I had just experienced blatant homophobia in my home town and

Why we must always challenge the

‘Discrimination against gay people has taken many forms over the centuries’ (Pictures: Getty)As a gay man myself I have always been somewhat aware of the ex gay movement.

canada goose black friday sale One day in my early twenties, a time of canada goose outlet in new york my life in which I was most insecure about my sexuality, I was approached in the middle the street by a seemingly sweet old man. canada goose black friday sale

buy canada goose jacket This man had no idea I was gay, but that was beside the point. I had just experienced blatant homophobia in my home town and it went completely unchallenged by onlookers. buy canada goose jacket

canadian goose jacket My devastation only intensified as I continued to read the details of the leaflet I canada goose outlet mississauga had just been handed, which outlined the details of canada goose outlet the ex movement. canadian goose jacket

I read through bullet points that listed how gay people like myself were apparently destroying the fabric of society, and how ex gay methods such as religious training and canada goose outlet washington dc summer camps could help to turn me into a heterosexual, which was described as the ‘normal way of life’.

cheap Canada Goose Discrimination against gay people has taken many forms over the centuries, but in recent years a new kind of anti gay phenomenon has emerged, known as the ‘ex gay movement’. cheap Canada Goose

The term ‘ex gay’ arises from the idea that people who are born gay can somehow change their sexuality or refrain from engaging in homosexual activity.

canada goose uk black friday The movement involves anti gay people and organisations that encourage homosexuals to pursue a heterosexual lifestyle. canada goose uk black friday

Canada Goose online More sensible members canada goose outlet ontario of our society might disregard the ex gay movement as something so ridiculous it should just be ignored, but this movement can have a seriously damaging impact on gay people and can be more problematic than one might think. Canada Goose online

canada goose store Gay people are susceptible to suffering withmental health issues throughout their lives due to the systematic homophobia that still exists. canada goose store

In many cases, this has led to extreme depression and suicide, the rate of which is disproportionately higherwithin the gay community compared to heterosexuals.

Giving the ex gay movement validation feeds into the already toxic narrative that homosexuality is something to be condemned and I believe this type of rhetoric should be challenged at every available opportunity.

Canada Goose Parka The ex gay movement arguably had its most high profile moment in 2012, when Christian group The Core Issues Trust placed posters on the canada goose sale uk side of London buses that read ‘Not Gay! Ex Gay, Post Gay and Proud. Get over it!’ in an attempt to promote the ex gay movement and anti gay propaganda. Canada Goose Parka

The posters were produced as a direct response to the London bus poster campaign carried out by gay rights group Stonewall, which read ‘Some people are gay. Get over it.’

The ex gay movement posters were eventually banned by the then London Mayor Boris Johnson, and rightly so.

Religiously driven ex gay organisations are intent of promoting intolerance against an entire group of canada goose outlet in chicago society something Samuel Brinton, head of advocacy and government affairs at The Trevor Project, asuicide prevention service aimed at canada goose outlet eu young LGBQ+ people, can attest to.

At a young age, Sam canada goose outlet sale was subjected to horrific physical and mental abuseduring conversion therapy sessions arranged by his strict religious parents.

Stonewall’s ‘Get over It!’ campaign attempted to challenge homophobia (Picture: Jure Makovec/AFP/Getty Images)In contrast, LGBT rights organisation Stonewall led the ‘Get over it!’ campaign, which was https://www.gooseoutletvip.com intended to tackle bullying in the classroom and change negative attitudes towards LGBT people, according to the group.

My biggest issue regarding the ex gay movement is the lasting impact it may have.

When anti gay rhetoric is thrown around unchallenged it can become normalised, and this particular type of rhetoric is especially poisonous when you consider its origins.

Gay conversion procedures, which can includeelectroconvulsive therapy and genital mutilation, were once considered a genuine ‘cure’ for homosexuality.

Canada Goose Online Worryingly, for some people, they still are. Canada Goose Online

Accommodating this way of thinking, either through laws or claims of free speech, can have a dangerous effect on society, which is why someMPs and gay rights campaigners are calling on the government to outlaw gay conversion therapy in the canada goose outlet buffalo UK.

Sharon Hodgson, Labour MP forWashington and Sunderland West, is one of the influential political voices contributing to this debate in favour of ousting gay conversion therapy in the UK.

Hodgson says: ‘Gay conversion therapy has no place in an open and tolerant society. It undermines the ability of LGBT individuals to freely be who they are and can have serious ramifications on their health and well being.

‘Campaigns to outlaw and criminalise this barbaric and heinous practice are welcome. The Government must recognise their duty to protect the LGBT community from these abhorrent practices.’.