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Posted by Chris Vandevert on September 5, 2005, 1:04 am Having stumbled upon UCSC's wealth of internet portals to the local Gay and Lesbian community, I feel compelled to warn my gay brothers and sisters of a sinister adversary to our community who, much to my shock and dismay, remains a University employee as a student mental health counselor -- despite his abject homophobia. During a time of clinical depression and confusion in my life as a freshman (who happened to be gay) at UC Santa Cruz in 1980-1982 , I sought counseling at Cowell Health Center. Although my psychological issues involved basic post-traumatic stress and substance abuse, my counselor, Jerry Lee, insisted on "treating" me for homosexual behavior, emphasizing that he'd "successfully" worked with guys who now led "normal, heterosexual lives". But I had already endured comming out of the closet and reconciled all issues related to being gay with my friends and family! My gaydar has never been very accurate, but Jerry Lee always seemed a bit swishy to me. Perhaps he was over-compensating for certain sexual insecurities in his interactions with his young patients. Who knows... I'm just glad that I made it to a place of my own acceptance and freedom. By 1983, I soon got the #### out of Santa Cruz- a small town that shall forever remind me of "Bakersfield-by-the-Sea" - and away from the bigoted likes of Jerry Lee - - and moved to San Francisco where I not only finished a college education, but have continued to thrive as a happy "Gay American". Over the next few years, I visited two separate therapists who helped me deal with childhood issues totally unrelated to being gay. When I mentioned to both therapists that a college counselor back in Santa Cruz had tried to make me straight and "normal", both just shook their heads in disgust. That took place two decades ago. According to UCSC's website, Jerry Lee is still on the staff at UCSC. I am appalled that a penny of my tax dollars support this homophobic and judgemental prick whose biased presence in a public university is totally inappropriate and potentially harmful to vulnerable young students who might need counseling for various emotional issues. Members of UCSC's GLBT community must be warned that if you should ever seek counseling at the school's public health center, avoid getting Jerry Lee assigned to you as your psychologist.
64.174.91.195
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