Free Zach!

[jackola]

I recently posted tihs paragraph:

A 16 year old myspace user stumbled across an email in his parents inbox that explains the rules for an x-gay camp they planned to send him to. The "inmates" aren't supposed to see these rules. See them here. By the end of the rules, you'll think he's going to a concentration camp.

He had just come out to his parents. They flipped out and signed him up for a Christian ex-gay camp. He wrote about it in an online diary entry.

Well, it's bigger than an online diary entry now. A group of people in Memphis have been protesting Love In Action, the business behind it all, ever since he entered the place. Love In Action's slogan is "Finding freedom in Jesus Christ" and features a program for kids "struggling with broken and addictive such as ...homosexuality."

The protest isn't just about the fact that they're trying to "change" him, that's not the whole thing at all. They're being protested for child abuse, based on the rules that Zach posted.

Check out part of an entry from Zach's blog:

I can't take this... noone can... not really, this kind of thing tears you apart emotionally. To introduce THIS subject... I'm not a suicidal person... really I'm not.. I think it's stupid - really. But.. I can't help it, no im not going to commit suicide, all I can think about is killing my mother and myself. It's so horrible. This is what it's doing to me... I have this horrible feeling all of the time... I wish this on no person... I'm so satisfied--happy's too strong of a word the state I'm in-- that everyone's taking the time to email and write letters in complaint to these people. I dont know if it will do anything, but if something did happen it would be -- awesome.

Love In Action's leader, John Smid, put the organization's position as such: "I would rather you commit suicide than have you leave Love In Action wanting to return to the gay lifestyle. In a physical death you could still have a spiritual resurrection; whereas, returning to homosexuality you are yielding yourself to a spiritual death from which there is no recovery."

The "Free Zach!" MySpace group page features links to petitions, organizations to write to, politicians to write to, news network contacts, and other links relating to the cause.

A snippet of Margaret Cho's response:

Love in Action claims to "find freedom in Christ," but they are grossly misinterpreting the Bible to serve their own warped needs. Jesus would want you to be yourself. Jesus would love you as you are. True freedom in Christ is to know that Christ resides in all of us, regardless of sexual orientation, and that we are born already free. There is no need to seek it, just to accept it.

A snippet of Planet Out's Story:

Although "reparative therapy" for homosexuality has been denounced by the mainstream psychological community as tantamount to abuse, "ex-gay" ministries offer hope to conflicted parents (usually devoutly religious and conservative) who are unwilling or unable to accept their kids' sexuality or seek traditional counseling.

Youth (and adults) who enter "ex-gay" programs may suffer from genuine self-destructive behaviors that go far beyond their struggle with same-sex attraction, said Wayne Besen, who wrote the book "Anything But Straight" about the "ex-gay" movement.

Here's an article by Southern Voice.

Watch Love In Action's press conference (which is mostly a bunch of closeted gay guys giving their opinions in the name of Jesus).

The big media needs to pick up on this. The only way they're going to is if the protests get big enough.

If there's anything that pisses me off, it's the extremist church scaring or forcing people into following their narrow-minded, self-righteous morals. Jesus would not stand for this.

I say we make this yet another story broken by the bloggers - by real people.

Spread the word.

Comments

[tenchichan.livejournal.com]

the whole situation makes me sad and mad. I almost wish it were me in there and not him cause I would be unmovable.

I think the next step should be to directly e-mail and get in contact with his parents and show them the other side of the issue, that they are hurting their son and blah blah blah. They might crack under the pressure and pull him out.

[idigital.livejournal.com]

Totally speechless.

[pantswarrior]

we are born already free. There is no need to seek it, just to accept it.

...Wow. She's awesome.

[mercurywingspan.livejournal.com]

i can't believe things like this exsist. there really are no words to explain how i feel about this ..

[autharise.livejournal.com]

i'll cover it

[fixinthemix.livejournal.com]

Jack, with your ok, I'm going to copy this entry line for line, e-mail it out, and x-post it to my LJ. I'll give credit.

This is fucking insane.

I didn't realize that HE WENT. I thought they were just thinking about it.

[fixinthemix.livejournal.com]

Ok..changed my mind. I'll just link it. Grrr

[snowfreak.livejournal.com]

i took most of your entry and reposted - thank you, jack. i was going to write my own, but you'd put everything in there that i would have.

feel like flying to memphis anytime soon?

[drthe19.livejournal.com]

Used some of this entry to form one, hope you do not mind.

PS: How far is Muncie from Louisville?

[patronsaint.livejournal.com]

I've been following this via cathedralheat's journal. It's sad that there are actually places like this around the country, I've personally known people who have been send to places with similiar to this. I've read about the methods of these places, but never seen the rules first hand untill reading Zach's journal, it's depressing that parents would put their children through this. I'm just happy to see that this is getting some attention on the internet and that some celebrities are commenting.

