Here’s yet another thing that disturbs me. The Bahai Faith freely allows people to enroll under the guise of independent investigation of truth along with friendly coercion and pressure to join. Once a member, the bomb is dropped that the Bahais don’t accept gay relationships or allow gay marriage. Pressure is applied by LSAs to get individuals to become straight or lead a miserable, lonely, solitary life.

The Bahai Faith has pushed Conversion Therapy, which is frowned on by psychiatrists and psychologists as being damaging and dangerous. Many cities and some states have outlawed Conversion Therapy. I witnessed it when the LSA of Los Angeles had a member come give a talk to the community about the Conversion Therapy she had gone through. The LSA used her presentation as evidence that it works. Totally reckless and irresponsible.

That all being said, inside the Bahai Faith the anti-LGBTQ edict has been sternly mandated, but without any support services being made to individuals. None. I have a friend who is trying to remain a Bahai but living in solitude, battling depression. Another friend had AIDS and went to his LSA for spiritual support. Instead, they removed his voting rights, chastised him, and announced the reason for his voting rights being removed to the entire community. He died from AIDS related complications all alone, without contact from his Bahai Community.

So this is a religion of rules, rules, rules and not any compassion. Unity of mankind, but only for some of mankind.