Wayne Besen - Author, Activist, Columnist, Public Speaker

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTROVERSIAL LEADER OF 'EX-GAY' THERAPY GROUP STEPS DOWN AS CRITICISM MOUNTS

Dr. Joseph Nicolosi Bows Out After Racist Ideology Discovered On Website

Miami Beach, Fla. - Truth Wins Out expressed satisfaction today in learning that Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, President of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) has stepped down amid a cloud of controversy stemming from a polemic justifying slavery found on the group's website. NARTH had also taken heat in recent months for advocating child abuse against gender variant children.

"NARTH was a sinking ship and they had no choice but to throw their captain overboard," said Truth Wins Out's Executive Director Wayne Besen. "The group was quickly becoming the Mel Gibson of the 'ex-gay' world and this move was NARTH's desperate way of saying, 'timeout, we are going to rehab.' However, it may be too late, as no spin can erase their racist and anti-gay sin."

Trouble began mounting for Nicolosi after Canadian doctor Joseph Berger, who serves on NARTH's "Scientific Advisory Board" wrote on the organization's website that gender variant children should be sent to school in opposite-sex clothing so they can be "ridiculed" into conforming.

But criticism of NARTH reached a crescendo after "Scientific Advisory Board" member, Dr. Gerald Schoenewolf, penned a polemic on the group's website that seemed to justify slavery and said that African-Americans taken away in chains on slave ships "were in many ways better off than they had been in Africa."

The National Black Justice Coalition quickly called on NARTH to apologize and The Southern Poverty Law Center also turned up the heat by writing an illuminating article on the brouhaha. As a result, some NARTH members and supporters defected to protect their professional reputations. Dr. Warren Throckmorton canceled his appearance at NARTH's annual conference in November and former committee member David Blakeslee resigned.

Meanwhile, NARTH tried to dodge the controversy by remaining silent. When the organization finally addressed the situation, it blamed gay activists by calling the self-inflicted mess "political correctness gone amok."

When this strategy didn't fly, NARTH attempted a strained apology that only made matters worse as they seemed to shift the blame for the incident to readers by saying, the comments made by Dr. Gerald Schoenewolf about slavery "have been misconstrued by some of our readers."

"How can one misconstrue a diatribe that justifies slavery?" Asked TWO's Besen. "Dr. Nicolosi showed a stunning incompetence in the realm of public relations and for this he paid dearly. He kept digging a hole and failed to see that this mushrooming catastrophe would soon reach the national stage."

Indeed, the crisis exploded on October 15 after the Los Angeles Times published an article under the headline: "Ex-Gay Group Draws Fire From Allies." The sub headline screamed: "Backers raise concerns about online postings. One advocated ridicule of nonconforming children; the other seemed to justify slavery."

"NARTH had always operated on the fringes of the mental health community," said Besen, "but now the facade of respectability had completely crumbled and the entire nation saw NARTH as a radical group with peculiar theories on race and homosexuality."

On November 11, NARTH's annual meeting was held at the Renaissance hotel in Orlando. Truth Wins Out organized a protest against NARTH where participants wore duck suits and chanted "Quack, Quack, Quacks, Stop The Attacks" and "Slavery Is Never Justified."

"It remains unclear what occurred inside the hotel because NARTH has refused to discuss the details," said Besen. "However, when the participants emerged, Nicolosi had passed the torch and was no longer President. This is a significant development that no one would have predicted six months ago."

Dr. A. Dean Byrd, who is affiliated with the LDS church, was named president-elect. From Byrd's comments at the Orlando conference, there is no indication the organization is altering its extreme ideological approach to science.

"It's time for NARTH members to emerge from their places of safety in the academy and in the public sphere and proclaim the truth about homosexuality - homosexuality is neither innate nor is it immutable," proclaimed Byrd.

Nicolosi co-founded NARTH in 1992 and has served as the organization's leader since its inception. While he will no longer be the front man for NARTH, sources tell Truth Wins Out that he will continue to play an active behind-the-scenes role with the group after he steps down in 2007.

Truth Wins Out is a non-profit think tank and educational organization that counters right wing disinformation campaigns, debunks the ex-gay myth, and provides accurate information about the lives of GLBT people. Besen, the group's founder and Executive Director, is the author of "Anything But Straight: Unmasking The Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth."

