Bishop Gene Robinson could hardly have been clearer about his reason for dropping out of a forum on religion and sexuality that was to be held May 5 in conjunction with an American Psychological Association convention in Washington:

“Conservatives, particularly Focus on the Family, were going to use this event to draw credibility to the so-called reparative therapy movement.  It became clear to me in the last couple of weeks that just my showing up and letting this event happen…lends credibility to that so-called therapy.” (The Washington Blade)

Robinson’s exit prompted the forum’s cancellation, but the political biases and oversights of forum organizers and panelists doomed the forum from the start.

Despite Robinson’s clear explanation, ex-gay and antigay advocates ranging from Warren Throckmorton to Exodus and Focus on the Family to LifeSiteNews continue to redirect blame.

In its latest video, Focus on the Family falsely describes the cancelled forum as a debate between “gay activists” and “pro-family leaders” regarding “homosexuality and therapy” — implying that the topic would be ex-gay therapy. Focus then falsely reports that “gay activists” prompted Robinson’s exit. Focus goes so far as to accuse forum critics of silencing Christian voices — as if Bishop Robinson, and the Christian ex-gay survivors who were excluded from the forum, were something other than Christian. Focus quotes Exodus executive vice president and resident cynic Randy Thomas:

“It’s pretty amazing that if if they (unnamed gay activists) want to be as diverse as they claim, they would accept people who have a different perspective on faith with regard to this issue.”

Throckmorton admits that opposition to the forum was motivated by involvement of Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. But Throckmorton fails to explain how inclusion of a highly political activist such as Mohler was ever appropriate for a forum about religion, homosexuality, and mental health. Throckmorton continues to sidestep mischaracterizations of the forum by Focus on the Family, as well as the forum’s exclusion of former ex-gays and informed critics of ex-gay therapy that would have balanced out his own presence.

Former ex-gay Peterson Toscano made the following observation recently:

In a recent Christianity Today article, Warren Throckmorton waded into the gender waters by discounting the transgender experience. Where did he look for his authority? Not science, but the word of God (or at least select portions while overlooking whole Biblical accounts that actually affirm trans folks).

Throckmorton, past president of the American Mental Health Counselors Association, says he has advised transgendered people who are in absolute agony over their state.Typically, such individuals are desperately in search of hope and acceptance, he says. It may be uncomfortable to tell transgendered individuals that their desires don’t align with the Bible, Throckmorton says, but pastors must do so. “Even if science does determine differentiation in the brain at birth,” Throckmorton says, “even if there are prenatal influences, we can’t set aside teachings of the Bible because of research findings.”Warren Throckmorton has suggested that his words were misrepresented by CT, but he didn’t do too much to correct the flawed logic by referring to another article where he sought to give a straight answer to the trans question:

While transgender children can only be assessed on a case-by-case basis, Throckmorton recommends seeking not only medical or psychological specialists, but also theological ones. And even if it may seem impossible to draw one resolution when bringing all three opinions together, Throckmorton advises parents to try to find some common ground.

“What an evangelical Christian basically wants to do is order his entire life around his faith,” he said. “You can’t make decisions unless … the circumstance you’re in is evaluated from a theological point of view.”Hmm, looks like he may need to adjust his gender lenses before he reads the good book. I mean from a theological point of view, the transgender folks turn out to be some of the most vital players in the most important Bible stories. (See Transfigurations—Transgressing Gender in the Bible)

After Toscano wrote that item, Throckmorton tried again to dig himself out of a hole but only dug in deeper with a redefinition of religion and a ludicrous mischaracterization of those who adhere to the traditional definition of religion: (Read More)

The Washington Times was among the news media that were quick to blame unspecified “gay activists” today for the failure of a symposium on religion and ex-gay conversion therapy that was to be held at the Washington Convention Center at the same time as an American Psychiatric Association convention.

But from the start, the planners of the symposium doomed the forum through political and clinical biases:

• None of the panelists demonstrated professional knowledge of the myths perpetrated and the harm done by so-called conversion therapies
• Former ex-gays — those injured by conversion therapies that are promoted by two of the would-be panelists — were excluded from the discussion
• The symposium was promoted, and important facts distorted, by Focus on the Family
• Symposium publicity exaggerated the forum’s level of official APA support

Political distortion and exploitation of the symposium by Focus on the Family emerged weeks ago. The symposium’s lead planner — Dr. David Scasta, former Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists president — seemed stubbornly ignorant of the damage being done to legitimate science and to the victims of the ex-gay industry, as well as the unearned credibility being conferred upon would-be panelists who have misused religion as a political weapon to promote bigotry and emotional harm among unpopular demographics.

Scasta was quoted by the Times (with erroneous credentials):

“It was a way to have a balanced discussion about religion and how it influences therapy,” said David Scasta, a former APA president and a gay psychiatrist in charge of assembling the panel. “We wanted to talk rationally, calmly and respectfully to each other, but the external forces made it into a divisive debate it never intended to be.”

In criticizing Bishop Gene Robinson for dropping out of the symposium and precipitating its failure, Scasta shows that he naively ignored the ultimate basis for Robinson’s decision:

“I got one e-mail from him [Bishop Gene Robinson] saying he thought I was being used by the other side, such as Focus on the Family,” Mr. Scasta said, calling the reaction from gay groups over-the-top and self-defeating.

“This was supposed to reduce polarization, which has hurt the gay community. They are blocked into this bitchy battle and they are not progressing. They are not willing to do missionary work and talk to the enemy. They have to be willing to listen and change themselves.”

Calm, rational, and respectful discussion is an essential element of sound discussion about psychiatry. But when that tone of discussion is achieved through half-truth, exclusion of essential facts, naivete, and political bias among the planners, such discussion is bound to harm professionalism in the mental-health fields.

Instead of resolving obvious and potentially fatal flaws in his plans, Scasta appears to have shut out early gay-media inquiries about the flaws in his program, ignored Robinson’s warning about antigay activists, scapegoated Robinson, and finally wasted time whining about gay activists. (Read More)

Sources have told TruthWinsOut.org today that Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson has pulled out of a controversial symposium featuring an infamous “ex-gay” therapist. The May 5 symposium, at the APA’s 2008 convention in Washington, was dealt a major blow with the news of Robinson’s decision. TruthWinsOut.org opposed the panel because it featured Dr. Warren Throckmorton, an unlicensed psychologist who compares “leaving” homosexuality to quitting smoking.

“We are pleased that Bishop Robinson has not lent his credibility to a political right wing platform disguised as a scientific symposium,” said TWO Executive Director Wayne Besen. “The debate over whether homosexuality is a curable metal illness was settled decades ago and is not debatable. This forum is nothing more than an underhanded way for anti-gay activists to make their outdated and intolerant views look respectable.”

By Jack Drescher, MD

(Reprint from AGLP Newsletter, April 2008)

The last AGLP Newsletter announced this year’s APA annual meeting would include a symposium, “Homosexuality and Therapy: The Religious Dimension.” AGLP has no official connection to the symposium, although our convention newsletter routinely reports APA programs that may be of interest to our members.

The symposium’s organizer wondered, “Could we ever get a group of scientists and clinicians on both sides of the religious divide to seek common ground while committed to honesty in the scientific research about homosexuality–no matter what the outcome?” This is an interesting question. Yet while the panel includes two psychiatrists and a psychologist with strong religious interests, there are no scientists. Instead there is a controversial gay Episcopal bishop and the President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. So what is going on here? (Read More)