[vegjackie.livejournal.com]

will link it on my LJ, myspace bulletin, and email to a few.

[writes.livejournal.com]

Good bless Margaret Cho! She is one amazing lady...

I've posted about Zach before in my journal, but I think I will link your entry.

Thank you Jack for keeping us updated on this.

[kaylahgurl.livejournal.com]

I have been following this story ever since my gay best friend showed me Zach's myspace. My friend thought I would be interested in this because my mom is devoutly religous and found out last year that I was "gay" through a rumor. (I am bisexual and very open about it to certian people minus my family) When my mom found out she wouldnt talk to me or even look at me. She ended up sending me away. And a few months later I couldnt take her abusive actions so I moved out completely. I am definetly adding this link to whatever I can to get more action taken. This left me speachless. And saddened. I thought I had it bad. WOW.

MAnda

[-3chalkoutlines.livejournal.com]

This depresses me so much. :(

I'm joining the MySpace group... and I'll link your entry in my journal.

[shan-shan56.livejournal.com]

all of this amazes me i am at a loss for words. i do not understand why parents have to be so controlling and what not. it is wrong in many many ways. one of the lessons every parent teaches their children is " be yourself" but what is one to do when you are your self and you are not accepted by those you tought you the lesson in the first place? i do not know you but i am so sorry zach and i wish you the best! XO

[emerald-eye.livejournal.com]

im gonna steal the link, got it from cliff's journal, if its alright.

[jackola.livejournal.com]

OMG no never.

of course it's alright ;).

[commonsensehere.livejournal.com]

Oh my dear God no, you have to brush your teeth twice a day thats so narrow-minded.

[jackola.livejournal.com]

As if.

[commonsensehere.livejournal.com]

HUH?

[princess-hestia.livejournal.com]

There's also a Myspace club for people to join, too.

[jackola.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I mentioned that in this entry ;).

[droserary.livejournal.com]

Here's an idea--log on to the webpage and sign up for them to send you their newsletter. They say a $20 donation is requested to receive it... but I'm thinking if enough people sign up without donating--would they "buy it" and waste money on printing for something that we'll all just throw in the recycling bin? Or is it not a good idea to let them know where we all live? haha

[jsclutheran.livejournal.com]

I pray he makes it out somewhat safe. His parents should accept his homosexuality, and not feed him to the fundies for breakfast. I wish I could break him out of that Memphis Mauthausen. This IS abuse. I agree wholly with that statement. To do what the rules say is to sign one's life and happiness away, and by hiding the rules, makes it even more like a cult. This sickens me. The Bible says to "Love thy neighbor." This is so distant from "Love thy neighbor" that it is not even on the same planet. I joined the group to show that I am on his side of the issue in a more visible way. If I do not do this for him, then if I am ever 'taken away' for being me, there may be no one "to speak for me" to reference Rev. Martin Niemoeller, a survivor of the Holocaust.
Excuse me while I cry and vomit.

[tancaliel.livejournal.com]

I've changed my LGBT-friendly forum (http://www.laura-design.nl/closet/index.php)'s subtitle space to link to this page. What's happening there is absolutely disgusting. -.-

[makeshift-love.livejournal.com]

hey, I live in KY.. I just heard about Zach on the news and I REALLY wish that I could do something. I've never protested before, so I could use some ideas... I came out to my parents.. I'm 15.. and they went psycho.. but not like that! I want to help. BTW this isn't my lj.. it's my girlfriends.. so anybody that cares about Zach can IM me at xonlylove17x or e-mail me at adison86@hotmail.com.. When Zach gets out, we dont want to quit protesting. We need to keep at it until this place is burned.
Brittany

[queendork76.livejournal.com]

I would like to take a moment here and say that I for one have contacted a friend of mine about this whole situation and whether or not it is legal for them to be pulling this shit on ANYONE and whether or not there was ANYTHING I could do to stop the BULLSHIT known as "love in action"!!! I have started a thread about it on a website or will be soon as Im done here about this on www.talkcity.com in Citypub-Adult-Flirts. That is the room I moderate. I would like to take a minute here and invite everyone who is for helping and saving Zach and so many others from this "PRISON" they call a camp!!! I am waiting to hear from a lawyer(who is the friend I mentioned earlier) about what can we as what I like to call "homosexual friendly neighbors" about it. I am outraged and disgusted about this bullshit. Not only because it is WRONG but because it gives bad impressions from the religion I was born into...!! No I do NOT believe it is right nor should it be justified!!!!

"SAVE ZACH AND THE OTHERS"