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Proposed "Gay Cure" Reversal Advances


Bonnie Lowenthal X390 (VOTE4EDWARD.COM) | ADVOCATE.COM

An antigay California statute requiring health experts to find a cure for homosexuality is on its way to being reversed by the state legislature. The assembly's public safety committee has approved Assembly Bill 2199, introduced by Bonnie Lowenthal (pictured) of Long Beach, which seeks to repeal the decades-old law.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that it seemed the assembly bill would be easy to pass. But it took a while to get the bill out of committee because several assembly members abstained from voting, fearing parts of the law pertaining to sex offenders would wind up being removed from state statutes.

Lowenthal explained that the 1950 measure was one of many intended to address mounting public fear resulting from highly publicized child molestations, including the 1949 rape and murder of 6-year-old Linda Glucoft. Although the Glucoft case did not involve a gay man, the wave of legislation lumped gays in with "sexual deviants" and sought to find answers to "the causes and cures of homosexuality."

Some of the legal language was altered in 1977, but Lowenthal's bill would remove the archaic antigay provision from the books 60 years after it was passed.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Valeria Mariscal
    Date posted: 7/25/2010 10:15:59 PM
    Hometown: Nogales,AZ

    Comment:

    Hi,this is Valeria a latina-mex trangender from arizona.Anyways me personaly i think that this so called "cure" is a waist of time,energy and money.In stead of trying to cure us.You should try to find a cure for loke HIV/AIDS,Diabettes,canser,Child molesters.rapist and insained people who have hatred.Things that will help the community not divide and destroy the community.So before you guys start critisisng others 1st take a good look on ur selves and fix urslves,ok!!!Thats all folks thank you.

  • Name: Martin
    Date posted: 4/10/2010 7:41:41 PM
    Hometown: Long Beach, CA

    Comment:

    As a gay man who was born, raised, and married (10/2008) in California, I am glad to see this done. But, I would prefer that the Legislature and Governor would focus on the dire financial situation this beautiful state finds itself in. Not to say the Legislature cannot do more than one thing at once, but finding a solution to California's near bankruptcy would help more people in general, and therefore more members of the GLBT community, than this effort.

  • Name: d
    Date posted: 4/8/2010 7:55:55 AM
    Hometown: raleigh

    Comment:

    Can they find a cure for bigotry, hatred, ignorance and...of I'll just sum it up. Can they find a cure for Republicans?

  • Name: Elle
    Date posted: 4/7/2010 11:44:32 PM
    Hometown: Brooklyn

    Comment:

    Why don't they do something more progressive like try to find a cure for child molesters and rapists?

  • Name: Matt
    Date posted: 4/7/2010 9:16:31 PM
    Hometown: Austin, Texas

    Comment:

    I think James makes a very good point. Not all heterosexuals are prejudiced. Consider that large majorities of Americans are opposed to employment discrimination against gay people and believe gays should be allowed to serve openly in the military. Look at these latest (2009) Gallup Poll results: 69% in favor of open service vs. 26% opposed, and 89% in favor of equal employment rights vs. 8% opposed. Numerically, those majorities must consist mostly of straight people simply because they outnumber us by large margins. It may not seem possible, but most straight Americans support us on most issues. The one exception is marriage equality at 47% vs. 50% opposed, but even that is changing rapidly--and it's a far cry from all straight people being bigots who want to "cure" us.

  • Name: James
    Date posted: 4/7/2010 7:50:40 PM
    Hometown: Wilmington, DE

    Comment:

    to the first and third commenters... you realize saying "the straights" and "the bigoted heteros", is itself bigotry, right? I'm a strong advocate for gay rights, but i also happen to be heterosexual. by using terminology like that you lump me in with those who hate you... why do that? i'm sure it wasn't really meant as an attack on straight people, but you should choose your words more carefully.

  • Name: Josette
    Date posted: 4/7/2010 7:23:45 PM
    Hometown: Fort Myers

    Comment:

    Good point Shawn. Like the old saying goes, "people who live in glass houses..." The straights will always find something to pick at us for though.

  • Name: Phillip
    Date posted: 4/7/2010 6:44:46 PM
    Hometown: Reseda

    Comment:

    Shawn, you are so full of crap. There is plenty of violence in the gay community. Carol Ann Burger stabbed her girlfriend 200 times.

  • Name: Shawn
    Date posted: 4/7/2010 4:13:48 PM
    Hometown: Purchase, NY

    Comment:

    Where is the "straight cure"? Things aren't working out too well for them...divorce rate close to 53%, latch-key kids, physical and psychological abuse amongst millions of heterosexual couples every year, abandoned children spending the first 18 years of their lives in facilities. Before they turn their focus on attempting to "cure" us they need to look in the mirror and take a look at their paltry lives. By far, the LGBT community has a much greater grasp on humanity than the bigoted heteros do!



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