Zach is sixteen and lives in Bartlett, Tennessee.
Last month, he told his parents he is gay. Their response was to send him to a fundamentalist indoctrination camp, where he has been held against his will for two weeks - with six more weeks to follow.
Zach's blog is
http://blog.myspace.com/specialkid . The third entry, dated May 29th, reads:
The World Coming To An Abrupt - Stop.
Current mood: depressed
Somewhat recently, as many of you know, I told my parents I was gay. This didn't go over very well, and it ended with my dad crying, my mom tearing, and me not knowing what I'd done - or what to do.
...
Well today, my mother, father, and I had a very long "talk" in my room where they let me know I am to apply for a fundamentalist christian program for gays. They tell me that there is something psychologically wrong with me, and they "raised me wrong."
His next entry was a post of the rules of "Love in Action", the non-residential anti-gay program he has been ordered to attend. This pamphlet reads like a classic description of cultist practices - the "clients" are not allowed to be alone, or to have contact with outside friends, or to keep journals, or wear certain articles of clothing.
1. All new Refuge clients will be placed into Safekeeping for the initial two to three days of their program. A client on safekeeping may not communicate verbally, or by using hand gestures or eye contact, with any other clients, staff members, or his/her parents or guardians. In case of a practical need, Safekeeping clients may write down their question or request and show it to another client, staff member, or their parent or guardian. Writing may only be used when absolutely necessary. Parents and guardians must enforce their child¹s safekeeping status at home or in their temporary lodging.
Zach has received much support from the community. Each of his blog entries has hundreds of supportive comments. His last entry was June 3rd, a few days before he was required to report to "Love in Action":
Thanks. Thank you for all of the comments and messages, they mean a lot. really. I was shocked to see all of this... of course I haven't been on a computer, phone, nor have I seen any friends in a week almost-- Soon. Soon, this will be all over. My mother has said the worst things to me for three days straight... three days. I went numb. That's the only way I can get through this.
Queer Action Coalition (http://fightinghomophobia.blogspot.com/) has organized protests at the gates of Love in Action. LIA, thrust into the spotlight, responded with a press conference in which they had the audacity to call for "tolerance".
Zach is still enrolled in the program. Although he was initially told it would be for only two weeks, reports have now emerged that he will be required to attend LIA for another six weeks.
If he is kept isolated from the community, suffering daily humiliations and subjected to anti-gay and fundamentalist Christian propaganda for a further six weeks, this brave young man may suffer irreparable harm.
For more information, see:
http://www.queerplanet.us/moxie/lifestyle/index.shtml
http://fightinghomophobia.blogspot.com
http://www.gay.com/news/article.html?2005/06/16/1