(Warren Throckmorton, left, adjusting tie)

Last week, I wrote about Warren “Dr. Blog” Throckmorton an unlicensed psychologist from a small Christian school in Pennsylvania. He has written no books, produced no noteworthy studies and his main claim to fame is his online diary, where he kvetches about real researchers who have actually stepped foot in the lab.

On August 17, at the American Psychological Association’s annual meeting in San Francisco, Dr. Blog unveiled his new creation, “Sexual Identity Therapy.” In this bizarre paradigm, sexual attractions no longer matter. According to SIT, a man could lust after shirtless dudes in hot pants and have no attraction to women, but could still identify as “straight.” We used to call this denial, but a few acquisitive quacks have figured out there is money to be made off conflicted clients by reassuring them that denial is healthy, if it keeps them holy.

The theory behind SIT is that sexuality is a “construct” that can be altered and aligned with religious beliefs. Of course, there is no evidence to support this view, while there are countless examples that such repression can be harmful. In Throckmorton’s presentation he called this surreal process “synthesized sexual identity.” Yeah, this sounds about as natural as plastic or polyester, doesn’t it?
(Read More)

TWO Challenges ‘Ex-Gay’ Researcher To Have Study Subjects Submit To ‘No Lie MRI’ To Prove Tales of Change Are True

NEW YORK - Truth Wins Out warned news organizations today that a biased new politically motivated “ex-gay” sham study will reportedly surface later this year. A controversial “researcher” at a right wing religious university will release it and the goal of the study, known as “The Thomas Project,” is to show that ex-gay therapy is often successful. Unfortunately, an early report by the website Ex-Gay Watch indicates that the research likely consists of calling handpicked ex-gay lobbyists and ministry leaders on the telephone and asking if they had “changed.” There is no indication that key physical measures or tests were included, such as a “No Lie MRI,” which is a scientific truth-detecting brain scan.

“Any ‘ex-gay’ study that does not include physical components that measure truth are essentially meaningless,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “We challenge Dr. Stanton Jones to submit his so-called ex-gay subjects to the ‘No Lie MRI’ because we believe that ex-gay ministries are consumer fraud and his reported study may be invalid. Our direct challenge is a unique opportunity for ex-gay organizations to back up their outrageous tales of transformation and prove us wrong once and for all. What are they afraid of?” (Read More)

(Weekly Column)

Every now and again, a snake will show its fangs. Case in point is Dr. Warren Throckmorton, one of America’s leading “ex-gay” therapists. Last week, a Nebraska-based website so obscure it was inaccessible by popular search engines such as Google, was discovered by right wing activists. What the website had to say was quite disturbing.

“Without GSA [gay straight alliance] access, students are forced to simply kill classmates who taunt & bully - shooting, stabbing and poisoning are the common forms of retribution.”

Immediately, anti-gay groups rightfully criticized the site. However, they were disingenuous in their conjured anger, as their real target was not the ugly message, but the Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Education Network (GLSEN) that helps students form GSA’s. The GSA clubs protect students from bullying and create safe space where they can find support.

Throckmorton wasted no time implicitly tying the website to official GSA’s - the only problem was, GLSEN, had nothing to do with the website. Ex-Gay Watch uncovered that a country activist, Brian Wyant, who no one outside of Omaha had ever heard of, ran the offending site. The next day, Throckmorton ran a hollow apology, but the damage was done. (Read More)

(Kathleen Wright, left)

High Point Church Reached New Low Point On Basic Human Decency

NEW YORK – Truth Wins Out expressed outrage today over a Texas Church that reneged on a promise to hold a memorial service for a Navy veteran once it learned he was gay. High Point Church’s pastor, Rev. Gary Simons, should immediately resign for gross insensitivity of a family in mourning, substituting bad manners for good morals and a dereliction of duty for failing to provide basic pastoral care.

“This is not a church, but a ‘hate house’ that has elevated prejudice above principle and discrimination above basic human decency,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “The hellish treatment of a family in mourning by a supposed house of God is an abomination and we strongly urge pastor Simons to resign. These ugly actions are a glimpse of the unconscionable religion-based bigotry often faced by gay and lesbian people on a daily basis.” (Read More)

Researcher Jim Burroway revealed on his website, Box Turtle Bulletin that Exodus International leader Alan Chambers told an audience of “ex-gays” that he “denies what comes naturally” to him. According to the report, Chambers said:

“…And so every single morning — this is a ritual for me — I wake up and I say, ‘Dear Lord, I can’t make it today without You. I choose to deny what comes naturally to me.’”

This is the latest example of an “ex-gay” leader slipping up and divulging a hard truth: There is no such thing as a true ex-gay - just recloseted homosexuals who live painful lives of denial. Here are other examples of Chambers and so-called “ex-gays” who had momentary bouts of honesty about the fact thay are not heterosexual:

Alan Chambers, Exodus International

“By no means would we ever say change can be sudden or complete.” (Los Angeles Times, June 18, 2007)

Sexual orientation “isn’t a light switch that you can switch on and off.” (Los Angeles Times, June 28, 2007)

“I don’t think change is going from gay to straight. Just saying that doesn’t sound like an accurate representation of what Exodus facilitates or proclaims.” (Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth, pg. 35, Haworth Press 2003, interview taped March 11, 2001)

“To say that Exodus is a great healer and the place for people to become straight, I would think that is not right. If there are Exodus ministries that do that, we need to change that. We need to work on that.” (Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth, pg. 35, Haworth Press 2003, interview taped March 11, 2001)

“Put me in a bathhouse, would I find people attractive or would it stir me, it probably would. I’m not a raging heterosexual where I have to worry about if a lady walks in the room and I have to turn my head, while some guys are like that.” (Anything But Straight, pg. 58, Haworth Press 2003, interview taped March 11, 2001) (Read More)

Gov. Bill Richardson Forced To Clarify Issue Today After Troubling Answer

NEW YORK - Truth Wins Out praised rock star Melissa Etheridge today for asking former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson during last night’s Human Rights Campaign presidential forum on Logo Television whether he thought homosexuality was a choice. Last week, Truth Wins Out’s executive director Wayne Besen told the Washington Blade newspaper that this was the one question the organization wanted to come up in the symposium. The organization was gratified that this crucial issue was addressed, but was disappointed with Richardson’s answer.

“Richardson stumbled and bumbled his way through what should have been a no-brainer,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “While we praise his record as governor, Richardson needs to lift his game if he wants to become president. On this key question, he really missed a key opportunity to impress the GLBT Community.”

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Capitulation Wrongly and Recklessly Puts The Health of GLBT Students At Risk, Says TWO

NEW YORK – Truth Wins Out today called a lawsuit settlement between Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) and Arlington County (Virginia) schools a capitulation that puts the health and well being of students at risk. The agreement allows PFOX to hand out pseudoscientific fliers at middle schools that will urge students to visit a website that refers them to a troubled counselor who was permanently expelled from the American Counseling Association.

“Arlington County failed in its responsibility to protect students and ensure that they are not harmed by disreputable therapists or dangerous practices,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “The content provided by PFOX is medically reckless and morally reprehensible and no school system should have a hand in its distribution.” (Read More)