Free To Be Me
A Young Person's Warning To Children
This web site is a quite typical anti-gay site; claiming that they are not homophobic, but they have the bizarre claim that kids can choose NOT to be homosexual. With that contradictory theme, this site is most likely less known than the notorious god hates fags site. However, it can be equally tormenting- if not more dangerous. Why? The God hates fags site has a warning before you enter, this one doesn't. God hates fags (although strikingly horrendous) doesn't specify its anti-gay rhetoric on one age group. Free to be Me primarily targets young teenagers.
One should not be fooled at the "Family-oriented" demeanor this site portrays. No matter how friendly it appears, it still carries one extremely negative belief. It attempts to teach young teenagers that homosexuality is a choice. Of course, people with the proper education can easily refute this. Imagine a pre-teen searching the web for information regarding sexuality. Does h/she know to read between the lines and find out what's true and what's plain BS? It's possible, but Free to Be Me is obviously thinking that the youth of the world are just plain stupid. The site ministers that being gay can be okay, but there are "better?" alternatives. I'm uncertain, but it appears as if they can make themselves look more trustworthy by throwing a half pro-gay sentence for every ten anti-gay and misleading paragraphs.
Although being anti-gay usually takes more hate than thought, the site tries to confuse youth about sexuality with things that cannot be easily proven. For example, it mentions that only 2% to 4% of the population is gay. (Rather than Alfred Kinsey's 10%) I question how can one find the percentage of gays and lesbians in the world. Why does it even matter? Even if .05% of the population was gay, bisexual and lesbian- we are entitled to the same rights and responsibilities as everyone else.
Let's look at the bigger picture here. How would you feel if you were a young teenager hearing that 95% of the world is different from you? Growing up and constantly thinking you are "different" is an obvious trigger to suicidal thoughts for a young teenager. The writers of this site undoubtedly knew that; or did not take the time to consider it. Moreover, the people interviewed asking if they are gay or lesbian were just plain FOOLED. Look at the numbers at http://www.freetobeme.com/r_10per.htm.
The people claimed they did not have sexual intercourse with the person of the same gender; not their true sexual orientation. Any informed person knows that you can be gay and never had sex with the same gender. Likewise, you can be straight and never had sex with the opposite gender. The Canadian study (first statistic listed) is really the only one that is somewhat clear. However, let's be realistic. Even if this were true, is there a definite percentage of gays (or straights and bisexuals) in every specific institution and community on Earth? Of course not! That is why an average number is pointless; and tends to hurt young teens instead of helping them.
Furthermore, look at the year of that particular statistic. 1988? 1988 was the typical year when many homosexuals were blamed for AIDS, and being closeted and promiscuous was accepted of gays, bisexuals and lesbians. In other words, who would really admit they were gay in 1988? Not many people did, and for logical reasons. It's fourteen years later so that information is very outdated; especially since Gay Straight Alliances weren't established in schools until a decade later. Even if the statistic is TRUE; the aforementioned paragraph easily refutes it.
If you are able, please warn all youth to be aware of the Free To Be Me web site. I wouldn't recommend writing to them, as we cannot change anybody but ourselves and they will most likely just reply saying how their actions can be justified and that they "love homosexuals and just want to help them." However, we can warn others that this site is false and to prevent more teenagers from becoming offensive, born-again fundies.
Sincerely, Samuel L. Jr.
