Unlicensed Psychologist Shows Great Insensitivity And Is Urged To Apologize

NEW YORK - Truth Wins Out discovered a deeply troubling paper today written by Dr. Warren Throckmorton, a professor at Grove City College, that minimizes the risk of gay teen suicide and mocked the victims of ex-gay therapy, including those who suffered electroshock therapy. The revelation of this paper comes as Throckmorton has emerged as a leading critic of an American Psychological Association task force that is reviewing guidelines on sexual orientation. Throckmorton is also a defender of a new Pat Robertson University sham study that claims some gay people can go straight through prayer.

“Dr. Warren Throckmorton has worked hard to portray himself as mainstream, but his views are quite extreme and show an alarming lack of sensitivity to the victims of ex-gay therapy,” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen. “He owes an apology to those who were harmed by ex-gay therapy. His divisive views are polarizing and not helpful for those who want to have a reasoned scientific debate on sexual orientation.”

In his paper, titled, “Is Sexual Re-orientation Possible?”, Throckmorton dismissively brushes off the pain experienced by those who have been through electroshock therapy by saying, “I have never found evidence of electroshock treatment being used anyway.”
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On the ABC news magazine 20/20, Steve Lee, a Mormon, discussed how he eventually came out to his wife. The two decided that he should try “ex-gay” therapy to see if it could save their marriage. This is how he described it:

“I would definitely call it brainwashing,” he said. “It was an exercise in humiliation.”

This is an interesting description, because a recent study on ex-gays by Pat Robertson University researchers said that people were unlikely to be harmed by such programs. However, not only did Lee find it harmful, but it led to a divorce after 16 years of marriage.

His ex-wife, Jennifer Lee, says, in retrospect, one of her biggest regrets in life was to believe that her husband’s sexuality could be changed by conversion therapy. She wishes churches would embrace anyone and everyone, but doubts that will ever be a reality.

“In a utopian world, the churches would open their arms and accept everybody in the world for who they are,” she said, “but I don’t believe that’s going to happen.”

Thanks to so-called “ex-gay” ministries, it will be quite a while before people are accepted just as they are and we can also expect more unnecessary divorces. I’m just curious if Exodus, Evergreen, NARTH or Dr. Warren Throckmorton plan on creating funds to compensate couples who end up divorced because they were mislead into believing that they could change?

Lester Leavitt, believing what his Mormon Church taught him about overcoming his attraction to men, married Barbara in 1981. After 23 years together, they both now know the Truth about that advice - there is no such thing as “ex-gay” and these marriages do not work.

In this video, Barbara speaks out at a press conference countering the “Family Impact Summit” - a gathering of right wing extremists that are creating such families doomed to failure. 

On Sept. 20 2007, the right wing brought right wing leaders together to gay bash in Brandon, Florida. The gathering was called the Family Impact Summit.

A coalition of progressive groups, led by Equality Florida gathered to counter the symposium. This is the video of Wayne Besen’s remarks, the Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. TWO is an organization that counters the so-called “ex-gay” myth.

Barbara Leavitt, a Woman Whose Marriage Ended After ‘Ex-Gay’ Therapy Did Not Cure Her Husband Warned Against Such Marriages

TAMPA, Fl — Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen spoke at an Equality Florida press conference today to counter the rabidly anti-gay Family Impact Summit. Besen, the author of “Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth,” said right wing organizations were embracing so-called ex-gay ministries to cloak their discriminatory aims.

“The Family Impact Summit is a cynical political ploy to use gay baiting to energize voters in a critical election year,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “The red meat conservatives are using so-called ex-gays as cover for their extremist views. By exploiting these vulnerable people, they are pretending to love gay people, when in reality they simply love discrimination.”

Barbara Leavitt also shared her story at the press conference in front of Bell Shoals Baptist Church. She discussed how her life was upended because her gay husband was told that marriage could help cure him of his homosexuality. Earlier in the year, Truth Wins Out featured her and her husband Lester in a video that can now be seen on YouTube.

“I want you to know that when ex-gays marry straight women, it hurts both the man and the woman and any children that come,” said Leavitt. (Read More)

NEW YORK – Truth Wins Out expressed disgust today for disparaging remarks made about gay life by “ex-gay” leader Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International.  On Fox’s Mike and Juliet morning show, Chambers asserted that a life of true happiness and fulfillment are only attainable within the confines of heterosexuality and that gay life is “empty.

