Is Singh campaign behind insane attack against Rizzo?
/by Rubashov
A blog that advocates on behalf of Republican gubernatorial candidate Hirsh Singh put out a bizarre attack against fellow Republican Phil Rizzo over the weekend. The blog is run by an anti-vax campaigner and her attack centers around the controversial practice of “conversion therapy” – a behavioral modification treatment used by some practitioners in the field of mental health to reverse homosexuality.
“Conversion therapy” is the term generally used by politically left-leaning members of what is today known as the LGBTQ+ community. Among mental health professionals, it is more often called “reparative therapy” – although it has been argued that, strictly speaking, “reparative therapy” refers to a specific kind of therapy associated with the psychologists Elizabeth Moberly and Joseph Nicolosi.
A blog that advocates on behalf of Republican gubernatorial candidate Hirsh Singh put out a bizarre attack against fellow Republican Phil Rizzo over the weekend. The blog is run by an anti-vax campaigner and her attack centers around the controversial practice of “conversion therapy” – a behavioral modification treatment used by some practitioners in the field of mental health to reverse homosexuality.
“Conversion therapy” is the term generally used by politically left-leaning members of what is today known as the LGBTQ+ community. Among mental health professionals, it is more often called “reparative therapy” – although it has been argued that, strictly speaking, “reparative therapy” refers to a specific kind of therapy associated with the psychologists Elizabeth Moberly and Joseph Nicolosi.
Conversion therapy (or, if you like, reparative therapy) is legal and is practiced in much of the world. And while psychoanalysts critical of Nicolosi's theories have offered LGBTQ-affirmative approaches as an alternative to reparative therapy, none have attacked it in the way that it was over the past weekend by this pro-Singh blog, which explicitly called it “rape and sexual abuse of minors”.
The pro-Singh blog appears to be written by someone who is militantly opposed to conversion therapy, which is a position advocated by LGBTQ+ activists. Hey, we completely understand this reaction. Nobody likes to be told that what they like to do is wrong or to be told that it should be taken from them. The entire debate makes us a bit squeamish. But if someone is interested in signing-up for such treatment, and if a mental health professional is available to perform it…
The pro-Singh blog links GOP gubernatorial candidate Rizzo to the non-profit conservative education organization he founded, Arise-NJ, to a member of its Board of Directors who was once gay, who later – in his words – “found Christ” and became an ordained minister, and then successfully pursued a non-gay way of life. To our thinking, this is not only entirely plausible, but it is this man’s personal business and should not be the centerpiece of a campaign for Governor of New Jersey.
But the pro-Singh blog reacted violently to the suggestion that someone can be “ex-gay”. The writer at the pro-Singh blog was clearly exercised about it:
“Parents and friends of ex-gays organization stuck out to me, because why ex?
…the advocacy of Pastor Phil Rizzo on the ground and through initiatives, you can see that they all believe in conversion therapy’s efficacy. Some of the men involved (the pro-Singh blog then attacks another conservative Pastor) pride themselves on being ex gays and are proponents of conversion therapy being successful. Conversion therapy by any means, because even doing as far as rape and sexual abuse of minors… among many other abuse tactics towards minors.”
Note: In some jurisdictions of the United States, including Washington, DC, “ex-gay” is an officially recognized sexual minority.
The pro-Singh blog links gubernatorial candidate Rizzo to these accusations, in the very next line, by writing:
“Pastor Phil Rizzo is the founder of a school and many sleep away summer camps for children. Why aren’t we outraged yet? Why is he being given a platform by parents and adults, if that platform means allow abuse tactics into NJ for the children?”
This is the most outrageous accusation made this election season. We certainly hope that Rizzo and anyone else hurt by this incredibly stupid post take the necessary legal action to compel a correction. Finally… Sgt. Hartman has his own suggestions on the reparative methods that could be applied to a situation like this. He is most instructive:
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