"But what's Emily going to do when anyone finds her still outside the principal's office with Maria having escaped? Isn't she just going to get expelled too!?"
I've been asked this a lot throughout the chapter. Boy, have I got good news for you. ^_^
Although, somewhat by accident, Emily has not actually physically appeared in any present day scenes in this chapter thus far, which probably could have been what was putting some readers on edge (if admittedly unintentionally). So, uh... sorry for that. ^^;
Ok, Pete is now a jackass... "How dare the very pregnant girl not exert herself!!!" Stick to getting Evil Incarnate's Coffee of Discrimination, two sugars and brimstone. Hold the cream.Because he likes it bitter and hate filled.
This storyline got A LOT more personal recently when I found out that conversion therapy is actually both LEGAL AND STILL A THING IN THE UNITED KINGDOM!
I had a weird moment just a couple weeks ago, when I read an article about my area passing a bill banning conversion therapy. Reading it, I thought it was from years ago, but then I looked at the date and realized it was from a day earlier! Like, technically this bill was good news, but it was very alarming that I didn't even realize it WAS legal here until now.
It made me think of everyone who talked about "having to suspend disbelief for the comic", since I have gotten a lot of sass in the past from those who didn't seem to believe this was still a thing and that Mr. Strongwell's threats were "unfounded and fantastical in this day and age". The comic's setting is basically right where I live (and in 2013), so it doesn't get much realer.
Seriously, I only wish this was all unrealistic and over-the-top... >_>
This made me look up my area, and as far as I can tell, only 10 states and several municipalities/counties have actually banned conversion therapy for minors...
Hey, we’re talking about a society that was capable of electing someone like Trump to its highest office. The real surprise is that conversion therapy is banned anywhere …
Yeah, I mean I am an adult and have no worries about it affecting my personal safety but it has made me gain a lot of secound hand anxiety and worry on the behalf of all the young LGBT people that I know.
I did have the idea years ago to make a fake conversion therapy school for LGBT kids that is in truth LGBT positive and helps them but I gave up because I thought it would be unnecessary in my country and now I have learned that I was mistaken and it actually WOULD be necessary.
I found a story of a group of kids in Manchester who were starved close to death in one of these conversion places and the thought of the torture they went through?...I can't bare to think about. :s
Apparently the NHS and all other major bodies of counselling and therapy have concluded conversion therapy is dangerous and have signed a “Memorandum of Understanding”.
https://www.stonewall.org.uk/campaign-groups/conversion-therapy
In fact it looks like no professional body offers or condones it here, probably just some “back alley” extremists.
My guess is that when Arthur's brother Will came out, his parents tried to beat him into submission and Arthur tried to defend his brother before getting whacked in the face with belt or *gulp* sliced by a knife. The incident scared Arthur away from standing up for his brother from then on and was the final straw in Will leaving and moving away.
Quenton: Why didn’t you chase after Maria and prevent her escaping, Miss Caston!
Emily: Why, Father Quenton, I’m surprised at you! A girl could miscarry that way. You don’t want me to miscarry, do you, Father? That would be almost like an abortion, wouldn’t it?
(Arthur turns away to hide a huge grin.)
Quenton: Ahem, well, no, of course you should not do anything to endanger the child. Still, most unfortunate. You wouldn’t have any idea where she is, would you?
Emily: (straightfaced) Gosh, father, I really couldn’t say.
You live true to your name. That got me giggling quite a bit. XD
I had a weird moment just a couple weeks ago, when I read an article about my area passing a bill banning conversion therapy. Reading it, I thought it was from years ago, but then I looked at the date and realized it was from a day earlier! Like, technically this bill was good news, but it was very alarming that I didn't even realize it WAS legal here until now.
It made me think of everyone who talked about "having to suspend disbelief for the comic", since I have gotten a lot of sass in the past from those who didn't seem to believe this was still a thing and that Mr. Strongwell's threats were "unfounded and fantastical in this day and age". The comic's setting is basically right where I live (and in 2013), so it doesn't get much realer.
Seriously, I only wish this was all unrealistic and over-the-top... >_>
This made me look up my area, and as far as I can tell, only 10 states and several municipalities/counties have actually banned conversion therapy for minors...
Yeah, I mean I am an adult and have no worries about it affecting my personal safety but it has made me gain a lot of secound hand anxiety and worry on the behalf of all the young LGBT people that I know.
I did have the idea years ago to make a fake conversion therapy school for LGBT kids that is in truth LGBT positive and helps them but I gave up because I thought it would be unnecessary in my country and now I have learned that I was mistaken and it actually WOULD be necessary.
I found a story of a group of kids in Manchester who were starved close to death in one of these conversion places and the thought of the torture they went through?...I can't bare to think about. :s
https://www.stonewall.org.uk/campaign-groups/conversion-therapy
In fact it looks like no professional body offers or condones it here, probably just some “back alley” extremists.
y i k e s"Look a pregnant minor, with no duty of care, who is aware that taking action would be considered assault. Let's punish her."
I mean we are talking a Father Quenton level of stupidity/evil here.
Just a sec...
Emily: Why, Father Quenton, I’m surprised at you! A girl could miscarry that way. You don’t want me to miscarry, do you, Father? That would be almost like an abortion, wouldn’t it?
(Arthur turns away to hide a huge grin.)
Quenton: Ahem, well, no, of course you should not do anything to endanger the child. Still, most unfortunate. You wouldn’t have any idea where she is, would you?
Emily: (straightfaced) Gosh, father, I really couldn’t say.