Zach: TN State Investigating Child Abuse at Gay Brainwashing Camp Hetero Horror

More news about Zach, the sixteen-year-old blogger who was imprisoned in a gay brainwashing camp for the crime of coming out to his parents.

The State of Tennessee is investigating allegations of child abuse at the “Love in Action” brainwashing camp.

“Love in Action is not licensed by the Tennessee Departments of Health, Mental Health, Human Services, Child Services or Education, according to Rachel Lassiter of Gov. Phil Bredesen's communications office.”

I wonder what kind of license is required for a camp that forces kids to participate in something called “shaming sessions.” Can you get a license to abuse kids?

As an editorial at Newshounds observes:

"Guess you don't have to be a Gitmo detainee to be incarcerated and subjected to 'coercive' techniques. You just need to be a gay teenager in Sen. Bill Frist's backyard!"

According to Pamela Dickey, director of the advocacy center for Childhelp USA in Knoxville:

"Emotional abuse is difficult to prove in the state of Tennessee You have to document that the child is undergoing depression or suicidal ideation, that he can't sleep, or can't eat."

How about the depressing and scary thoughts that Zach posted to his blog after learning that his parents were sending him off to Camp Hetero Horror?

“[A]ll I can think of is killing my mother and killing myself.”

Let’s hope the state of Tennessee is serious about this investigation. Tennessee state government is not the swiftest. In many areas it is utterly dysfunctional.

If the state dawdles and something horrible happens, it will be just as responsible as Zach’s parents-from-hell and the scary hate-mongers at the Memphis Hate in Action facility.

They have some nerve calling themselves “Love in Action.”

UPDATE: ol cranky at Disenchanted Forest has a good summary of how bloggers created a blogstorm that led to a family therapist filing a child abuse report with Tennessee authorities. She provides all the details; it's a great story about the power of blogs to do good. Now if only the state of Tennessee can handle the job. Oh, and the Hate in Action folks are also placing the blame on the internet, or bloggers. Way to go, bloggers!

See also:
News from Zach's Blog: Six More Weeks In Gay Brainwashing Camp