Shelton wants minors forced into gay conversion therapy - Christians condemn him

The face of evil

Lyle Shelton of the Australian Christian Lobby is really showing his extremist colours during this postal survey campaign. 

I an interview where average Australians would recoil in abject horror, Shelton has said that parents should be able to make their kids under the age of 18 go to gay conversion therapy. Which of course has been much disproved as effective and tantamount to mental torture and LGBT suicide. 

And he's the sort of extremist asshole that would say "Think of the children"? He wants homophobic parents to impose their view of what their child's sexuality should be on the vulnerable child.

Leading "no" campaigner in Australia's same-sex marriage survey, Lyle Shelton, says parents should have the option to send their kids to gay conversion therapy.


 In an interview with the BuzzFeed News political podcast Is it on? on Thursday, Shelton, who is the managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), said that while he did not think adults should be forced into conversion therapy, it was up to parents as to whether their children should be counselled about same-sex attraction.


"I think anyone who wants to seek help for any issue they might be facing in their life should be free to do that," he said.


"Should people be forced to go to conversion therapy? No, absolutely not. Now, children — they are under the care and responsibility of their parents, so I think if someone's a minor, it is up to their parents. And I think parental rights should be respected. Buzzfeed

However fierce opposition to his statements have come from the Australian Christians for Marriage Equality, condemning him over his words. The whole article is worth a read, but incredibly opposition to Shelton has even come from a Pentecostal Pastor.

Australian Christians for Marriage Equality condemns the remarks by ACL’s Lyle Shelton yesterday that parents should be allowed to force their children into ex-gay therapy. 


“Forcing children into ex-gay therapy is tantamount to child abuse. These programs are based on a fundamental lie, and are intrinsically homophobic,” said Rev Dr Margaret Mayman, Chair of Australian Christians for Marriage Equality. 


“Sadly, Mr Shelton’s comments show that deep aversion to, and a refusal to accept the existence of, LGBTI orientation and identity is at the heart of the opposition to marriage equality for many,” Dr Mayman said. 


“We call on all leaders of the Church who are encouraging a ‘no’ vote to publicly reject Mr Shelton’s dangerous and damaging words. Mr Shelton is the identified public leader of the ‘no’ campaign. When he speaks, he speaks for the whole campaign,” Dr Mayman said. 


Pastor Brad Chilcott from the Pentecostal Activate Church in Adelaide said: “The church’s involvement in ex-gay conversion therapy should be cause for shame and repentance. The Church must be a place of welcome and hospitality to all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender diversity, or else it is not a church of Jesus Christ. It is time Christians afforded same-sex attracted people the dignity of full humanity and the protection from abuse that comes with it.” 


 “Once again, Mr Shelton has misrepresented Jesus’ teachings in the Bible. The majority of Australian Christians do not feel represented by the ACL and its exclusionary opinions”, Pastor Chilcott said. Australian Christians for Marriage Equality

Not only does Shelton want to control David and I's relationship and our being able to marry, he wants a gay hating parent to send their kid to gay conversion therapy. I don't often use the word as it's a man made concept mostly to do with religion, but in this case I will. This man is evil. A religious zealot who'd probably feel comfortable if christianity imposed it's rules like the Taliban.