“What I found was that homosexuality was for the young,” said Chambers on the national television show. “There was a time when I wasn’t going to have hair anymore. There was a time when I wasn’t going to work out every day, and lay out in the sun, and be as much a commodity as I was when I was eighteen.”

“It is sad that Exodus must resort to crass stereotypes and scare tactics to recruit new victims,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “Just like heterosexuals, gay people can find happiness in all stages of life. We call on Chambers to apologize for his cheap demagoguery and mean spirited distortions.” (Read More)

TWO Moves Its Headquarters From Miami Beach To New York City

NEW YORK – Truth Wins Out thanked the Arcus Foundation today for rewarding TWO with a $40,000 grant that will greatly assist in the organizations efforts to counter the ex-gay industry. The gift was from The Arcus Gay & Lesbian Fund, which seeks to advance social justice by supporting efforts to promote human rights and policy change for GLBT equality.

“Truth Wins Out is grateful for the generous support it has received from the Arcus Foundation,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “This gift significantly increases our capacity to enlighten Americans about the ex-gay myth. This timely assistance will allow us to educate the public and help people who have been harmed by these dangerous organizations.” (Read More)

New Pat Robertson University Study, Scripture or Science?

NEW YORK – Truth Wins Out warned news organizations today to be skeptical of a biased “ex-gay” sham study that will be released by right wing therapists in Nashville this afternoon. The “research,” which was conducted by Stanton L. Jones of Wheaton College and Mark A. Yarhouse of Pat Robertson University, reportedly will show that a significant percentage of gay people can become straight through religious-based counseling.

“It comes as no shock that anti-gay ‘researchers’ at Wheaton College and Pat Robertson University would release a study that claims you can pray away the gay,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “I suppose their next study will provide support for Pat Robertson’s theory that homosexuality causes meteors and hurricanes.”

Caution should be taken in prematurely critiquing the study until the full methodology is available. However, based on unconfirmed reports there is great concern that these notorious anti-gay researchers did little more than telephone professional ex-gay lobbyists and ministers from Exodus International and asked them if they had “changed.” If this is the case, it is likely that the study results are suspect, if not wholly invalid, says Truth Wins Out.

“It appears as if this study is the equivalent of the Phillip Morris ‘research’ team interviewing members of the company’s public relations team on the safety of cigarettes,” said Besen. “This study may be a deceptive sham with the goal of making it appear as if science backs fundamentalist beliefs on homosexuality.” (Read More)

It was the oddest event in my fifteen-year activism career.

I had ventured to Orlando, Florida last summer to attend the National Education Association’s annual meeting. Crashing the conference was the so-called “Ex-Gay Educators Caucus,” a sham organization run primarily by anti-gay lobbyists, who are attempting to get the viewpoints of “former homosexuals” into public schools. To counter their presence, I staged a press conference outside the huge convention center.

Following the media event, I unassumingly straggled into the gargantuan showroom where there were booths as far as the eye could see, representing numerous causes and products. Eventually, I spotted the ex-gay booth, staffed by a man who ran a Focus on the Family offshoot, ex-lesbian Janet Boynes and a woman who claimed to represent Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX). I slowly walked up to the booth and began peering at the group’s literature.

Over the years, I have visited anti-gay booths or conferences dozens of times. In almost every case, we engaged in light banter, shook hands and politely agreed to disagree. They regularly come to our events and we, in turn, visit theirs — and there is an unspoken rule that the opposition will be treated courteously, if only because you don’t want to be harassed when in “enemy territory.”

This time it was different.
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‘Ex-Gay’ Therapy Is Dangerous And Puts Vulnerable People At Risk, Says Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen

NEW YORK – Truth Wins Out expressed relief today that Christopher Austin, an ‘ex-gay’ counselor in Irving, Texas, was convicted of sexually assaulting a client. Austin was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but received seven years probation, had to register as a sex offender and was ordered to pay a $2,500 fine. After years of reported abuse – including several alleged victims who testified at the trial - it is welcome news that Austin has finally been put out of business, says TWO.

“We are deeply gratified that this ‘ex-gay’ predator is no longer in the counseling business, where he exploited his position of authority to sexually abuse vulnerable clients,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “Ex-gay therapy is extremely dangerous and places confused clients in the hands of repressed therapists. It is a recipe for disaster.” (Read More)