I don't know if it is a hoax or even another NYT embelished story to achieve sensational results.
(remember the homosexuals have been giving them grief over the "there are no bisexuals" story)
I do know this, if this kid is under 18 parents DO HAVE COMPLETE LEGAL AUTHORITY to send their child to a facility for treatment of the mental disease of homosexuality.
There is nothing anyone can do to legally stop it. (short of the child applying for emancipation and that is very very very very very very difficult to obtain)
Except that homosexuality is not *legally* recognized any more as a mental disorder (no matter what one might think of it privately). If the kid got a friendly lawyer on board who was interested in taking it as a test case, I think the parents would find it very hard -- legally -- to make their child submit to treatment for something that is -- legally -- supposed to be a non-disorder.
That's all assuming this story is not a hoax, of course.