Burdened by two scandals, the ex-gay activist group Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality has changed its name.
The change occurred recently without fanfare on the organization’s web site. The new name: “Jews Offering New Alternatives to Healing”
Despite the name change, JONAH’s mission remains largely the same:
- Deny the existence of sexual orientation, a predominant state of sexual attraction to a particular gender
- Promote the myth that homosexual attraction is caused not by biology or brain chemistry, but by a Freudian deficiency of “masculinity” in men that is caused by bad parenting or abuse
- Receive substantial aid from conservative Christian evangelical organizations which teach that faith in Jesus Christ offers the only path out of homosexuality
And its credentials and practices are as scandalous as ever.
Far from “healing” its clients of any sexual confusion or self-doubt, JONAH has a reputation for supplying its clients with Christian evangelical books and subjecting them to unethical abuses that would never be tolerated among true mental-health professionals. And its counselors’ abuses aren’t “new alternatives,” they are century-old snake-oil remedies.
- JONAH’s leader, Arthur Abba Goldberg, is a convicted Wall Street con artist who looted millions of dollars from poor communities. Goldberg has no professional credentials in the mental-health sciences
- JONAH’s senior trainer, Alan Downing, likewise has no professional credentials and stands accused by two former clients of sexual misconduct
- JONAH and its counselors refuse to keep accurate and comprehensive records about their clients, lest such records fall into the hands of objective scientists and be used to measure actual rates of success or failure
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What the fuck?!
I thought people went there to supposedly “heal” in the first place!
So, if they’re offering New Alternatives to Healing, are they just being more honest about the fact that what they offer is more along the lines of “experiences that border on sexual assault, and disproven therapy that causes some patients to end up more depressed and suicidal than they were when they came in”?
Comment by Evan Hurst — July 29, 2010 @ 3:01 am
It’s a mistake. What they mean is “Jews Offering New Alternatives to Honesty”.
Comment by William — July 29, 2010 @ 5:59 am
Y’know, when I see the name “Jonah” it makes ME think of Jonah Goldberg, a right-wing author/pundit who owes his career to his mom, and is one of the stupidest-if not THE stupidest-wingnuts ever.
Comment by Bill S — July 29, 2010 @ 6:07 am
Yes, I think of Jonah Goldberg too, Bill.
They should have one for lesbians and call it K-Lo.
(’Kicking Lesbianism Out!’)
Comment by Evan Hurst — July 29, 2010 @ 11:06 am
[...] Mike Airhart noticed that the Jewish ex-gay group, JONAH (Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality) has changed its name somewhat. The new name, which was designed to fit the JONAH acronym, is now Jews Offering New Alternatives to Healing. [...]
Pingback by Box Turtle Bulletin » JONAH’S Name Change Reveals True Mission — July 30, 2010 @ 2:32 pm