but I'm a cheerleader...

Was such a great movie! I haven't given it a thought in years, not until I read this article in the times today about a teenager sent off to be cured of his homosexuality through fundamentalist christian re-education.

What the f**k? I really don't understand it. I mean, I guess I can come up with some quasi-rational thought process which would lead parents to think that the best thing they can do for their gay child is to send him to "Camp What-some-folks-think-the-bible-wants-gender-relations-to-be," but this rational thought process hinges upon a set of fundamental assumptions like:

1. some folks' interpretation of the bible is correct
2. the bible should inform current gender relations and sexual practices
3. homosexuality is a psychological issue
4. homosexuality is abnormal and unnatural (read this for evidence that homosexuality occurs fairly routinely in the natural world)
5. homosexuality can be cured with a hearty dose of "Jesus" and "routine" inter and intra-gender interactions (note the quotes)

It is these fundamental assumptions that give me trouble and lead me to wonder if this kid's parents actually inhabit the same universe I do. It leads to one of those moments when you recognize the chasm separating yourself from others - when it becomes clear to you that what you take as at least provisionally true has been dismissed outright or remains unconsidered by others and vice versa.

Last year I was in Maine, in spinning class. The instructor was my favorite. I took spinning and pilates with her and I thought that she was just the cat's pajamas. Then, during class that one day, she was talking about some new fangled fitness/massage program coming out that recognized the intricacies of the body as a unified system. As we spun, she spoke at length about how amazing the body is. I couldn't have agreed with her more. Then she concluded, "And that's why the theory of evolution is all wrong. Nothing so beautiful and complex could be the result of chance. It was planned and built." Fortunately, my feet were in the toe-clips so I didn't fall over from the shock of learning that someone who knew so much would draw a conclusion that was the fundamental opposite of the one I might draw.

It is the same thing with pregnancy. The whole thing is really awe-inspiring - what bodies can do and how just a little dna and the right growing conditions result in a being. I suspect the birth itself will be equally astounding. However, when I think about it all, I feel more connected to the natural world - I mean there isn't anything particularly otherworldly about reproduction. It is animal through and through. That's not to say that I don't find it meaningful and even, perhaps, spiritual. I think about the continuity of life - that I am one in a long-line of creatures who will live on this planet and contribute to the continuity of life on it just like the penguins and the grasshoppers and the giraffes and the trees and the blue herons. That's why I am frequently thrown for a loop when an old woman stops me on the bus and says, with a big smile, "We got new life coming. Praise Jesus. Thank you Jesus." Or when friends, instead of wishing us well or whatever, say, "May your family be blessed" or refer to my big belly as the "little miracle."