- 30 -

26 Comments:

As I always beleived, Narth and others alike are getting the Karma due.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/07/2006 9:45 AM

This is an organization based on ignorance, fear and hate. It will naturally collapse of its own dead weight. Hopefully, that is what is happening now.
posted by Sam, at 12/07/2006 11:46 AM

I have always wondered, what is it about certain people like Nicolosi and his ilk that make them so interested in other people's sex lives? It's almost like a psychological compulsion that makes them unable to live peacefully in the world with the knowledge that gays exist and live among everyone. Seems to me that the neurosis, the psychological malfeasance is clearly on that side.
posted by Chris L., at 12/07/2006 11:50 AM

To Chris L -- Yup!! With all their schooling and training, why dont they spend their time healing people who really are sick (they can start with themselves).
Gary (NJ)
posted by Anonymous, at 12/07/2006 12:29 PM

Gary isn't it weird? With everything going on in the world, that crowd just can't take their eyes off gays and gay sex. Hmmmmmmm.
posted by Chris L., at 12/07/2006 2:09 PM

I'm reading a book by psychologist Martha Stout. I'd heard her interviewed on the radio regarding sociopaths.
Her book is called "The Sociopath Next Door."

Her material and that of the psychiatric community the world over, our real concern as a society are sociopaths.
Evidently there are many of them.
I just had a seven month experience with one under my roof.

Sociopaths are people born without a conscience. They are not bothered by anything remotely resembling remorse or concern for any others.
Even the mildest forms of sociopathy can be horrendously destructive.

So instead of bothering gay people.
Sociopaths should be of great concern to everyone.
Especially mental health pros.
NARTH is preoccupied with the wrong thing.
Figures.
posted by Regan, at 12/07/2006 7:28 PM

So Dr Byrd says

"It's time for NARTH members to emerge from their places of safety in the academy and in the public sphere and proclaim the truth about homosexuality - homosexuality is neither innate nor is it immutable,"

I call on him to clarify what he means by "homosexuality". If he means that people can change from sexually active to celibate, then yes, that certainly is possible.

If he means that sexual DESIRE is mutable and not innate, then I call on him to produce supporting evidence - as any competent physician should be able to do when recommending a clinical treatment.

As for Dr Byrd's doctorate - is it in medicine? Or in philosophy, like Nicolosi's?

It seems to me unfortunate that Nicolosi's quasi-medical-clinical associations may lead deluded souls to assume that he is a medical doctor. He is not. He has a doctorate in philosophy from - as Wayne points out - a very low-ranked college formerly working out of a shop-front.

It is worrying when those who are not medically qualified sell clinical-sounding treatments having no evidence base. The general name for that is quackery.
posted by Phil, at 12/07/2006 7:45 PM

Dr. Nicolosi looks sickly. Does he have a health problem? He just doesn't look right.

Maybe all those years of repressing his sexual issues is finally getting to him.

Joe
Boston
posted by Anonymous, at 12/08/2006 9:35 AM

There is something outrageous about groups like NARTH that are forever dredging for news of fringe views and behaviors (whether real or imaginary) that can be used to smear all gays and lesbians; yet act as though 'but-look-at-the-good-rhings-Hitler-did' style commentaries from members appearing on their own website are a mere slip-up.

It is now past time for the boards of such professional organizations as the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Association of Social Workers to pass bylaws mandating that further membership in NARTH is inconsistant with membership in their organizations. Some of these groups have debated this step before but none have actually carried it out. Legitimate and even quasi-legitimate medical and mental-health organizations do not behave the way that NARTH does. It is now time to heave the bums out.

Besides drawing a clear line demarcating quackery from science, and faith-healing from legitimate therapies; this will torpedo professional accreditations for NARTH members in most (if not all)states, as well as cut off most sources of third-party payments. That should do in NARTH for good and all.

If this happens, NARTH will promptly emit their usual spurious squeals about 'patients' being denied their 'free choice' of 'treatments'. Wrong again, as usual. If people want to seek religious counseling that--at least implicitly--drums home the message that they are one of God's mistakes, hey; let 'em have at it. That does not mean professional organizations have to be put in a position of implicitly endorsing this kind of malpractice. Readers who are members of these organizations may wish to contact them reiterating the above points and demanding action. There is no good reason for waiting until the next general convention to bring up the issue; executive boards should take a stand NOW.
posted by Sigmund, at 12/08/2006 10:57 AM

Aloha:

To tell you the truth, Nicolosi is scum. What a quack! Wayne, good for you in exposing this twisted loser. I am joining Truth Wins Out today!!

Lisa J. -- Hawaii
posted by Anonymous, at 12/08/2006 12:55 PM

Phil, there already is evidence that sexual desire is mutable: the Spitzer study.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/08/2006 4:11 PM

Anonymous at 4:11p.m., do you reckon that Dr. Byrd based his comment only on the Spitzer study?

This is perhaps not the place to enter into any extensive discussion of that study, but the following might briefly be mentioned, for those unfamiliar with the study:

Dr Spitzer phoned 200 people who had reportedly experienced a change in sexual desire. He found from his phone conversations, that he believed in the change reported by some of the 200.

As far as it went, the "study" was interesting, and represented some sort of honest attempt to address this important issue.

