The discredited organization, the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), sent out a desperate press release unsuccessfully trying to spin Dr. Robert Spitzer’s repudiation of his own study that claimed some highly motivated gay people could change through therapy and prayer.
NARTH’s laughable message: We know better than the guy who actually conducted the research.
As Dr. Robert Spitzer made clear when he explicitly told NARTH to stop exploiting, distorting and citing his work:
“I’m curious as to whether they have said anything or how they live with the fact that the one study that they have always been citing has now been taken away from them. I would think that’s a pretty rough place to be in.”
And the press release from NARTH clearly shows what a failed organization on the ropes sounds like when they are in a “pretty rough place to be in.” Here is part of NARTH statement:
A great deal of attention is currently being given to the recent “retraction” by Robert Spitzer, M.D., of his important study of sexual-orientation change (Spitzer, 2003a). The quotation marks around “retraction” are purposeful, for what has happened should not be characterized as a retraction. While this turn of events has now become a favorite talking point for those opposed to sexual orientation-change efforts (SOCE), the language of retraction reflects politically motivated speech rather than scientific analysis. What follows is intended to help those confused by Spitzer’s actions and the subsequent media feeding frenzy to understand what has really occurred. I have outlined below some key points that seem to have been lost in the partisan utilization of this turn of events.
Here are a few points the frauds at NARTH should ponder. First, Dr. Spitzer believes they are blinded by anti-gay animus.
“The people who are pushing the ‘ex-gay’ idea are so full of hatred for homosexuality, really, that I don’t think they can respond in an ethical way.”
Second, Dr. Spitzer believes that NARTH’s co-founder Dr. Nicolosi and his organization are exaggerating their success rate. It took Spitzer two years to find a mere 200″ex-gay” study subjects — even though NARTH was begging unchanged clients to say they had converted to heterosexuality. I asked Spitzer why it was so difficult for Nicolosi to find people to participate.
“He [Nicolosi] just didn’t have many patients who could really claim that they had changed.”
Finally, Spitzer thinks his study is no longer valid and believes that reparative therapy is a waste of time and energy.
“I’ve been thinking about the study for many years. I felt that I needed to say that, the study is not valid, but I thought I should also say to the gay community, I apologize for any harm I have done to them because of the study and my initial interpretation. And I certainly apologize to any gay person who because of this study entered into reparative therapy and wasted their time and energy doing that.”
NARTH can try to lie and manipulate Dr. Spitzer’s retraction all they want. However, his words are very clear and significantly more authoritative on this topic than the unethical and unscientific NARTH would have you believe.
It’s simple. Radical anti-gay activists will do and say anything to keep the money flowing in. They have sinfully chosen money over God and nothing loving, decent Americans can say or do will change their minds. When they are burning in hell, they will be sorry.
Anti-gay activists are not interested in the truth. They will use anything, no matter how underhanded or dishonest, to reach their unholy goals. That’s what religion is often all about: pretending to not see what you see, and labeling intellectual insights as “doubt.” It’s a scam of fantastic proportions.
I have seen many otherwise intelligent people have their minds rendered useless by these tactics. “If you turn your eyes away, it really isn’t there.” They teach denial like no one else can. They have to, or how could you buy into their ancient, absurd mythologies?
The truth is there for those who really value it. Here’s a fascinating picture of the Greek god Dionysus, on the cross, no less (they actually wore this medallion around their necks, too):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dionysus_Crucifixion.gif
Great Comment, Christopher, and SO true.
The anti-gay pseudo-Christians have no shame in maligning any minority they dislike. They’ve done it throughout history, which included thousands of murders in the name of their religion.
Now some American evangelical preachers are advocating killing us.
In a devilish way, they are our “friends,” since the backlash has already begun.
Jerry
I read the actualy NARTH press release…WOW. I have NEVER, EVER seen such arrogance, denial, subterfuge, word twisting, and…well…WHINING, if my entire life.
