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In Article, Exodus Puffs Up Numbers To Conceal Lack of Growth, Says TWO
MIAMI BEACH - In a puff piece in today's Chicago Tribune, conversion therapist Dr. Warren Throckmorton used an anonymous source to tout his therapeutic success. This turn toward concealing sources comes after Throckmorton pulled his "ex-gay" video "I Do Exist" from the marketplace after it was revealed that his poster boy, Noe Gutierrez, was having second thoughts on what he called the "divisive message of the ex-gay ministries."
The Tribune article says that Throckmorton has worked with "about 250 patients," yet the only one to come forward was "Jeff", an anonymous source. It appears from the article, that this man had just recently "succeeded," offering no evidence that Throckmorton's therapy has any longevity.
"I am still waiting for Warren Throckmorton to show long-term success stories, rather than trotting out freshly indoctrinated anonymous sources," said Truth Wins Out's Executive Director Wayne Besen. "He claims he has counseled 250 patients, so I find it suspicious and troubling that he can't find a handful of success stories to go on record with a major newspaper. Unlike Throckmorton, I can always find victims of such therapies to openly discuss how they were harmed by such therapeutic practices."
Why doesnt this quack have his license revoked?! Next he'll be taking their urine and blood to see which humors are out of balance.
posted by Anonymous, at
6/11/2007 3:06 PM
That dood is fucking UGLY. No wonder why he is an ex-gay therapist....no one in there right mind would suck his micro-cock.
Throckmorton sure talks quite a bit on this topic, but what does he have to show for it? He is a poseur, whose great scientific achievement is hosting a blog, like a 13-year old debutante on MySpace.
Has he written any books or memorable articles? Has he conducted any groundbreaking experiments to back his point of view? No.
Until he lives up to the expertise he spouts in the press, he ought to keep quiet. Has there ever been one quoted so much that has done so little? Just sad commentary on how the media will quote any loser, as long as he can press the send button on his fax machine and write a half-assed press release.
One of the things I think this article misses is the disingenuous manner in which Throckmorton tries to inject his own chosen "religious" beliefs into therapy while denying any proselytizing. Yet where are the questions, or the remarks, which point to how the "Christian" therapist may suggest that there are many brands of religious belief and not all are hostile to the gay community? Does he engage in providing information for the client to consider choosing another form of "christian" religious belief, even though we know that no one is born with any certain brand, but must be indoctrinated?
It seems disreputable, at least in my opinion, for a therapist to attempt to encourage beliefs which promote self-hatred and are selectively chosen or imposed over what may well be an inherent reality for a client. The very idea that Throckmorton advocates that sexual identity therapy include encouraging the embrace of chosen or imposed "religious" values appears to me to be an attempt not to help a patient achieve balance and security in an identity, but to encourage conflict involving beliefs which are often taught without foundation.
Let's say we reverse the premise of reparative therapy and claim that religious values and affiliation, as chosen "lifestyles" which may have been imposed on a person from the time he/she was an impressionable child, be treated as troubling attempts to imprison the soul and being of individuals - and that sexual identity should be considered an influential part of therapy when determining how to treat those with conflicting or "unwanted" "religious" indoctrination. By Throckmorton's apparent reasoning, the imposed or selected "religous" beliefs are still more important no matter how much conflict they cause with the patient - and that is based on his OWN choice of religious belief. . .likely the same one which commands him to "spread the Word." It is troubling that any therapist would advocate for a selected, manufactured doctrine which demands absolute adherence while having at most conflicting evidence concerning sexual identity. It would make much more sense to encourage affiliation with a different chosen religious belief than attempt to repress a natural relationship instinct, particularly one which connects to love.
posted by Anonymous, at
6/11/2007 8:12 PM
I will not deny Doc Throck's questionable credibility, licensed Ph.D-holder or not. However, he has done the LGBTQ community a service in that he's not been too interested in his own profits to denounce faulty ex-gay research, such as that of Paul Cameron. And when the stab comes from one in your own community, you KNOW it's gonna hurt. He posts quite a bit on exgaywatch.com, a watchdog site for the Ex-Gay industry. However, he's never been preachy or pushy. I have to give him that - he doesn't forget where he is.
posted by Emily K, at
6/11/2007 8:22 PM
Why doesn't the head of the AMA and APA take a stand and make an official public statement to address ex-gay ministries once and for all? I'm so sick and tired of these phonies who spew out this crap in the absence of good sound, controlled scientific research so they can have their successes documented.
posted by Robert, at
6/12/2007 7:33 AM
Warren is even more slippery than the rest. Instead of just admitting that this BS in nonsense, he tries to spin everything. He is basically a smart man who is trapped by his own personal backwards beliefs and is seeking a resolution between the two.
I feel bad for him, in that he is also a victim of indoctrination. The sad part is, he has no idea. But, having wasted two years of my life in such garbage therapy, I know it is junk science. Throckmorton needs to wake up, be a man and have some scruples.
The ex-gay thing has always been a source of great sadness for me. Life can be so short; what a shame to waste time trying to alter one's sexual orientation, especially when done out of shame or due to unrealistic religious beliefs. Thankfully, most gay folks seem to understand that it is the religious beliefs that must change, not the reality which causes the cognitive dissonance in the first place.
I read the Chicago Tribune article. They talk about changing their orientation by singing hymns, praying and reading a book? I mean, what kind of nonsense is this here? Sure, mere behavioral therapy can alter a person's "behavior" (i.e., stop going to gay bars or anything gay, in fact), but that's all cosmetic. People need to live at peace with who they are.
posted by Chris L., at
6/12/2007 10:08 AM
Throckmorton is such a TOAD. He's unfuckable, in my estimation. Send him to ex-gay therapy - I don't want to see that wart face in the bars.