It did not, however, go nearly far enough. We could mention:

1) The lack of any longitudinal followup.
2) The lack of any objective measure to assess the subjects' veracity (such as the use of polygraphs or penile plesmythography).
3) The lack of proof that subjects were not bisexual to begin with and simply suppressing same-sex desire in favour of opposite sex.
4) CRUCIALLY, as far as the claims of Cohen and Nicolosi are concerned, the lack of any link between any reported change - however believeable - and any particular therapy.

The Spitzer study is interesting, but as things stand it is altogether too slight and flimsy a foundation upon which to rest NARTH's edifice of theories.

Anonymous, what is your own "take" on the Spitzer study?

If you personally know any person who has changed sexual desire from same-sex to opposite sex by any kind of clinical methodology, I would be most interested to correspond privately with such a one. Most especially, if they were always celibate both before and after the change.
posted by Phil, at 12/08/2006 6:32 PM

Lisa J., it's not nice to call people "scum." Please be more polite.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/08/2006 6:35 PM

What is in the post is true, but what is unfortunate is that it took only one example of NARTH's racism to send the organization into a downhill spiral, while their many examples of homophbia meant nothing.

In other words, to the general public, racism is forbidden--at least public racism--but homophobia is OK.

--raj
posted by Anonymous, at 12/08/2006 10:46 PM

It's completely unfair to claim that NARTH, as an organization, is racist, just on the basis of one article.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/09/2006 2:51 AM

Anonymous at 2:51, I don't myself see that it's COMPLETELY unfair to call NARTH racist on the basis of that one article. It might be SLIGHTLY unfair, but not COMPLETELY.

One has to ask why NARTH linked to it, if they didn't agree with it.

In any case, the basis is not simply the one article, surely, but their subsequent response.

I have to say that what I also think outrageous is their link to a statement by an African politician attempting to blame pandemic AIDS in Africa on homosexuality, and completely ignoring the rampant irresponsible heterosexual promiscuity that is the real cause.
posted by Phil, at 12/09/2006 1:06 PM

Let's set the record straight.

NARTH did not "link" to an article. It appeared on their website, written by Dr. Schoenewolf. He is a prominent member of their Scientific Advisory Board.

NARTH did not take action against Schoenwolf when the article came into public view. Instead it blamed critics.

It is more than fair, based on these incontrovertible facts, to say that NARTH is a racist organization. Only a closet racist would think otherwise.

You are entitled to own opinion, but not your own facts.
posted by Wayne Besen, at 12/09/2006 3:34 PM

I cringe, I grovel in mortification!

Clearly I should have been more careful, and should have checked back, to see that NARTH posted the article rather than just a link to it. I did read the article at the time, but forgot whether I did so on the NARTH site, or via a link to it.

My comment "In any case, the basis is not simply the one article, surely, but their subsequent response" is really in agreement with "NARTH did not take action against Schoenwolf when the article came into public view. Instead it blamed critics".

I hope that my comments over the last few months in this blog might establish that I am no supporter of NARTH.

And I am certainly NOT any kind or racist, closet or otherwise.

For what it's worth, my copy of Anything But Straight is well-read and well-underlined, and I enjoyed re-reading parts of it in bed last night.

Buy it, folks, if you haven't already!
posted by Phil, at 12/09/2006 7:01 PM

It's completely lying to write an srtivle and say the Nicolosis was "demoted" or whatever for that article. There is no mention of that and perhaps he needs time from that post to do other things. Wayne - you are a spin doctor.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/10/2006 9:59 PM

Anonymous at 9:59, what is incomplete lying?
posted by Phil, at 12/11/2006 6:01 AM

White lies - like - you look good today.
posted by Anonymous, at 12/11/2006 12:45 PM

But I DO look good today......
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　　莫非是他青岛货架，和他的剑库房货架，加上他的剑光沈阳货架。我已不问江湖之事天津货架，想他十年前也应该坐上武林盟主的位子了杭州货架，一个武林中人做了武林盟主山东货架，这一生还有什么要求的呢文件柜？

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　　一定快有什么事情发生了工作桌。

　　剑还是那美丽的剑Google左侧排名，如果再加上一道剑光吹塑机，就会形成剑的艺术色带，武学的艺术电源插座。

　　我问反光背心：为何还来找我滚针轴承，我已在十年之前就退出江湖了夜光粉。

　　他说文化石：因为你没死缎带，因为我没有对手风火轮。

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　　他为了杀我竟找了我十年氯化镁，而为了和我比武竟帮我从屋顶拿下我的刀来双面胶带，并放在我的手中碳纤维。我忽然发现排线，他也变了汽车座垫，他在后悔十年前将所有高手都杀绝珍珠奶茶。

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　　我握紧了刀桥架，我看着他的眼tpr，已经不再像十年前那样明亮了钢丝。

　　他的剑划出柴油发电机组，划出一道美丽的剑光护栏。我想围栏，这十年他大概在不停地使自己的剑光更美围栏。

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　　我叹了一口气仓储笼。远去仓储笼。
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