has formed an alternative to the legitimate pediatrician's association, and has set up an ideological web site that is designed to look like a place for expert medical advice. You can go to their site to get bad recommendations about how to raise your kid.
Real pediatricians belong to the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has 60,000 members. Position statements issued by the AAP are considered to represent the consensus of pediatricians' opinions, especially, in this discussion, about developmental aspects of sexual orientation, gender identity, abortion, contraception and abstinence, and related topics.
An anti-gay conservative group has been around since 2002 calling itself the American College of Pediatricians. This group exists to promote the religious right's views about these topics. It is a religious-slash-political propaganda outlet disguised as an official professional organization of doctors.
According to the American College of Pediatricians web site, they recently sent letters to all public school superintendents in the country, directing them to the web site www.FactsAboutYouth.com.
Here are the first couple of "facts" from that site's "fact sheet:"
Hey, wait a minute.
It's not genetically determined, but the predisposition can be inherited? It can be inherited, therefore it is changeable? The inconsistencies in the first two facts, are dizzying.
Some more ... I'm skipping through ...
And so on. You see what this is.
None of these facts are correct. This is simply a group that promotes the pipe-dream that sexual orientation is a choice, that it is something that can be changed through therapy. Truth Wins Out says ACP sent the link to this site to more than 10,000 school superintendents.
How is someone supposed to know the difference between the legitimate American Academy of Pediatrics and the bigoted American College of Pediatrics? A school superintendent should know the difference, but I'll bet most of them don't. Parents won't know the difference, they'll be worrying about their kid and google this stuff up, how can they tell it's fake?
Others have dissected the content of the ACP site more thoroughly than I ever could. For instance, Warren Throckmorton, who we do not always agree with, goes through the site and pretty much demolishes everything there. Box Turtle Bulletin has done their homework, as usual, they give lots of links to support their analysis.
It is especially insidious for a small group of extremists to tarnish the reputation of an entire profession. It is likely that innocent parents who love their children, and innocent educators who want to lead their students toward the light, will come across this group and be misled. Wayne Besen at Truth Wins Out titled his post "Science Needs to Get Off the Sidelines" and calls for a multidisciplinary task force to deal with the misuse and misrepresentation of scientific and medical research. I like the sound of it, but you know implementation would be extremely difficult, I expect that in the end the only ones who get anything out of it will be the lawyers. Let's take Besen's post as a call for ideas for dealing with these kinds of organizations, which confuse the topic in order to push forward a viewpoint that is one hundred eighty degrees opposite of what the real experts believe. Something formal should be done about this problem; in the meantime, it's up to us to inform ourselves as individuals, to know the difference, and to make sure others understand.
Real pediatricians belong to the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has 60,000 members. Position statements issued by the AAP are considered to represent the consensus of pediatricians' opinions, especially, in this discussion, about developmental aspects of sexual orientation, gender identity, abortion, contraception and abstinence, and related topics.
An anti-gay conservative group has been around since 2002 calling itself the American College of Pediatricians. This group exists to promote the religious right's views about these topics. It is a religious-slash-political propaganda outlet disguised as an official professional organization of doctors.
According to the American College of Pediatricians web site, they recently sent letters to all public school superintendents in the country, directing them to the web site www.FactsAboutYouth.com.
Here are the first couple of "facts" from that site's "fact sheet:"
- Homosexuality is not a genetically-determined, unchangeable trait.
- Homosexual attraction is determined by a combination of familial, environmental, social and biological influences. Inheritance of predisposing personality traits may play a role for some. Consequently, homosexual attraction is changeable.
Hey, wait a minute.
It's not genetically determined, but the predisposition can be inherited? It can be inherited, therefore it is changeable? The inconsistencies in the first two facts, are dizzying.
Some more ... I'm skipping through ...
- Most students (over 85%) with same-sex attractions will ultimately adopt a heterosexual orientation if not otherwise encouraged. Most questioning students are experiencing temporary sexual confusion or are involved in experimentation.
- The homosexual lifestyle, especially for males, carries grave health risks.
- Sexual reorientation therapy has proven effective for those with unwanted homosexual attractions.
- For many youth, homosexual attraction develops due to negative or traumatic experiences, such as sexual abuse. These students need therapy for the trauma, not affirmation of a "gay identity."
- There is no evidence that pro-homosexual programs, such as on-campus student clubs, ease the health risks or emotional disorders suffered by homosexuals.
And so on. You see what this is.
None of these facts are correct. This is simply a group that promotes the pipe-dream that sexual orientation is a choice, that it is something that can be changed through therapy. Truth Wins Out says ACP sent the link to this site to more than 10,000 school superintendents.
How is someone supposed to know the difference between the legitimate American Academy of Pediatrics and the bigoted American College of Pediatrics? A school superintendent should know the difference, but I'll bet most of them don't. Parents won't know the difference, they'll be worrying about their kid and google this stuff up, how can they tell it's fake?
Others have dissected the content of the ACP site more thoroughly than I ever could. For instance, Warren Throckmorton, who we do not always agree with, goes through the site and pretty much demolishes everything there. Box Turtle Bulletin has done their homework, as usual, they give lots of links to support their analysis.
