I don't recommend prancing in heels while snorting meth at my church. Hollywood United Methodist was built in the 30s, so if you fall on your face, you could chip a tooth. Assuming, of course, you haven't already lost your teeth from meth.

Oh, good. Thanks for clearing that up! :-)

What exactly is normal? If normal was what we are waiting for, I'm not sure I want to be part of it. Is that what this struggle was all about? Those less than "normal" brothers and sisters were the catalyst for a revolution that allows us to be more integrated into society today. A society that still keeps us as second class citizens. I surely don't want to discount those fringe elements of our cultural history just to be considered normal. Keep me with the fringe - I'm more comfy there anyway.

Oh and yes, Pat Robertson is flaming asshole.

Jeff, good point... I adore the queers and faeries and genderfuck folk as much as the next enlightened person :-)... that said, I think in the context of what the right-wingers show on TV and who they know in their day-to-day lives, "normal" is (sadly?) the right word.

seems to me this was one man's experience and he did not want to be gay. So, he left being gay. I didn't see any extremes re Pat Robertson's comments... didn't seem like he was slinging mud at anyone but they were giving someone's testimony of their life. How did this story get to be a hate story as you seem to imply. one gay wanted to change, he did, it was reported, and that was it. I don't see they are out on the corner trying to 'recruit' anyone to leave being gay - but if a person wants to, why should anyone else be upset about it? I think the emphasis of this story is not about 'collective gays' but just one person and his story.

For what it is worth....

My point is that these are the only types of people you ever see represented by Pat Robertson and his ilk: unhappy, drug-taking, cross-dressing, partner-gender-lying, unsafe-sexing, messed-up-in-the-head-ing folks who are struggling-- struggling partly with the "gay lifestyle" (oy) but really, struggling mostly with gay guilt and a religious framework that promises them an eternity of burning in hell for simply responding to their biological drive.

I'd love to see Pat do a segment on his show about the happy gay Christians (who easily outnumber the ex-gays 1000-to-1), many in healthy relationships, many raising perfectly healthy kids.... and who don't have shame or guilt, and who know they aren't doing anything wrong... and most of all, who have no interest in "leaving the gay lifestyle." But that doesn't fit with what he believes or promotes so that's not really ever going to be shown to his audience, is it?

Thus my final point in my original post, which is, with so many of these healthy ("normal") gays all over the place (not only in the media but increasingly a part of everyone's day-to-day lives), who is still watching hyper-saccharine videos like Pat's and thinking, oh yeah, this is representative? This is how the gays struggle?

p.s. Mom, you really shouldn't read my blog. It's not written for you, and it's going to do nothing but upset you.

Eric, write 700 Club and ask that they show stories of happy gays. Or tell your friends to call or write them requesting that they show the other side -- someone who is happy with being gay.

The only reason I know that they show this type of video is that there are people who don't care to be gay, are Christians, and want to find out why they feel they are gay -- and leave it. This guy did. Troy feels like (as does 700 club) God brought him out of it. So - I don't see any problem with it but agree that ya'll should contact them and ask that they show a gay who likes being where he is - especially a Christian gay. I would find it interesting and would love to hear/see the other side of the issue.

I am not upset Eric. I care about you and if I don't read your blog, I will have NO idea what is going on with you at all since you don't call ... so, with little to no communication, I read this because at least I know something about what you are currently doing. I wish you well, that is all. I am not angry.... relax.

Also mom, the guy didn't really "leave being gay," and that's the ironic joke of it all. Stories of gay men "leaving being gay" are simply stories of troubled gay men choosing to go back to pretending to be straight. Only people who want to convince themselves that being gay is a choice would believe these kinds of stories. And this almost without exception happens to men who are struggling to reconcile who they are with a religion that doesn't accept them. It's selfish of and sad for not only the man, but also for his "wife," family, friends, and church who all agree to support him in this delusion. I can only imagine the many dark nights of the soul that await this guy. This story is simply a fantasy, and to hear Robertson portray it as reality is troubling on many levels.

Paul: I would like to respond to your post on Eric's blog, but it would only clog it . Send me a note and I can respond: jolie101415@aol.com. your comments are interesting and would like to understand your POV. Thanks! Mom(Bert)