CTV airs, then yanks, homophobic ad
ONTARIO NEWS / Christian ministry offers to cure homosexuality
Krishna Rau / National / Friday, March 07, 2008
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CTV has pulled an ad for a Christian ministry offering to cure homosexuality after receiving numerous complaints from viewers.

The ad by the Ontario-based Life Productions Ministry ran seven times between Mar 3 and 5 on the network's Sudbury station before CTV yanked it.

The 30-second spot features a lone man talking to the camera.

"You hear about gay rights, gay marriage and the gay lifestyle being taught in our public schools to children," he says. "But what many people don't realize and seldom hear about is that many homosexuals don't want to be homosexual. What many who are struggling with homosexuality don't realize and seldom hear is that they can change. I should know. For 13 years I used to be one."

The ad sparked an immediate deluge of complaints to CTV, aided by the formation of a Facebook group.

"We did try to act as quickly as possible on this," says Scott Henderson, CTV's vice-president of communications. "It was something that was taken very seriously at the highest levels of CTV. It's completely against all of our own codes."

Henderson says the ad was screened by Telecaster Services, an independent company formed by Canada's private broadcasters to preview and rate ads.

"Telecaster said the ad was rated 'mature' — I'm not sure what that means — and there would have been some comment on the content. For some reason that we're still investigating that information was not received by the station in Sudbury."

The website of the Life Productions Ministry contains a section on homosexuality headed by a quote from John 8:32: "And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."

The site then proclaims that "Homosexuality can be cured!" and asks "Are you a homosexual? Do you know someone who is?" It invites homosexuals to contact the ministry which will "direct you to the resources you or your loved one needs to overcome homosexuality."

Henderson says the ad was only scheduled to run in Sudbury.

Comments on the Facebook group pointed out that CTV is the media sponsor of Toronto Pride and suggested that airing the ad was bad for business. One respondent wrote that the ad aired during an episode of Medium and thought it might affect the show's viewership.

"Three out of the four people I know who watch that show are gay," she wrote.


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Reader Comments


 
Nice
The guy in the ad is hot. If he needs ex-ex-gay therapy, he can bend over for me anytime!
Shawn, Toronto ON
03/08/08 9:03 AM EST
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Wow
This is pretty pathetic on CTV's part. Makes you think you can get anything on TV at least for a couple days if you have the money. Just pathetic. PS: Thanks to those who helped get it removed!
Sean, Guelph ON
03/08/08 9:15 PM EST
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Media censhorship not limited to religions
Media censhorship of comments made about gays,lesbians is not just limited to people who hold Christan beliefs and moral views on sexuality. Even those with qualified professional psychological training backgrounds have to watch what they say.For eample, in February 2000, two radio stations were disciplined for broadcasting several episodes of the Doctor Laura Schlessinger show. Dr. Schlessinger made numerous statements critical of homosexuality and homosexual political activism. She made remarks about the gay lifestyle and about public school children being taught about the gay lifestyle..She also said that she beleived that it was possible for gays to change their sexual orientation. Sound familiar What irked, the activist the most was ,Schlessingers refusal to accept the American Psychological Associations position that homosexuality behaviour should no longer be classified as a deviant behaviour. They could not sit still, They wanted her off the air, and to shut her up. But in the process they infringed on her freedom of speech.Docter Schlessinger wanted to be heard and made herself be heard Some may find Doctor"s Schlessingers comments discriminatory, but they are not abusively discriminatory. Furthermore, her show should not have been yanked, because it is unlikely rhat they would incite anyone to engage in any discriminatory practices.
Douglas Appirton, Toronto Ontario
03/11/08 4:20 PM EST
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Curing sexuality
I guess this is like the curing of heterosexuality! I was married for over 30 years, then became "cured" - an OUT GAY man.
John Stewart, Lloydminster, AB
03/13/08 7:43 PM EST
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cure?
How in the world did this make it on air. And it's not about freedom of speech. It's the whole religion card being thrown for the upteenth time claiming that it's something to be cured from. Trust me, I've put up with it for 25+ years and have only recently felt like a weight was lifted when I finally accepted the fact that I'm gay. The only thing these "Cures" does is cause self hate, self loathing and more denial and it's a waste of a precious life to go through something like that.
Mark, Toronto Ontario
03/15/08 12:32 PM EST
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