Mexico conference on overcoming same-sex attractions takes place in new venue
MEXICO CITY, February 14, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Mexico conference that was cancelled last week for offering therapy to people with unwanted same-sex attraction was held this past Wednesday in a different venue.
The conference, initially titled “How to love correctly,” by self-described ex-homosexual Richard Cohen was to take place in a Catholic school in the city of Monterrey, Mexico.
It was cancelled because, according to Cohen, “the parents and students of the Labastida School were repeatedly harassed by gay and lesbian activists when coming in and out of the school.”
“The school was traumatized by the constant harassment so they had to cancel my conference,” he said to a local newspaper.
The Mexican Center for Psycho-traumatism, which organized the event, decided to host the conference in the Palestinian-Lebanese Club instead, not far from the original venue and with the new title of “Understanding, learning and loving.”
Local media report a turnout of over 200 people, with around 30 protesters gathered outside with rainbow flags and signs that read: “Love can’t be cured.” Several police officers were stationed outside.
Media also report Cohen trying to reach out to the protesting crowd before the conference started, offering them snacks and inviting them to listen to his conference free of charge.
The cost for entering the conference was 200 MXN, about 15 USD.
“I understand your pain, I lived a gay life for 30 years,” he said to them, according to Milenio. “I’m in Monterrey to let the gay community know that I love them.”
Activists, however, told Milenio that they were there to “denounce the hate language” used by Cohen to promote his conference.
Mexican news service terra.com, said that during the conference Cohen argued that homosexuality is a response to a child’s lack of attachment to his or her parents.
He offered his testimony of how he left a relationship with another man, with the determination to recover his heterosexual life.
The pro-homosexuals had previously organized a counter-conference titled “Same Love: the science behind sexual preference.” It took place in an open space in front of the previous venue and next to the church of Our Lady of Fatima. That conference went on peacefully and without any protesters.
Mariaurora Mota, president of the organization Gender, Ethics and Sexual Health, has filed a complaint to the Mexican Council to Prevent Discrimination against Cohen and Jose Guadalupe Daccarett, president of the Palestinian-Lebanese Club Council.
Cohen, a psychotherapist and educator, is now married with three children. He is the founder and director emeritus of the International Healing Foundation, and author of Coming Out Straight, Gay Children Straight Parents, and Straight Talk About Homosexuality.
