Hypocrisy, thy name be Wal*Mart (Selling ex-gay kid's book)

[JoeCool385]

I continue to be fascinated when people's beliefs do not permit the possibility that one's sexual orientation can be changed. For instance, my co-worker honestly believes that every man who claims to have "converted" from gay to straight is lying, so as to be better treated by parents/society/what have you.

Me? I have no reason to doubt the personal testimony of a stranger I've never met. If someone says "I used to be gay; now I'm straight," and I call that person a liar with no evidence of my own, it would be just as foolish as if I believed that no one is really gay and anyone who claims to be is lying.

I also find it fascinating when scorn is poured upon someone who chooses to try to change from gay to straight. Growing up, I always heard that we ought to tolerate other people's alternative lifestyle choices. I guess that tolerance isn't afforded people who choose heterosexuality over homosexuality?

Lastly, the way the word "hypocrite" is being thrown around here, I wonder if anyone still knows what that word means.

 

[Ampersand]

I still don't get this notion that you go gay simply by looking at gay porn or whatever. If your sexuality is that malleable, maybe the problem isn't the porn.

It's not, no one choose who thier attracted to. It's the same as you're eyes being blue or your hair being black. There's no way of changing it. And there is no reason anyone should change it.

 

[Ampersand]

It's the 21st century, when are these fundies going to get a fucking clue?

 

[Mathak]

I continue to be fascinated when people's beliefs do not permit the possibility that one's sexual orientation can be changed. For instance, my co-worker honestly believes that every man who claims to have "converted" from gay to straight is lying, so as to be better treated by parents/society/what have you.

Me? I have no reason to doubt the personal testimony of a stranger I've never met. If someone says "I used to be gay; now I'm straight," and I call that person a liar with no evidence of my own, it would be just as foolish as if I believed that no one is really gay and anyone who claims to be is lying.

A lot of the 'cured' people end up getting caught in airport bathroom stalls receiving blowjobs from guys...that sort of makes us a bit sceptical about cure-claims.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

Aren't crazy church people SO funny. That's why I always answer the door to them.
Don't they understand the seperation between church and state

Uh, Walmart isn't part of the government. Even truthers don't think that...

 

[Agrael]

Hi, I am from Europe, you know, the country that isn't run by christianity.

Why can't you guys get it through your thick skulls, that you are BORN homosexual, not that you BECOME one ?

It is in the animal kingdom, and it is in humankind.

Get over it.

 

[thisbymaster]

They are capitalistic, they will sell giant turds if people buy them.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

Um you've read the book right? and you can confirm it contains gay bashing, kill all homosexual speeches and other such things right?
you mean you haven't read it and don't know what it contains?

Seems to me if something isn't okay then nothing is okay, Wal-mart isn't being hypocritical you are your pissed at wal-mart for one thing, then when they carry another your pissed at that... seems to me if they did carry violent and sexual video games..you'd still be down on them for this book your using the book as a scapegoat to bring a point against Wal-mart.

Because we're all complaining about it's gay-bashing and "kill homosexual speeches".

Funny, I thought the issue was that it was perpetuating the concept that homosexuality was a disease to be cured. And that is very clearly what the book is about.

Hell, have you read it? Because it may even have "kill homosexual speeches"! It gave no indication of such, but still.

I don't know if it's really hypocrisy though, as I don't remember them doing anything to the contrary beforehand. Immoral of them, yes, but not hypocritical.

 

[Dorian6]

Question:

Is it normal to experiment with different kinds of Internet porn in high school? I did that for a while until I found out im just a normal straight guy. But I caught my self fapping to the wrong stuff a few times (Like 5 times)

Am I okay or was that just harmless experimentation?

Ok i love how you counted and know exactly how many times you whacked it to dudes boning.

Now in regards to your question, Everyone comes to that point at least once in their life. Do you have the desire to have sex with dudes? When you watch straight porn, do you watch the guy more than the girl? If your answer to either of these is "no" i think you're straight sweetie.

 

[Jamous]

Parents want their children to be perfect, if they screw up, they'll blame ANYTHING. Even their own pet who they had BEFORE the kid.

Oh? Is there a story there?

 

[Vryyk]

If people don't like it, they don't buy it. Vote with your money, saying that Wal-Mart should not be allowed to sell something is dangerous. Where do you think that leads? Personally I think the whole "ex-gay" thing is stupid. That being said, if they believe that rubbish, that's their business as long as they don't try infringing on MY rights.

 

[Something Amyss]

That was two years ago. Im not gay now.

You never know. You could have a relapse. or be a carrier.

It's not, no one choose who thier attracted to. It's the same as you're eyes being blue or your hair being black. There's no way of changing it. And there is no reason anyone should change it.

I know. I didn't choose my sexuality, either. Read my statement more as a "how do they make sense of this?" Rather than any actual belief it could be true.

