Gay “deconversion expert” appears on ‘Rachel Maddow Show’. Bloodbath ensues

Richard Cohen is one of those repugnant “you-can-cure-the-gayness” preachers, a self-proclaimed “sexual reorientation specialist” and, naturally, an (equally self-proclaimed) ex-gay man himself. His books, the latest of which (Coming Out Straight: Understanding and Healing Homosexuality) includes a number of outrageous and absolutely ridiculous statistics linking homosexuality to all sorts of molestations, have even been used by promoters of the Uganda “kill-the-gays” legislation as a “scientific basis” for their barbaric inhumanity. Even though you can probably guess the reception he gets when he’s interviewed on the Rachel Maddow Show, it’s still delicious to note how she utterly destroys him whilst doing very little to disguise her contempt. There really should be more journalists like her.

The first half, below:

Oh, but she’s only just getting warmed up. Cue the second half where she really tears into him and unceremoniously sprays his blood into the drain:

It’s hard to say whether she wants to hit him or just throw up on him. I’ve seldom seen such barely suppressed revulsion and anger aimed at an interviewee, even from someone as biased and opinionated as Maddow, though this is one case where it is obviously fully merited. First, she rips apart the vile idiocy in his book about “top causes” for “homosexual behaviors” in children (which include, much to my indignation as well as Maddow’s, such catalysts as divorce, adoption, and even race, even though Cohen originally tried to deny that this last one was even in the book); then, she tears down his credentials and reputation (not a difficult feat, considering he’s made it rather easy by getting kicked out of virtually every association he was ever a part of, and isn’t even licensed to begin with).

Notice how Cohen insists that his words are being taken out of context and that the basis for his approach is to treat all people, including gay people, with love and respect. Although I’m happy he doesn’t go all Fred Phelps on our collective ass, I’m not particularly rejoiced as he’s still utterly, completely and dangerously wrong, even if he does honestly believe the bullshit he’s peddling. (If anything, especially if he actually believes it.) Gay “deconversion therapy” doesn’t work, period. It never has, and, safe to say, it never will. Why? Because homosexuality is not a fucking choice. Anyone who believes it is, is ignorant at best, and is a bigoted crank at worst. Mental health “experts” who subscribe to the notion that being gay is just a chosen lifestyle, and more importantly, that any gay person can be turned straight – ie. be “cured” of their homosexuality – are utter quacks and deserve every bit of shaming and discrediting they get.

(via Pharyngula)
Technorati tags: homosexuality · Richard Cohen · gay deconversion · Rachel Maddow · quackery · crankery