Only the most fanatical, over the top, drank, bathed in and soaked ones feet in the coolaid homophobe/mere fundamentalist can interpret this as anything but what it is.
But, they are frightened, and some are doing so.
Just for the record, the word ‘myth’ doesn’t really mean ‘b******t’ as most modern people have come to use it. It’s an archetypal story that gives valuable information about human life, psychology, spirituality etc. Besides Dionysus, the god Odin was hung on the Yggdrasil tree for 40 days. That doesn’t obviate the symbolic *meaning* of Christ crucified. I think the cross cultural nature of these ‘myths’ and religions make them even more fascinating and compelling.
Gary, I agree with you that religious stories are reflections about culture and spirituality. I also agree that religion is fascinating and compelling. It is a favorite subject of mine .
Unfortunately, some people in the world miss the point and think that the stories are the point. All that does is create people who walk around saying things like, “God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” What a disaster for us and them.
The Jesus story was borrowed from the many myths which came before it. I believe that Dionysus also had a virgin birth. He was a winemaker and was also a god who came down from the heavenlies in order to live with the people.
If people viewed religion as you suggest they should, maybe we could enjoy faith (and its stories) for what they are worth and for the comfort they provide some people. Sadly, however, fundamentalism has just about decimated any chance of that.
I went and read that article that is written by the guy from NARTH, he sure has nerve. This quote,
“Unfortunately, the reality appears to be that the APA and other institutions in a position to fund and conduct outcome research on SOCE in conjunction with NARTH and other SOCE practitioners have no real interest in doing so. They have nothing to”
Isn’t the second letter in NARTH, stand for Research? They have years and years and years worth of former client records. If they believe in it so much they should do like their name says, do the RESEARCH themselves. What a bunch of BS, “We are not going to do any research unless you pay us.” I hope they don’t hold their breath waiting.
While I was still in college, I found it unbelievable that the first “speech” that my Child Psychology Professor made was that in his work as a psychologist, he still went by the Diagnostic Statistics Manual of Mental Illnesses Rev II because it was the last one that listed Homosexuality as a mental illness! Now what the heck does that have to do with child psych.? One gal in the class walked out during a break and never returned. I had to stick it out because I needed to finish my degree by a certain date, but I did manage a B in the class. I think that my disrespect for him had a great deal to do with my lack of concentration, but I am amazed that there are still fossils like that man in the field of Psychology. I do have to give Dr. Spitzer credit for retracting and apologizing for his study, and declaring it invalid. When people are open to change and new information, I respect that.
Narth and the Religious Right behind it are like a used car salesman. They says that change is possible and no one is gay except by choice. They explain that “change” means actually changing where you stand on the Kinsey scale.
When someone who is gay buys into this, they find out that they have bought a lemon. No one changes their deep seated orientations. Among those who try this path, most drop out when they see for themselves that it isn’t working that way. Along the way many also drop out of the religious dogma that motivated them to change, others become depressed or suicidal. A small percentage continue for years in the therapy. It is among this last group that Dr. Spitzer’s study was made.
The question for Dr. Spitzer was then, could 2 or 3% of the 100% of patients attempting change therapy actually change their orientation?
After first believing Yes at face value, Dr. Spitzer
concluded that not one person had changed their orientation. Of course among the 200 people many presumably stopped any sexual gay behavior. Lets say that 40 people also married opposite sex partners and had sex with them. Lets say that 160 tried to remain celibate. Among the 40 lets say that 30 were bisexual. That leaves 10 that are completely gay but acting out a heterosexual lifestyle. These 10 still haven’t changed the orientation. Among the 40 most will in time divorce and leave a very unhappy spouse. Lets say 10 out of the 40 remain committed and even that they are very happy.
That means that the result of the false Narth bill of goods are 10 happpy people that accept that they can’t change their orientation, but live as if they could and thousands of people that are very unhappy about being duped and many more than 10 people who have ruined mental health or are now dead as a result.