 

[bloodrayne626]

Fellas, all this talk of "freedom of speech" is well and good, but I think there's an additional point that's been lost here:

Apparently selling a product that completely disregards and subjects a group of people to ridicule is perfectly acceptable by their standards, yet release a "violent" video game and by the heavens, we have unleashed a plague.

Yes, it's freedom of speech to release a book. Regardless of content, it should be allowed.
HOWEVER, books are just as accessible (maybe even more so) as video games. Matthew Reilly, Dan Brown and several other authors release books which contain depictions of graphic violence and swearing. I don't have a problem with that, and neither do most people.
It's just when a set of restrictions can be imposed on one medium and not on another for no reason other than sheer retardation - yeah, that gets to me.

 

[Terminate421]

Question:

Is it normal to experiment with different kinds of Internet porn in high school? I did that for a while until I found out im just a normal straight guy. But I caught my self fapping to the wrong stuff a few times (Like 5 times)

Am I okay or was that just harmless experimentation?

Ok i love how you counted and know exactly how many times you whacked it to dudes boning.

Now in regards to your question, Everyone comes to that point at least once in their life. Do you have the desire to have sex with dudes? When you watch straight porn, do you watch the guy more than the girl? If your answer to either of these is "no" i think you're straight sweetie.

I said no to the first one before I even finished the sentence

I said no to the second one.

Im straight, I just needed to know if this was normal of me, (This was two years ago and, like I said, I only did it a few times. Im not gay)

 

[Terminate421]

That was two years ago. Im not gay now.

You never know. You could have a relapse. or be a carrier.

It's not, no one choose who thier attracted to. It's the same as you're eyes being blue or your hair being black. There's no way of changing it. And there is no reason anyone should change it.

I know. I didn't choose my sexuality, either. Read my statement more as a "how do they make sense of this?" Rather than any actual belief it could be true.

I love how your treating it like a disease.

I was 15 and still figuring out who I was.

I now know I am straight. I knew it after my little episode, and I intend to stay that way. Also, I intend to live a good life and die and go to heaven. God won't hate me for jerking it, he'd probobly hate me for actually doing it with a guy......(Which I didn't do)

 

[spacepope22]

This book seems like it would be sold in a specialty store, or online. Not Wal-Mart. Someone will try to sue them in the not-so-distant future.

 

[Woodsey]

If the kid is now happy and married to a woman...why is everyone making a big deal about it. So what if he's "cured" If its part of his religion for him to be straight let him do it. It is intolerance if he went for help and got it, thats his news. And for violent video games, come on! Just ask someone other then a video game fanatics opinion on video games and thats why this stuff isnt aloud. Video games are the minority people face it.

Oh yeah, because there are no men in religion who suppress their sexuality - I'm sure he's telling the truth and that his feelings have magically changed. Maybe he was just experimenting, but that doesn't then mean he's even been cured of anything.

"Just ask someone other then a video game fanatics opinion on video games and thats why this stuff isnt aloud. Video games are the minority people face it."

Actually most regular people I've ever met are perfectly fine with it; they just see it as something that people do nowadays.

Whilst I agree that the book should still be allowed to be sold (although it's pushing it, and it's blatantly moronic) the OP makes a solid point that when compared to "controversial" games this is far worse.

It does still seem to be a bit too fanatical to be sold in a store like WalMart too; I know this shit would never slide at Tesco!

 

[Capslockbroken]

So if I write a book in which I claim that my life was made better in the eyes of God by owning slaves (Leviticus 25:44), I could sell it at Wal-Mart? Good to know.

Yes.

Yes you could.

Assuming WalMart would stock it on their shelves. Keep in mind, though, that you could also pen and sell a book filled with nothing but hatred for religion and how Christians and Catholics are everything wrong with the United States, and they should be put in camps.

Aside from people on the opposite end, bitching at you, you put it to market, and they could do nothing to stop you.

That's Freedom, baby!

You mean like Dawkins and Harris did?

 

[Delock]

http://www.11points.com/Books/11_Things_The_Bible_Bans,_But_You_Do_Anyway
Shut up, vocal minority of the group that makes the entire religion look idiotic, a lot of what you do is banned by the same book you use to defend your opinion on gays (did you know that those wedding rings that your religious leaders recognize in the marriage of straight people is banned?).

Anyways, Walmart can do what they like, as I'm not about to tell them what to do other than to stop destroying the economy of the town I live in right now to the point that it will literally die if it shuts down. See that, it's called not forcing your ideas down other people's throats (which ironically is the idea I'm going to force down your throat. Hey, I've already admitted that I'm a hypocrite myself). Do this.

 

[Capslockbroken]

Hi, I am from Europe, you know, the country that isn't run by christianity.

Why can't you guys get it through your thick skulls, that you are BORN homosexual, not that you BECOME one ?

It is in the animal kingdom, and it is in humankind.

Get over it.

I could try to explain to you that there is no scientific evidence either for or against the idea that people are born gay, but someone who thinks Europe is a country probably wouldn't understand.