It is especially insidious for a small group of extremists to tarnish the reputation of an entire profession. It is likely that innocent parents who love their children, and innocent educators who want to lead their students toward the light, will come across this group and be misled. Wayne Besen at Truth Wins Out titled his post "Science Needs to Get Off the Sidelines" and calls for a multidisciplinary task force to deal with the misuse and misrepresentation of scientific and medical research. I like the sound of it, but you know implementation would be extremely difficult, I expect that in the end the only ones who get anything out of it will be the lawyers. Let's take Besen's post as a call for ideas for dealing with these kinds of organizations, which confuse the topic in order to push forward a viewpoint that is one hundred eighty degrees opposite of what the real experts believe. Something formal should be done about this problem; in the meantime, it's up to us to inform ourselves as individuals, to know the difference, and to make sure others understand.
posted by JimK at 2:54 PM
19 Comments:
My own pediatrician through childhood and my teenage years was a founding member of the American College of Pediatricians. He directed me, when I shared my concerns with him, to what I later learned was 'reparative therapy.'
I trusted him.
try shock therapy, Robert
"It's not genetically determined, but the predisposition can be inherited? It can be inherited, therefore it is changeable? The inconsistencies in the first two facts, are dizzying."
take some dramamine, Jim
maybe when you stop spinning you'll recall the days of your youth when you were smart enough to know the difference between influence and determination
they said:
"Inheritance of predisposing personality traits may play a role for some."
Ya, just like some kids have inherited predisposing personality traits that could make them more prone to drug or alcohol use. This doesn't mean they're doomed to a life of drug or alcohol use, this doesn't mean there's a gene-- just that they may need to work a little harder at staying drug or alcohol free.
Just like...some kids may have to work harder at staying gay free.
If one's sexual predisposition is due to choice, heterosexuality must be a choice.
When did you, "Anonymous" choose to be a heterosexual (assuming you are, of course - some doubts seem to exist about your "closetedness")?
Perhaps you should see a therapist who could place you in a "reparative therapy" program to help you get rid of the sexual orientation which you have chosen.
hetersexuality benefits society, homosexuality doesn't
that's why we have endless claims that homosexuals can't help themselves
it homosexuality wasn't obviously a detriment to society, gay rights activists would be basing their positions strictly on personal liberty arguments
because homosexuality is a very apparent burden on society, the argument that it is unavoidable becomes necessary to deviant apologetics
From The American College of Pediatricians (the propaganda one) under the "Core Values" part of their "about us" section:
"2.Recognizes that good medical science cannot exist in a moral vacuum and pledges to promote such science."
The core of science is BASED on achieving maximum objectivity. Take that factor away and it's no longer science.
--
"3.Recognizes the fundamental mother-father family unit, within the context of marriage, to be the optimal setting for the development and nurturing of children and pledges to promote this unit."
"mother-father family unit ... optimal setting" = I'd kill my own children before I let gay couples wed and raise children in desperate need of parents.
--
"8.Recognizes the vital role the College has in promoting quality education for parents, physicians, and other health professionals."
I'm assuming they meant to say "promoting quality indoctrination."
--
There's five more if anyone feels the need to torture themselves.
"hetersexuality benefits society, homosexuality doesn't"
Like the rest of your baseless claims, you confuse superiority (religious and/or hetero) with homosexuality.
Equal opportunity benefits society, religious supremacism does not.
"The core of science is BASED on achieving maximum objectivity. Take that factor away and it's no longer science."
Science exalted beyond moral context leads to things like the Nazis trying to improve the master race.
“Science exalted beyond moral context leads to things like the Nazis trying to improve the master race.”
Define “moral context.”
save it for your buddy, Adolf
I guess it depends what the meaning of "is" is...
"Equal opportunity benefits society, religious supremacism does not."
doesn't that argument mean that we couldn't discriminate against the bigamists and the incestuous?
probably means you can't discriminate against unbathed and unkempt TTFers
If you can’t even back up your own argument, then my assertion stands:
“The core of science is BASED on achieving maximum objectivity. Take that factor away and it's no longer science.”
no one has argued with it, idimproviot
the point is that science is not the only path to discovering truth, indeed the truths discoverable by science are the least significant
science only deals with empirical evidence of the material world
materialism, exalting science to an inappropriate significance has always lead to suffering
the Nazi hybrid of Nietsche and Darwin is a good example of this
Oh, yeah, "Anonymous"..."hetersexuality"(sic.) definitely benefits society...especially when morons such as you are produced to be inflicted upon the rest of us.
Who pays your salary to troll here? The Family Research Council? PFOX? Liberty Council? Focus on the Family? Traditional Values Coalition?
truths discoverable by science are the least significant
...materialism, exalting science to an inappropriate significance has always lead to suffering
Tell that to a veteran whose life was saved by body armor or a parent whose child is in remission from leukemia after chemotherapy.
they already know it
they don't have TTF syndrome
“doesn't that argument mean that we couldn't discriminate against the bigamists and the incestuous?”
Why would you anyway? They’re both God approved.
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