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On Monday, August 1, National Public Radio’s Morning Edition aired a report from Alix Spiegel entitled “Can Therapy Help Change Sexual Orientation?” Instead of accurately representing “ex-gay therapy” as ineffective, dangerous, and condemned by every mainstream professional medical and mental health organization, NPR opted to misrepresent the facts, falsely framing the story as a debate between two equally legitimate sides that “has been raging in psychological circles for more than a decade.”
Nothing could be further from the truth. A 2009 press release from the American Psychological Association announcing the results of an exhaustive study on the efficacy of “ex-gay” therapy says it all: “Insufficient evidence [exists] that sexual orientation change efforts work… Practitioners should avoid telling clients that they can change from gay to straight.” In a recent ABC News interview discussing “ex-gay” therapy, renowned author and psychiatrist Jack Drescher put the discredited practice in its proper perspective: “This is so far outside the mainstream it’s practically on Mars.”
Truth Wins Out, GLAAD, and other organizations called on NPR to correct and apologize for parroting “ex-gay” propaganda. Instead, NPR Ombudsman Edward Schumacher-Matos released a tepid, long-winded blog post in which he demonstrated a much greater interest in defending his reporter than correcting her errors.
The Ombudsman’s response is disappointing and woefully inadequate. We expect better from a top-notch, well-respected news organization like National Public Radio. Join Truth Wins Out in calling on NPR to meet with TWO and survivors of “ex-gay” programs so they can be fully informed about the dangers of the “ex-gay” myth –
I think the term exgay therapy doesn’t really tell the truth about the type of core therapy that it is.
These zombies are actually practicing sexual hate therapy, the exact opposite of what counselling itself stands for. Maybe it’s not as dramatic as shock therapy, but it is as intense.
Maybe we should start calling it what it really is instead of a non real “exgay” term, which
actually reads real and positive to the ignorant. Sexual hate therapy certainly raises more realistic eyebrows to stand and take note.
After listening to the NPR piece again, i think the controversy about the piece being stirred-up here is out of proportion with the reality.
The primary problem with the NPR piece is that the opening suggests there is a debate among therapists about the merits of “reparative” therapy because the piece says “a debate continues to rage.” There IS in fact a raging debate today, but it’s a political one driven by the right wing out of fear, not a medical one or a therapeutic one. The NPR piece goes on to make that clear, and firmly comes down in the right place, but listeners are hit with the misimpression up front. This is a minor mistake, not a major one, or an intentional one, and it does not deserve the kind of reaction and condemnation you are suggesting.
larry, there is no debate raging. All reputable psychological groups and psychologists say that these “therapies” don’t work and are possible dangerous. The only “therapists” who say they do work are religious extremists, have no data to back up their claims and refuse to produce any. You really need to research these things before you respond.