Usually, I have a GIANT problem with MTV due to its popularity as a ratings-whore and producer of utterly shitty programs. Three shows about teen pregnancy are supposed to help reduce the epidemic huh? I guess an hour-long documentary wouldn’t have been enough. One show that I pay a little attention to SOMETIMES is ‘True Life’. There are a lot of useless episodes about teens wanting to become popular or a rock star which usually leave me wishing that the subjects would get a life and move on to something else more meaningful. Just learn how to play bass or the drums please. Since when does anyone take lessons on how to become cool in school? But then, this is coming from the girl whose friends would beg her to stop acting like a kid and try to catch guys’ attention like a normal teenage girl, so pay me no mind.

On a serious note, someone needs to call MTV on their bullshit. “True Life: I want to be straight”? What is this? A membership drive for Marcus Bachmann’s psycho clinic? Unfortunately, I caught the episode halfway through and couldn’t find the full video anywhere online. MTV doesn’t have it up on its website. Shocker! A lot of people didn’t think there was anything remotely endearing about airing an episode depicting gay youth who are the opposite of proud. That’s just great MTV. Send a message to all the LGBTQ youth out there telling them to back down whenever they face opposition. What are y’all, crazy?

This episode of True Life follows two gay youth, one male and the other female. 24 year-old Melanie, is struggling with her sexuality because her mother disapproves of her lifestyle. Kevin from Wenatchee, WA is 25 and wants to be straight because his family is Christian and believes that homosexuality is a sin. What else is new? This young man makes me so mad every time I think about all the nonsense he said. All that talk about his family being the problem was clearly just a load of complete tosh because he explains his reason for wanting to be straight when his friends ask.

According to him , being gay ruined his life. I guess he just couldn’t handle all that freedom of self-expression that came with being true to his feelings. What a tosser! This is the kind of nonsensical, woe-is-me, I-will-blame-the-way-my-life-turned-out-on-everything-but-myself behavior that makes people think that the LGBTQ community is constantly having their own version of Woodstock. Free love! More like absolute piffle. I can sorta handle Melanie’s reasons for wanting to be straight even though I don’t agree that trying to change herself to please her mother was the way to go about it. You’re out, you’re proud, you’ve been that way for a while now, so what’s the problem?

After MTV aired this nonsense, they had the nerve to put it up on their activism site (act.mtv.org) which they delusively describe as a site “where fist-pumping and lending a helping hand collide. We raise a glass to the risk-takers and change-makers, and make it easy for everyone to take action - right now - on issues they care about.” Really though? The description for the True Life episode is another that gets me. Read this nonsense:

You read right. Tonight's episode of "True Life" follows two young people who are unable to fully embrace their sexuality due to disapproval from family, friends, religion and society. During tonight's show, Kevin and Melanie struggle to change their sexual orientation.

Kevin, 25, from Wenatchee, Washington, was raised in a devout Christian family that believes homosexuality is a sin. "Being gay went against everything that I learned while I was growing up," he says. Kevin recognized his attraction to men at a young age and had his first gay experience at 16. What followed would strain his relationship with his parents and lead him to seek religious outlets to "correct" his sexuality.

24-year-old Melanie, from Chicago, also grapples with family members who reject her sexual identity. Melanie's relationship with her mother becomes especially volatile at one point and she finds herself homeless as a result. Tonight's episode picks up with Melanie after she has reunited with her mother and is dating men in hopes of staying close to her mom--despite her continued attraction to women.

Both of these stories emphasize why a safe and supportive environment is so important to someone struggling with his or her sexuality. Have you or a friend dealt with a similar situation? The Trevor Project offers helpful, life-affirming resources, from a nationwide, 24/7 crisis intervention lifeline to advocacy/educational programs. Find more ways to take action on this issue below.

“I just watched this episode. i can not believe it. Seriously, it made me want to cry. And to see Kevin's "friends" helping him deny himself and live a lie is disgusting. That is not a friend. I wish I could talk to these people and tell them they are beautiful and perfect just the way they are, and the people that don't see that don't deserve to be a part of their lives.”

“This was horrific. I only watched the last 10 minutes, but I could tell exactly what the son was going through: "I feel alone. I don't have my parents or friends by my side. If I pretend to change I'll be loved again." This is what gay teens go through all the time, assuming their parents don't kick them out (which does happen). It even mentions at the end that he's "still struggling." He's probably more confused and alone than ever. He needs help in realizing that it's HIS life, and that if he's so devout then he'd realize that the Christian God supposedly loves everyone. Homosexuality is a natural phenomena and cannot be changed, every major psychological and psychiatric organization acknowledges that, and that efforts to change only serve to hurt the victim!”

“That was a horrific episode and I can't believe you folks at MTV allowed this to air. I was surprised to see the PSA for the Trevor Project in the end cause maybe you should've given out the number to Michelle Bachmann's gay cure clinic. jeez I'm disappointed in you guys.”

“I can't believe that you guys are doing this crap. You're not supposed to be telling people who are questioning their sexuality that it's wrong and that they should cave in to the pressure from people who say gay is wrong. This is going to confuse and anger a lot of people. With all the progression with gay rights in this country, you guys are taking several steps back. Total BS!”