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Wayne Besen
PO Box 25491
Brooklyn, NY 11202
Sources have informed TruthWinsOut.org that Monday's symposium featuring infamous "ex-gay" therapist Dr. Warren Throckmorton may be cancelled. The forum, "A Pastoral Approach for Gay & Lesbian People Troubled by Homosexuality," suffered a major blow when panelist, Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, pulled out of the event. Robinson expressed concern that the symposium, scheduled to take place the same week as the APA's annual meeting in Washington, would be used as a public relations gimmick for Focus on the Family.
"The cancellation of this forum is welcome news because it gave the wrong impression that the American Psychiatric Association endorsed 'ex-gay' therapy, when, in fact, the organization soundly rejects such therapies," said TWO Executive Director Wayne Besen.
Predictably, on his blog, Throckmorton claimed that the APA is "apparently afraid of a conversation." What he conveniently failed to mention was that this discussion ended three decades ago and his side was defeated because they lacked scientific credibility. They have yet to provide a shred of evidence supporting the efficacy of ex-gay therapy, while there is evidence that such methods cause a great deal of harm.
"Throckmorton 'counsels' vulnerable gay people to either live a lifetime of loneliness or a lifetime of lies. This is neither healthy nor therapeutic and it's a diagnosis for disaster," said Besen.
David Scasta, the openly gay psychiatrist who shamelessly promoted the seminar, has not publicly confirmed the events cancellation.
9 Comments:
Why would an openly gay psychiatrist like Dr. Scat promote this bogus homophobic bullshit? I assume Shlockmorton thinks we should have 'conversation' with witch doctors too when discussing mental health issues.
posted by Anonymous, at
5/01/2008 3:36 PM
Wayne, I love your work. I found this story from Ohio. I hope that you will be all over this like a fly on shit.
http://www.toledofreepress.com/?id=7609
posted by Anonymous, at
5/02/2008 12:39 PM
"I assume Shlockmorton thinks we should have 'conversation' with witch doctors too when discussing mental health issues."
That would actually be an infinitely more ethical and useful conversation, because sometimes (most of the time) what we label "witch doctors" are really just the medical or spiritual professionals of non-Western cultures who, regardless of whether their beliefs are scientifically sound, are nevertheless practicing their magic out of the best interest of their people; and some of it might actually involve herbs and other materials with real healing properties science can verify.
When I hear "witch doctor", I feel it's just an ethnocentric, judgmental term for shamans, which historically in many Native American societies, tended to be "two-spirit", i.e. transgender and/or gay, people.
I think that's fundamentally different from the ex-gay movement, which aside from being completely misguided, is now married to very wealthy, very powerful socio-political entities such as Focus on the Family, who use them to argue against rights and protections for all gay people, and who disseminate anti-gay literature and mythology into the mainstream culture. James Dobson does not have other people's best interest in mind, he has a broad anti-gay political agenda and an even broader intention to win some "culture war" and force his beliefs on everyone else in the country.
My husband is a counselor, and they routinely take into account clients' religious/spiritual beliefs. For example, for a Christian, they may incorporate prayer and consult a minister or priest (and not being a theist myself, I don't see much of a distinction between a priest and a shaman - both are "witch doctors" in my opinion).
But while religion is respected and incorporated into treatment, it is a supplement. It is never used in place of proven medicine, and religious beliefs that directly contradict reputable evidence and/or that would conflict with the health and well-being of the patient are avoided. A counselor would no more tell a gay Christian client they can change their sexual orientation than they would tell a Native American Mormon that if they have faith, they can turn into a white person.
posted by Eshto, at
5/02/2008 2:52 PM
I don't think I would want to be that bishop right now after making such a horrible mistake.
posted by Anonymous, at
5/02/2008 11:13 PM
The Bishop made a wise decision.
A summit is in order but it needs to be done in a neutral enviorment with all of the key players from both sides of the debate present.
Everyone would need to check their rehtoric and hidden agendas at the door. They would need to have an authentic dialogue and have an interest in treating each other with Dignity , love and mutal respect at all times. They may even need to agree to disagree but abide by the Golden Rule..
Each group would need to be willing to conceed and respect the other.
When that happens we will have made some real progress in the "Culture War". Perhaps the civil war would end!
Until then it will be the same old thing different day.
A "summit" is not in order because there is no "debate" in the science and medical communities.
The entire ex-gay movement IS an agenda. If you checked agendas at the door, they would remain standing outside of it.
The entire reason this "culture war" continues is because our sensationalized media keeps propping up opposite sides of an argument and calling it "fair and balanced" even though one "side" might clearly be batshit crazy, has absolutely no evidence on their side and is bent on hateful political goals.
Reputable scientists and doctors should never "conceed" to "agree to disagree" with those who use religion, junk science and fear tactics to harm people and influence politics.
Survivors who have been subjected to ex-gay groups need to start suing their asses so they are shut down, that's what needs to happen. In the meantime all we can do is continue to expose their lies and the damage they are doing, in the hopes that it will help the people who get suckered in, and prevent others from getting involved with them in the first place.
posted by Eshto, at
5/04/2008 1:26 PM
While you're all celebrating the demise of reparative therapy on gay people, has anyone noticed that the DSM V workgroup on sexual and gender disorders is being chaired by Kenneth Zucker, who practices and promotes reparative therapy on kids with gender conflicts?
If this is bad enough to practice on adults who are there by choice, surely it's ten times as worse to do to kids who aren't there by choice?
posted by Boo, at
5/04/2008 2:41 PM
