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This came as a surprise — Warren Throckmorton PhD, a long-standing champion of “reparative therapy” and a guest writer for The Christian Post, has published an article called today ‘That’s So Gay’: The Deadly Consequences of Bullying. In it, Throckmorton writes:

Where anti-bullying policies and programs exist, the vulnerable kids want the policies enforced and implemented. I suspect parents and kids who are the targets of harassment want more action and less talk and good intention. If Christians care, then they have to demonstrate that in some tangible way. What does it show when you leave the scene?

For so long the Right has used religion as a reason to bully and to abuse and to discriminate against gay people. And given Throckmorton’s support of attempts to “fix” gays, I had to read the article a few times to make sure I wasn’t being tricked. I wasn’t.

Throckmorton continues:

It is difficult to pinpoint all the reasons why a child might commit suicide but the parents of three young men are pretty clear on at least one factor – bullying.

Carl Hoover-Walker was buried last week in Springfield, MA. Hoover-Walker was taunted with gay overtones, even though he did not identify as such. His mother said she alerted the school about the ongoing harassment and name-calling but with no discernable difference. The 11 year-old hung himself April 6th.

On April 16th, Jaheem Herrera hung himself in his bedroom. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jaheem “committed suicide…after, according to his family, relentless bullying at Dunaire Elementary School.” Jakeem’s step-father said, “They called him gay and a snitch. All the time, they’d call him this.”

Just days before in Mentor, Ohio, the parents of Eric Mohat filed a lawsuit against the Mentor High School for failing to address clear signs of harassment. They believe the bullying led Eric to take his life at age 17. ABC News reported the details.

. . . More specifically, parents worried about bullying at school can take several positive steps to make a difference. If you are concerned your child might be engaged in bullying others, you should treat the matter as seriously as if the child was caught drinking or skipping school. Hazing is frequently illegal and constitutes assault. Do not be afraid to intervene at home and at school with the help of school counselors. Sometimes adults overlook the frequent name-calling that is so hurtful to targeted kids. Encourage church youth group leaders to build anti-bullying activities and studies into their work.

Honestly, hearing this from a Christian person, hearing this level of compassion and empathy from a man who has tried to change gays makes me believe that all of the work we do really can change the minds of the anti-gay bigots.