Hecklers disrupt talk on help for homosexuals

Sydney
9 February 2003

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Hecklers disrupt talk on help for homosexuals

By Marilyn Rodrigues

"I don't know of anybody who can live without love," US psychologist Peter Rudegeair told the audience in St Mary's Cathedral Hall. "We are made for unity."

But 'unity' seemed to be far from the minds of some members of the audience, who sniggered and heckled during the discussion session promoting Courage, a support group for homosexuals who want to remain true to the teachings of the Catholic Church (see You need friends if you want a life of chastity).

Mr Rudegeair, a practising psychologist with theories of same sex attraction and their possible treatment that integrate with the Catholic understanding of human sexuality, said there is no research to indicate that same sex attraction is genetic.

In fact, like many conditions, it can often be traced back to a lack of love, or parental attachment, in a person's childhood, he said.

He says that homosexuality is a condition that can be treated by therapy; a conclusion he arrived at through his own practice and that is backed up research. But he emphasised that a lot more research is needed.

Mr Rudegeair said that many people with same sex attraction had dysfunctional family backgrounds or had significant events disturb the development of their gender identity.

"Every society has had initiation rites to affirm masculinity… (and) the father is generally the person who praises or affirms masculinity in the son," he said. "There are myriad ways that that masculine identity gets traumatised", including rejection by the father, an overly protective mother, severe peer rejection, sexual abuse (especially if by an older male), parental loss through death or separation at a certain time and poor body image.

For women or girls with same sex attraction there is often conflict with an alcoholic or abusive father, leading to severe distrust of men, but also sexual abuse, a cold or distant mother and poor body image.

One factor shared by all is a feeling of intense isolation and loneliness.

Mr Rudegeair was interrupted in his talk, but not as much as fellow speaker Fr John Harvey, the founder of Courage, who was subjected to repeated disruption as he described the origins and purpose of the group.

Carmel Hillier, of Dee Why, is lobbying to start an Encourage support group for relatives - an offshoot of Courage - in Sydney.

"Many people are silently struggling with the knowledge that someone they love is homosexual," she says. "They need to find the correct information but are not sure how to access it, partly because of the sensitive nature of the topic."

Courage has branches in Sydney, Canberra, Wagga Wagga, Perth and Brisbane. Its national director is Jesuit priest, Fr Greg Jordan. The Sydney contact is Lynn Ryan. Tel: 9390 5165.