Stephanie Bethany

Stephanie Bethany is an autistic YouTuber. She was diagnosed at the age of 23.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19jkEPa2GK0
==Personal Life==
Stephanie lives in Oklahoma, United States, as mentioned in the comments of this video. Stephanie is married, and has a dog named Nala.https://www.instagram.com/p/CH6-uwHhG1M/ She has asthma.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cxw62GZi-o&t=341s
Her political views are libertarian left.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8x8Ziqaz9g&t=967s She did high school online, and used books only in ninth grade. She attends an Occupational Therapy Assistant program as an adult learner.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVm8klbjf_0&t=130s She hopes to add Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant to her qualifications in the coming years.https://www.stephaniebethany.com/about
===Autism Diagnosis===
Stephanie was referred to a mental health centre for depression and anxiety, which had multiple psychologists on staff.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si0B5zM_Vk4&t=58s She spoke to her therapist about a possible autism diagnosis.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si0B5zM_Vk4&t=158s After considering this, the original therapist left, and Stephanie was placed with a different therapist.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si0B5zM_Vk4&t=389s In 2018,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hdUL2Eh4u4 she was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (Level One).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si0B5zM_Vk4&t=440s
==Channels==
===Stephanie Bethany===
This is Stephanie’s main channel, where she discusses autism.
===Stephanie Speaks===
On this channel, Stephanie discusses Christian topics. She has worked as a youth pastor,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNeDA_RtexQ and is non-denominational.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_B4KNBKi84&t=570s
===Life with Steph Beth===
This is Stephanie’s vlog channel, which covers a variety of topics. She describes it as “basically whatever content at this point.”https://www.youtube.com/c/LifewithStephBeth/about
==Controversy==
===Homophobia===
Stephanie uploaded a video to Stephanie Speaks, titled The Christian Homosexuality Conundrum, which has since been made private.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5Nru1tDhmc
====EssenceOfThought====
On May 2, 2020, EssenceOfThought uploaded their response to this video, which they referred to as an example of “soft homophobia”.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ovK9Ydd9EM&t=180s Ethel, who runs the channel along with Levi Bird,https://www.youtube.com/c/EssenceOfThought/about first became aware of her work when doing research for their video on Autism Acceptance Month (June).https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O7dBNSNfh7OjZEdiygN9nMbkhVelRRggQWA9TPunMQM/edit
In her video, Stephanie stated that “Homosexual acts are wrong, because the Bible has said so, and also, it doesn’t lead to anything other than a feeling.” She also however, argued that “we shouldn’t put people down”, and that churches should “open up their doors to people who are either in homosexual relationships or think they’re homosexual because of attractions.” Stephanie also argued against the use of identity first language.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ovK9Ydd9EM&t=276shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ovK9Ydd9EM&t=88s Ethel stated that they found it “amazing how an autistic self-advocate [could] pull the whole ‘You’re not gay, you’re just a person with homosexual feelings’ card.”https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O7dBNSNfh7OjZEdiygN9nMbkhVelRRggQWA9TPunMQM/edit
Stephanie argued for celibacy for lesbian and gay individuals, stating that “it is okay to not be in a relationship”. Stephanie also labelled same-sex relationships as “unclean”, and used an analogy of alcoholism.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ovK9Ydd9EM&t=800s Ethel criticised the comparison, saying “This idea that being in a consensual relationship with another adult can be equated to the destructive nature of alcoholism is frankly disgusting” Ethel compared Stephanie’s statements to what Autism Speaks (a highly controversial charity, which many autistic people strongly dislike) says. They stated they were “trying to meet her on queer issues where she’s already at on autism. To remember how she felt when she heard these things said about autistic people, to help her understand how [we] feel when she says the same things about queer people. Ethel argued that “marriage is an important social institution that recognises what is a key part of life for many people. That’s why interracial marriage was also important. It’d be very easy for some racist to retrofit [Stephanie’s] argument and apply it to marriage between people of different ethnicities. Yet, hopefully, you’d see that for the bullshit argument it is. Or hell, look at the difficulties some autistic people face in getting married, being refused or forced to pick between being married and receiving their disability security. Would you respond in the same way to them? Hey, not everyone is meant to be in a relationship.” They also cited issues caused by enforced celibacy, including abuse.https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O7dBNSNfh7OjZEdiygN9nMbkhVelRRggQWA9TPunMQM/edit
Stephanie criticised the views of some other Christians, by arguing that “Attraction is not lust”. Ethel called the distinction “splitting theoretical hairs.” They also stated: “What Bethany is arguing here is setting people up for failure and the resulting fear and guilt. It’s completely unhealthy and unethical from a psychological perspective.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ovK9Ydd9EM&t=1268s
Stephanie then stated that it is “possible for God to make a way and for [homosexuals] to be in a heterosexual relationship,” and advocated “deciding that you are not going to do intimate things with someone of the same sex.” Ethel responded by pointing out that this message is destructive to mental health, and increases suicide risk. Stephanie was accused of failing to do proper research.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ovK9Ydd9EM&t=1440s
Stephanie also brought up bestiality, and claimed this is a result of people being told “If you feel it, you should do it”. She also made a comparison to physical violence. However, she also said that “having an attraction is not sinful”.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ovK9Ydd9EM&t=2040s Ethel pointed out that a relationship based on informed consent is “none of [Stephanie’s] business,” and that a misunderstanding of this concept leaves many Christians ill-equipped to have meaningful ethical discussions.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ovK9Ydd9EM&t=2160s
Ethel concluded their video saying “I don’t know if I’ll reach Stephanie in this video, but it’s important to make on one very key account.” Ethel stated that “When I informed the person who sent me Stephanie’s channel that I wouldn’t include her due to the clear-cut homophobia, they were shocked. Not only were they a long-time fan of her work on autism, they were queer themselves. They had no idea as to her intolerance towards LGBT+ folk, and that’s scary.”
Ethel stated that they found it scary that “people might support her work, some even financially, and back someone actively propagating harmful rhetoric that’s used to demonise all queer people and strip them of their rights.” Their final criticism was that: “Putting bigotry on a different channel does not make it off limits. It’s not a sign that you care, it’s a sign that you know what you’re doing is wrong and yet you chose to do it anyway. And that is damning in itself.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ovK9Ydd9EM&t=2280s
====Stephanie’s response====
On May 19, 2020, Stephanie uploaded why im taking it down., an apology for The Christian Homosexuality Conundrum. The description read:
: This is just so you know why. I apologize for speaking on something without enough understanding, not being able to communicate the message without causing pain and problems, and hoping to give a solution for the sake of one. I don't have all the answers. What I do know is that God deals with us on an individual basis. I am not taking it down to be deceitful, to concede to the harassment from either side of the argument, or anything like that. I don't want to cause harm. Please, in every case, measure it against the Scripture, discern by the Spirit, and follow God's lead.
In the video, Stephanie claimed that her original video “was actually aimed at people who are really awful to people who are LGBTQ”,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-zbcyA8ers&t=105s and that “God has never called us to hate anybody”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-zbcyA8ers&t=465s
==References==
Category:American YouTubers
Category:Users who joined in 2011
Category:Commentary YouTubers
Category:Vlogging YouTubers